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Block Caving

Block caving is an inexpensive bulk mining method where the ore is drawn by gravity and which is suitable for ore bodies which are low grade and are consistent in their grades. Depending on how the ore is broken there are three block caving systems 1) The Grizzly system for fine material, 2) the slusher system for coarser material and 3) the LHD system for very coarse material.

Full gravity (grizzly system): The components of the grizzly system are haulage level, transfer raises, grizzly level, finger raises, under cut level. The haulage and grizzly levels are driven across the ore block and can be driven simultaneously. Finger raises are driven to the undercut level from the grizzly level and transfer raises are driven from the haulage level to the grizzly level with a loading chute at the haulage level and a grizzly rail at the grizzly level. Once the undercut is blasted the broken ore flows through these raises, is sized by the grizzly rail and then into transfer chutes and loaded into rail cars. The oversized material at the grizzly is broken by a sledge hammer or by secondary blasting.

Slusher drift system: The components of this system are haulage level, slusher level above the haulage level, finger raises, and the undercut level. Haulage drifts are driven across the block to be mined while the slusher drifts are driven at right angles to the haulage level. Finger raises are then driven from the slusher level to the undercut level. The block above the undercut level is longholed and blasted to start the caving process.

LHD (Rubber tired) System: This system consists of the haulage level, ore transfer raises, the production level, draw point entries, draw cones to the undercut level, and undercut drifts. The undercut is longholed and blasted to promote caving. At the draw point large pieces of ore can be handled due to the wide draw cones which are broken up into small pieces by small drills and explosives. There should be sufficient spacing between the haulage levels and the production levels to accommodate enough storage in the transfer raises so that loading of the trains is not delayed waiting for the LHDs

Detailed Definition:

Ore properties: A typical ore body should have a fairly large lateral extent with well distributed mineralization, with fairly weak or fairly strong rock with enough fractures in different orientations to allow the rock mass to break into small pieces under gravity to pass through the draw holes into the production drifts. The horizontal area of the mining block being mined is usually around 90 m.

Cavability determination: The next step after determining the ore body size is the cavalibity of the blocks being mined. For this step the frequency and orientation of the fracture sets must be determined. The standard method of determining the number of fracture sets is by evaluating the Rock Quality Designation (RQD) of the cores obtained from diamond drilling. The RQD only acts as a preliminary guide for determining cavalibilty, but it gives little indication on the orientation or the occurrence of all the fracture sets. An exploratory drift has to be driven in order to make a final assessment on the cavability of the blocks.
Two vertical fracture sets at approximately 90 deg orientation to each other and a third approximately horizontal set will form the rectangular blocks when the fractures separate. The spacing of the sets determines the size of the blocks at the draw points. The composition of the fracture and the joint fill material aid in determining the ease with which the rock mass fractures or if the fill material is structurally stronger or weaker than the rock mass. Other important features to be identified are faults, dykes, and waste capping which are incorporated in rock mass classification systems based on which the ease or difficulty of caving is determined.

MINING SYSTEM SELECTION AND DESIGN

After the cavability of the ore has been determined the next step is to determine the mining system to be employed. This chiefly depends on the size of broken material arriving at the draw point but other factors like cost of labour, availability and cost of equipment, economics, mine site location, technical expertise in labour etc are also taken into account.
From previous studies it has been observed that finer ore size necessitates narrow draw point spacing and coarse ore size demands wider spacing. For fine material the gravity system is preferred, for slightly coarser material the slusher system is used and for very coarse material the LHD system should be considered.

THE GRIZZLY SYSYEM

The grizzly system is best suited for weak ore which breaks finely and hence requires closely spaced draw points. It is also a favoured method when sophisticated equipment is not available and where labour is cheap.

HAULAGE LEVEL. The haulage or gathering level is driven about 18 m below the grizzly level to allow sufficient room for storage for loading the trains. The haulage level is supported by concrete to counteract the extreme stress conditions encountered. Haulage equipment dimensions and safety requirements determine the cross-sectional size.

RAISES. Transfer raises are driven from the haulage level to the grizzly with each transfer raise serving multiple grizzlies. The grizzly chamber spacing and the distance between the two levels determines the number of grizzlies that can be served by one transfer raise. The transfer raises are generally lined with timber or concrete to insure that the raise will last the life of the production from above. Chutes are usually installed at the bottom of the transfer raises and grizzly rails are installed at the top of the transfer raise for sizing the material passing down the raise. The cross-sectional size will be determined by the amount of ore storage required within the constraints of the ground conditions.

GRIZZLY DRIFTS. Grizzly drifts are driven to connect the top of the transfer raises and serve as manway access to the draw points and for distribution of fresh air to the grizzlies. The grizzly drifts are usually lined with concrete or timber for support. The grizzly drifts are usually small in size since no production equipment will be required to pass through. They are connected around the fringes of the ore block for ease of access between the drifts and for ventilation purposes.

DRAW (FINGER) RAISES. Finger raises are driven from the grizzly to the undercut level. Two raises are driven on opposite sides and at right angles to the grizzly drift and located at the top of the transfer raise. The distance between the grizzly and undercut level depends on how much pillar is required between the two levels. The raises may or may not be lined with concrete.

UNDERCUT DRIFTS. Undercut drifts connect the tops of the draw raises. The pillars formed during the driving of the drifts are later drilled and blasted to initiate caving. These drifts should be large enough to accommodate the drilling equipment used to drill the pillars and to provide expansion room for the blasted pillar rock.

VENTILATION. The ventilation of a grizzly system is fairly simple. Fresh air is passed through the haulage drifts and then up to the grizzly levels. Fresh air is circulated through the drifts.

SLUSHER SYSTEMS
Slushers are generally used when ore breaks up into medium coarse particles. This system generally more equipment intensive than the gravity system since it uses electric slushers. The scrapers are about 1.5 to 1.8 m in width

HAULAGE DRIFTS. Haulage drifts are driven on even centers across the block to be mined. The distance between haulages is a function of the slusher drift length and the draw point spacing. The size of drift is determined by the size of haulage equipment. The drifts are generally supported by concrete.

SLUSHER DRIFTS. Slusher drifts are usually driven directly above and at right angles to the haulage drifts. The slusher drift consists of a loading cut out directly above the haulage, a slusher cut out at the end opposite from the slusher drift, and the slusher drift. The size of opening is a function of the scraper size. The width of the finished slusher drift should be only 1 ft (0.3 m) greater than the width of the scraper thus preventing side spill as the loaded scraper is pulled to the draw hole and produce greater payloads for each scraper trip. The slusher cut out, loading cut out, and slusher drift are usually lined with concrete. The floor of the slusher drift should have rails installed as this provides a better sliding surface for the scraper and prevents gouging of the floor concrete. The drift should also have an upward grade to 5%. This will allow for water drainage toward the haulage and also will favour the loaded scraper for somewhat easier loading. The slusher drifts are usually staggered along the haulage. That is, every other slusher drift is driven at 180° from the previous slusher drift.

VENTILATION DRIFTS. Ventilation drifts are driven halfway between each pair of haulage drifts directly under the tail ends of the slusher drifts from two adjacent haulages. Small ventilation raises to the slusher drift above serve for exhausting contaminated air from the slusher drift. The ventilation drift is sized according to the amount of exhaust air that it will be required to handle. Ventilation drifts are not usually concreted but may require roof bolts and shot crete.

FINGER (DRAW) RAISES. Finger raises are driven at 90⁰ to the slusher drifts at an angle of approximately 45° above the horizontal. Finger raises are driven from both sides of the slusher drift, generally in opposite sets although they may be staggered from one side of the drift to the other. The size of the finger raise is determined by the size of material passing through the finger raise. Lining of the finger raise is desirable to prevent the raise from getting unstable from rock rubbing against rock during the production cycle.

UNDERCUT DRIFTS. Undercut drifts are driven above the tops of the finger raises. Undercut drift sizing is usually determined by the size of equipment used for the long hole drilling. The elevation of the undercut level is determined by the amount of pillar desired between the slusher drifts and the cave bottom. The pillar should be adequate to provide for wear during the production period and for protection of the slusher drift if weight should occur.

LONGHOLE DRILLING. Long hole drilling is usually done in the shape of a fan with the bottom holes being drilled at a minimum angle of 45°. The size of the long holes and the amount of explosives required depend on the rock strength and these two will determine the spacing between the fans. No more than two or three drill fans in an undercut drift should be blasted at one time.

VENTILATION. Ventilation with a slusher system is somewhat more positive than with the grizzly system. An intake ventilation lateral can be driven around the fringes of the mining area or underneath the haulage level. Fresh air flows through the loading drifts and into the slusher drift. The air then passes through the slusher drift to the vent connection and into the exhaust ventilation drifts where it flows to a main vent lateral and then is discharged. The volume of air feeding each slusher drift can also be controlled by placing a vent box at each vent connection. By changing the size of vent box opening, the amount of air in each slusher drift is controlled. This system does require constant monitoring to be sure that various controls are in proper position, especially in areas of high secondary blasting.

LHD (Rubber tired) System
The LHD system is well suited for ore bodies that are not too fractured and which will cave in large pieces that would be large enough to be handled by mechanical equipments. Due to the system requiring less development per ton of ore and has a high production-output capability high productivity and efficiency that can be obtained.

HAULAGE LEVEL. The haulage levels are located well below the production level so that adequate storage is available in the centralized ore passes. This will provide sufficient loading capacity so that haulage trains are not directly dependent on LHDs for loading and larger-sized ore cars can be used. The size of the haulage drifts is dependent on the size of haulage equipment. Since the haulage level is located well below the caving level, the drifts are not usually subjected to unusual weight, and therefore standard support methods are adequate.

PRODUCTION LEVEL. Production drifts are driven on even centers across the ore body or production block. The spacing between production drifts is determined by draw point layout
and spacing. The size of the drifts depends on the size of production units being used. The larger the production unit, the greater the cross section required. The production drifts can be subjected to future heavy weight; therefore, good support is required. These drifts should be roof bolted and concreted or at least shotcreted.

DRAWPOINTS. Draw points are driven horizontally from the production drifts. They are driven usually about 45° to the production drift to facilitate entry of the LHD for production. The distance from the brow of the draw point to the opposite rib of the production drift must be adequate for the LHD to be at nearly zero degrees articulation when entering the muck pile. The height of the brow of the draw point must be high enough to allow the bucket of the LHD to raise its load but not so high that the broken rock will flood out into the production drift. The draw point is usually lined with concrete in order to maintain the proper size and also for support against the weight from undercutting and blasting.

UNDERCUT LEVEL. The undercut level is usually driven directly above the production drifts generally in the range of 15 m. The size of the undercut drifts is determined by the size of equipment used. These drifts are not generally supported unless rock conditions require some temporary support.

LONGHOLE DRILLING. Drilling of the undercut long holes and for the draw cones is done from the undercut level. Drilling the draw cones from the undercut level does require more drilling than if done from the production level, but the blasting sequence for the draw cones is much safer from this level. Blasting for the draw cones is usually done one or two rings at a time. When drilling is done from the bottom, once the first rings have been blasted, access to the remaining rings is difficult and hazardous.

Blasting of the draw cones immediately precedes blasting of the undercut. The cones should only precede the undercut blasting by one or two draw points. This way, the minimum amount of ground ahead of the cave line is opened and more support is offered to the weight that precedes the cave line. Blasting of the long holes is done two or three fans at a time. With this system, it is fairly easy to check for un blasted pillars. As with the other systems, the cave line should be advanced at some angle to the major workings to minimize the amount of weight transferred to the production level.

OREPASSES (STORAGE BINS). Ore passes are driven between the production and haulage levels for transferring the ore to the trains. The ore passes are spaced intermittently along the production drifts so they can be serviced by several draw points. Loading chutes are installed at the bottom of each ore pass and a dump pocket set up at the production level. Ore passes are generally placed in good quality rock and hence not usually lined. Raise boring machines are used to bore long ore passes.

VENTILATION. Ventilation requirements for the LHD system are significantly higher than for the other systems as a result of the high ventilation requirements for diesel equipment. Separate ventilation drifts usually driven underneath the production level are driven to bring fresh air to the working areas by means of raises driven from them to the production level. Small ventilation raises adjacent to each ore pass dump point pick up the contaminated air and take it to small exhaust vent drifts below the production level, and then to the main exhaust lateral, and finally discharge it to the surface. 

by:    http://www.miningknowhow.info/glossary-of-terms/block-caving

SUBLEVEL STOPING

A. In this mining method, the ore is excavated in open stopes, retreating from one end of the stope toward the other. The orebody is developed first by a series of sublevel drifts above the main haulage level. The sublevels are connected by a starting raise at one end of the stope and by a passageway raise for entrance to them and the stope face at the other end. Chute raises connect the haulage level to the lowest sublevel, at which the tops of the chute raises are belled out to form mill holes. Beginning at the starting raise the ore is benched down from the sublevels; the broken ore falls into the mill holes, where it is drawn off through the chutes. The stope face is kept nearly vertical as it is benched backward toward the passageway raise.b. A mining method involving overhand, underhand, and shrinkage stoping. Its characteristic feature is the use of sublevels. The sublevels are worked simultaneously, the lowest on a given block being farthest advanced and the subs above following one another at short intervals. The uppermost sublevel underneath the cover is partly caved. The caved cover follows down upon the caved ore. The broken ore is in part drawn from the level, and a part remains in the stope to give lateral support to the walls and to prevent admixture of cover and ore. The breaking faces are developed by crosscuts, which are extended from wall to wall from the end of the sublevel. The method can also be looked upon as a retreating method, the orebody being worked from the top down and the individual blocks upon a given level being worked from their ends to the center. Modifications of this method are chamber-and-pillar system; chambers without filling; combination of subslicing and stoping; drift stoping; filling system; Mitchell slicing system; pillar robbing; pillar robbing and hand filling; room-and-pillar system; square work and caving; square work, pillar robbing, and hand filling; sublevel back stoping; sublevel method; sublevel slicing system; substoping.c. A method of mining best adapted to steeply inclined deposits that have strong ore and strong walls. The ore is usually blocked out by two horizontal drifts separated vertically by 100 to 200 ft (30 to 61 m) and raises between the two horizontal drifts, the latter separated by comparable distances. Vertical pillars may be left between stopes on the same level, and horizontal ones to support the main haulage. After the main blocks of ore have been completely mined, it is common practice to rob the pillars, and the walls of the stope may collapse after the pillars have been robbed d. Of lodes, open-stope mining in which ore is blasted and drawn through footwall openings to a gathering level in the country rock below. Used with strong containing walls and wide lodes e. Of massive deposits, working simultaneously of a series of sublevels echeloned vertically, the lowest leading and the uppermost being partly caved as the covered rock descends.

Glossary of Mining Terminology

After Damp - Gasses resulting from underground combustion, normally carbon monoxide. This is a loose term implying any fatal gas in a mine after an explosion or fire.
Air Shaft - A vertical opening into a mine for the passage of air.
Airway - Any passage in a mine along which an air current moves. Some passages are driven solely for air. Other passages, such as a main level, are all purpose, to move air, men, coal, and materials.
Anthracite - Coal of the highest metamorphic rank, in which the fixed carbon content is between 92 percent and 98 percent. It is hard, black, and has a semi-metallic lustre and semi-conchoidal fracture. It ignites with difficulty and burns with a short blue flame without smoke.
Bank and Bankhead - The building at the entrance to a mine into which the coal boxes are drawn and dumped into the mine screens, and from there to railway. The term is loosely described as all the surface buildings.
Balance - An inclined passage running up at right angles from a main level, into the coal seam, normally tracked with boxes drawn up by balance and lowered gravity. The term gradually means a pair of passages, connected at the top, one of which is upcast and the other is downcast for ventilation.
Barrier - The coal left at a mine or mine working.
Bearing In - Cutting a horizontal groove at the bottom or side of the coal face.
Bed - A separate stratum of coal or other natural deposit such as clay, rock or shale.
Bench - A horizontal section of coal seam included between parting of coal or shale.
Bituminous Coal - A coal that contains 15% to 20% volatile matter. It is dark brown to black in colour and burns with a smoky flame. It is intermediate between sub-bituminous and semi-bituminous coal.
Black Damp - Carbon dioxide gas, sometimes known as choke damp.
Blower - Gas discharged under pressure from a vein in a coal seam.
Boghead Coal - A sapropelic coal resembling cannel coal in its physical properties but containing algae, not spores. It rarely occurs in a pure state but rather in forms transitional to cannel coal. A source of both oil and gas.
Boom - A wooden support of the mine roof, like a building rafter, that is set horizontally.
Bootleg Coal - The mining and/or selling of coal from an area not owned by the miner or without the owner's permission.
Bord - A chamber excavated in coal, off a balance. In some coal fields, a bord is called a room.
Bore Hole - A hole of small diameter drilled or bored to explore the strata beneath, above, beside or ahead.
Box - A mine car or wagon into which coal is loaded at the face and from there is transported to the surface.
Brattice - A partition normally made of canvas, but sometimes made of wood, to make two airways where one existed before, and permit air to move in and out of the mine area.
Break through - As for cross heading.
British Thermal Unit (B.T.U.) - Heat needed to raise one pound of water by one degree F (252 calories).
Brusher - A workman (always an experienced miner) who keeps the roof, sides and pavement of a passage in good repair.
Butty - A miner's working partner - also known as “buddy”.
Bullwheel - A wheel, operating freely, around which passes the rope in a balance - gravity - power system. Most are equipped with brakes.
Cage - The elevator that transports the men from the bankhead into the mine.
Cannel Coal - A compact, tough sapropelic coal that contains spores and is characterized by a dull, waxy lustre, conchoidal fracture and massiveness.
Carbon Ratio - Percentage of fixed carbon in coal.
Chainrunner - A workman who fastens and unfastens, as required, haulage cables to trips, and whose signals direct the haulage engineer operator to stop the trip. The chainrunner underground functions much as a guard brakeman on a railway.
Chamber - An excavation from which coal is taken, known also as a bord or room (in Great Britain, it is known as breast).
Checkweighman - The miners representative, chosen by ballot, who checks the weight of coal recovered in the miner's favour, when the coal boxes filled by the miners underground are weighed at the bankhead.
Chock - Chuck, pack - a hardwood block, two or more feet long, six inches or more square, used as a temporary roof support, normally in longwall operations and withdrawn as the wall advances or retreats. In some longwall operations, chocks are left to ease pressure of the crushed roof and prevent it spreading to the coal face.
Choke Damp - A loosely used term for carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Cleat or Cleavage - The term applied to the natural forces, or planes of division, causing coal to break up into more or less rectangular blocks.
Coal - A solid, brittle, stratified, combustible rock-like material formed by decomposition of plant vegetation that has been submitted to compaction and induration.
Coal Analysis - The determination by chemical methods of the amounts of various components of coal.
Coal Ash - Non-combustible material in coal.
Coal Bank - Exposed seam of coal.
Coal Basin - A coal field with a synclinal basin structure.
Coal Bump - Sudden outbursts of coal and rock that occur when stresses in a coal pillar, left for support in underground workings, cause the pillar to rupture without warning, sending coal and rock flying with explosive force.
Coal Caking - Coal that softens and binds together when heated and produces a hard grey cellular coke.
Coal Carbonization - The heat treatment of coal in the absence of air at low temperatures (450 to 700 degrees C) or high temperatures (900 to 1200 degrees C).
Coal Classification - The grouping of coals according to a particular property such as degree of metamorphism (Rank), constituent plant materials (Type), or degree of impurity (Grade). Also, the grouping of coals according to percentage of volatile matter, coal caking properties and coking properties.
Coal Field - The coal deposit or bed, in total, in a given geographic locality.
Coal Gasification - Conversion of coal to gaseous fuel without leaving a combustible residue.
Coal Grade - A coal classification based on the degree of impurity, (i.e. quantity of inorganic material or ash left after burning).
Coal Hydrogeneration or Liquefaction - The conversion of coal into liquid hydrocarbons and related compounds by treating an oily paste of bituminous coal with hydrogen gas at elevated temperatures and pressures.
Coal Measures - A succession of coal seams in varying thickness and separated by other sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and/or shale.
Coal Measures - As for coal field.
Coal Rank - A coal classification based on degree of metamorphism.
Coal Seam or Bed - A stratum (layer) of coal.
Coke - A combustible material consisting of the fused coal ash and fixed carbon of bituminous coal, produced by driving off the coal's volatile matter.
Coking Coal - A bituminous coal containing 80-90% carbon and that is suitable for the production of coke.
Collier - An underground workman in a coal mine - a coal transporting ship.
Colliery - A coal mine inclusive of surface, plant and underground workings.
Compaction - A decrease in the volume of sediment as a result of compressive stress, usually resulting from continued deposits above, but also from drying and other causes.
Conglomerate - The rock strata lying beneath a coal measure.
Creep - A crush in which pillars are forced down into the floor, or up into the roof of a mine.
Crossheading - A narrow opening for ventilation driven through coal or rock separating two passages.
Cuddy - A weighted tram, to counterbalance a loaded tub and pull up the empty tub.
Cut - A groove excavated in the coal face in preparation for blasting.
Datal - Day wage work, minimum wage.
Deadwork - Work for which the miner is not paid.
Deep - Workings below the level of the pit bottom or main levels extending there from.
Dip - Technically, the angle that any inclined stratum makes with a horizontal line. Often loosely used to describe the seam dip or to follow the dip.
Downcast - The passage through which air is drawn through the mine.
Draegermen - A mine worker or official, engaged in mine rescue while wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus.
Drift - The passage through which air is drawn into the mine.
Drill - Any tool used for boring holes underground.
Drive – To excavate a passage.
Driver - A workman, usually a boy, who drives an underground work horse.
Drum - A revolving cylinder on a stationary hoisting or hauling engine, around which the hoisting or hauling cable is wound.
Entry - The main entrance and travelling passage of the mine.
Examiner - An official who patrols a mine section to examine the workings for accumulation of gas and other hazards.
Face - The end wall at the working extremity of any excavation in a mine. The place where a miner works in excavating coal and rock.
Fan - A machine used to force ventilation through a mine. It may be a blow or suction fan, located on the surface or underground.
Fault - A displacement of strata in which the coal on one side of the fossil is pushed above, or below, or aside from the corresponding coal on the other side.
Fire Clay - A geological formation, when found is usually immediately beneath a coal bed. Its heat resistant and easily processable qualities make it invaluable for use as a fire brick.
Fire Damp - Methane or any explosive gas underground.
Fissure - A separation of rock or coal across the seam.
Fixed Carbon - The part of carbon remaining when coal is heated in a closed vessel until the volatile matter is driven off. It is the non-volatile matter minus the ash.
Floor - The bottom of a mine excavation, normally in relation to the coal deposit, it is the upper surface of the stratum immediately underlying a coal seam.
Gob - The void resulting from excavation of coal and also meaning the area from where coal has been extracted and the roof has been allowed to fall in.
Head - A passage connecting other passages.
Head Frame - The metal frame erected over a shaft, which bears the hoisting wheels from which the cages are suspended.
High-Volatile Coals - Coals containing over 32 percent volatile matter.
High-Volatile "A" Bituminous Coal - A non-binding bituminous coal with less than 69% fixed carbon, more than 31% volatile matter and 14,000 or more B.T.U.
High-Volatile "B" Bituminous Coal - A non-binding bituminous coal having between 13,000 and 14,000 B.T.U.
High-Volatile "C" Bituminous Coal - A binding or non-weathering coal having between 11,000 and 13,000 B.T.U.
Hoist - An engine with a winding drum and rope which hauls or hoists a trip or cage.
Hydrocarbons - A large class of organic compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen, and occurring in coal, petroleum and natural gas.
Inbye - A term relative to position, meaning nearer to the coal face, and opposite to the term outbye. Sometimes it is used on the surface to mean that an individual is in the mine.
Induration - The process of hardening of sediments through cementation, pressure, heat, or other cause.
Intake - A level carrying air to the coal face. The intake for one coal face may be the return for another.
Lamp - The apparatus carried by all personnel underground to give light.
Lamp Cabin - The place where mine lamps are stored, repaired, charged with electricity or oil and issued to personnel before going underground.
Level - An excavation or passageway driven in the coal, establishing a base from which other workings begin. A colliery level does not mean a passageway excavated on a horizontal plane. A level is generally excavated in one or more slight inclines.
Lift - All the workings driven upwards from one level in a steep pitching seam.
Lignite - A brownish black coal that is intermediate between peat and sub-bituminous coal.
Loader - A miner's assistant who loads coal into boxes and generally assists the miner at the face.
Long Wall - A mining operation at a long coal face between parallel passages, the face being from 50 to 100+ feet, from which the coal is blasted, then loaded by hand onto mechanically shaken pans which move the coal to the pit boxes.
Low-Volatile Bituminous Coal - A non-binding bituminous coal with 78% to 86% fixed carbon and 14% to 22% volatile matter.
Manhole - A cubby hole inset in the side of a haulage passage such as the main slope or level, for personnel to stand in safety when coal boxes pass.
Manway - A passage in or into the mine used as a foot path.
Manager - The official in charge of a mine, surface and underground.
Medium-Volatile Bituminous Coal - A non-binding bituminous coal with 69-78% fixed carbon and 22-31% volatile matter.
Meta-Anthracite Coal - A non-binding anthracite coal that has 98% or more fixed carbon, and 2% or less volatile matter.
Metamorphism - The mineralogical and structural adjustment of solid rocks to physical and chemical conditions that have been imposed at depth below surface.
Miner - Technically a workman engaged in extracting coal at the coal face, but generally used to describe anyone who works underground.
Mouth - The opening at the surface of any passage into a mine.
Opening - Any excavation in or into a mine.
Operator - The person, company, corporation working a mine, or the individual at the controls of a machine.
Outcrop - That part of a geographical stratum that appears at the surface.
Outbye - A word relative to position, meaning farther from the coal face, opposite to inbye. It is loosely used at times by miners to signify the surface.
Overman - An underground official ranking below underground manager, in charge of a mine section, or, in some circumstances, in charge of a whole mine during the overmen's shift.
Parting - The layer of slate or stony coal that separates two benches of a coal seam.
Pavement - The bottom of the floor of any excavation.
Peat - An unconsolidated deposit of semi-carbonized plant remains of a water-saturated environment, such as a bog, and of persistently high moisture content (at least 75%). It is considered the early stage or rank in the development of coal.
Peat Coal - A coal transitional between peat and brown coal or lignite.
Piece Can - The underground workman's lunch container, usually made from sheet metal, with a tea can made from the same material.
Pillar - A column or body of coal left unmined to support the roof.
Pillard and Bord - The name used to describe a mining method (i.e. coal is extracted from the bords and left in the pillars). The latter's extraction is the final mining process.
Pit - A mine.
Plane - An incline on which a track is laid on which to lower or hoist coal.
Powder - Explosive chemical in powder form used at the coal face to blast.
Prop - A wooden upright post to support the roof.
Proximate Analysis - Determines percentages of moisture (water), volatile matter, fixed carbon and coal ash; also sulphur and heat value in B.T.U. are reported.
Pumpman - A workman who maintains and supervises a pump's operation.
Pump Way - The compartment of a shaft or slope down which pump rods and pipes extend; also called pump slope and pump shaft.
Punchers - Air-driven percussive pick machines.
Rake - Carries the men into and out of the mine.
Rib - The side of an excavation.
Roadway - See level.
Rob - To mine coal from pillars.
Rollerman - A workman who lubricates and maintains the rollers and pulleys over and through which haulage cables pass.
Roof - Strata immediately over a coal seam; rock or coal over head in any excavation.
Room and Pillar - A system of mining in which the distinguishing feature is the winning of fifty percent or more coal in the first working. The coal is mined in rooms separated by narrow ribs or pillars. The coal in the pillars may be won by subsequent workings. The rooms are driven parallel with one another, and the room faces may be extended, at right angles or at an angle to the dip. This method is applicable to flat deposits, such as coal, that occur in bedded deposits.
Sapropelic Coal - A coal derived from organic residues (finely divided plant material, spores, algae) in stagnant or standing bodies of water.
Seam - A strata of coal, also called a vein.
Sediment - Solid material, both mineral and organic, that has come to rest on the earth's surface either above or below sea level.
Semi-Anthracite - Coal intermediate between anthracite and semi-bituminous coal and having a fixed carbon content of between 85 percent and 92 percent. Physical properties resemble anthracite.
Semi-Bituminous Coal - Coal that ranks between bituminous and semi-anthracite. It is harder and more brittle than bituminous coal, has a high fuel ratio and burns without smoke.
Shaft - A vertical excavation connecting surface and mine workings.
Shaftman - A workman who patrols in a slowly moving cage in a mine shaft, and maintains the shaft by working through the cage side, or on its top, or suspended from the cage bottom.
Shift - The time during which workmen work, alternating with some other period.
Shooting - Blasting in a mine.
Shot - The explosive charge in the coal face.
Shotfirer - The official prior to detonating an explosive charge to blast coal, examines the area for gas, examines the preparations made for the blasting and when assured that all safety regulations have been complied with, detonates the shot.
Sinking - A passage driven on an incline down to coal workings in lower depths, comparable to an inside slope.
Slope - An entrance to a mine driven down through an inclined coal seam. An inside slope in a mine is a passage in the mine driven from one system of workings down through a seam, to bring up coal from a lower system of workings.
Slopeman - A workman who patrols and keeps in repair the mine's main and back slopes.
Splint - A hard variety of bituminous coal that ignites with difficulty, owing to its slatey structure, but makes a clear hot fire.
Spores - Parts of the reproductive organs of many plants that formed coal.
Stableman - A workman who cares for the horses and maintains the stable underground. In off-working days the stableman is responsible for watering the horses.
Store Keeper - A semi-clerical worker who supervises a storeroom of colliery tools and equipment, and who issues these items for use upon instruction of competent authority.
Stripping - Mining coal by first removing the covering strata down to the coal bed; open workings as in a quarry; sometimes used to describe a final mining operation drawing pillars. When all coal is removed the roof crashes down.
Sub-Bituminous Coal - A black coal that ranks between lignite and bituminous coals. It has higher carbon and lower moisture content than lignite.
Sub-Bituminous "A" Coal - A non-binding sub-bituminous coal having between 11,000 and 13,000 B.T.U.
Sub-Bituminous "B" Coal - A non-binding sub-bituminous coal having between 9,500 and 11,000 B.T.U.
Sub-Bituminous "C" Coal - A non-binding sub-bituminous coal having between 8,300 and 9,500 B.T.U.
Sulphur - Coal constituent usually in the form of pyrite.
Sump - A basin or collection place in a mine, into which water runs to be pumped out.
Trackman - A workman who keeps mine tracks in repair.
Trapper - Trapper boy, a boy stationed at an underground door, to open and close it when boxes pass, and thus control the air current.
Travelling Way - A passageway for men and horses in and out of the mine.
Trip - A number of boxes drawn by power, as for rake.
Tunnel - The passageway between two mines or systems of working, driven horizontally across the measures.
Ultimate Analysis - Determines percentages of chemical elements - carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur.
Upcast - The passage from and in a mine through which air passes.
Volatile Matter - Those substances in coal, other than moisture, that are given off as gas and vapour during combustion.
Workings - An excavation of a mine, as a whole, or that part of a mine in which mining operations are being done.
Acid drainage control = stop acid from the mine leaking into the ground.
Acid mine drainage = poisonous/cheeky chemicals left over from processing the
ore (taking the minerals out of the ore).
Aquatic fauna = fish and water animals
Agreement = say yes to exploration and mining
Airborne geophysics = a way of measuring the geophysics of an area from the air
using a special airplane.
ALRA(NT)Act = Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act.
Applicant = a company that is applying for an exploration licence.
Apply = ask to do exploration
Archaeological sites = things left over from the past (a very long time ago) and old
days which are buried under the ground.
Authority Certificate = is a certificate from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority
(AAPA) which tells the exploration or mining company where they can or can’t go, to
make sure they stay away from sacred sites. If the company doesn’t obey the
conditions of the Certificate it will be prosecuted (charged).
Authorisation under Section 178 = permission as set by the Minister to explore or
mine on land that is a reserve (that normally cannot be used for anything).

Glossary of Mining Terms 2

 A

Avian fauna = birds.

B

Backfilled = filled up with soil.
Bad waste = nasty (rubbish) rock which has sulphides in it.
Benches = are the different levels in an open cut mine.
Biological Studies = learning about all the plants and animals in a specific area.
Blasting = explosive charges which are made from a mixture of chemicals are used
to break up the rock by pressure when they explode (go bang).
Buffer zone = is an area of land between the pit and the rest of the mine area.
Bulk sampling = taking a lot of samples from one spot or location, usually sand from
a riverbed.

C

Capping = covering the rock with material like clay to keep the water and air out.
Capping material = clay or something similar which is put on the waste dump to
block out water and air from reaching the contaminated rock.
Chemical composition = what chemicals the mineral is made up of.
Christmas Tree = special pipes and valves placed over an oil or gas well to control
(look after) the pressure and to stop the possibility of fire. The Christmas Tree lets
the oil and gas flow into storage tanks.
Classification = separating ground ore or undersize into different sizes, or types of
minerals, or how the ore can be processed.
Clean runoff = uncontaminated rainwater that runs off the mine area.
Commission the plant = to check the plant to make sure that it all works well and
that there are no leaks or spills of oils, fuel and water for safety and environmental
reasons.
Commitment = promise
Concentrate = is the substance (stuff) that is left when water is taken out of the
solution (chemical mixture).
Concrete aggregate = gravel of a set size which is used for concrete.
Conditions = rules
Consent = permission
Construction = building
Contaminated = poisoned
Consult = talk to
Costeaning = digging narrow trenches less than one metre wide and about one
metre (to your waist) to four metres (about the height of a house) deep with a back
hoe.
Crude oil = oil that comes straight out of the ground.
Crushed ore = ore that is broken into manageable small pieces, eg. gravel.
Crushing plant = is the equipment that crushes the ore or rock.
Crust material = the top of the rock.

D            

Dangerous materials = things that can be unsafe or poisonous eg. chemicals.
Data = written notes, figures, computer information, test results and field work
reports.
Decline = is a sloping tunnel big enough for vehicles, loaders and trucks to drive up
and down to get to the ore and take the ore out.
Decommissioning = close down a mine and tidy up after mining has finished. This
involves taking away buildings and equipment and rehabilitating the mine site area.
Decommission (demobilisation) plan = closing down and tidying up/how the
company will take away the crushing plant and equipment at the end when all the
rock has been quarried.
Decommissioning and Rehabilitation Plan = how the company will close down,
tidy up and rehabilitate the mine site when all mining and processing work has
finished.
Deep diamond drilling = drilling to about 120 metres or more (which is the same as
the distance between the goal posts of a football oval).
Density = how full and thick
Dimension stone = like slate, granite, marble, and rock blocks which are cut into
different sizes for tiles, gravestones and tabletops.
Directional drilling = drill pipes that go deep underground in different directions.
Director of Mines = boss of the Mines Division which is a section in the Department
of Business, Industry and Resource Development that makes sure that the
exploration and mining companies obey all the laws and regulations about
exploration and mining in the Northern Territory.
Discharge = let the water go
Disposal = dumping
Disturbed areas = areas that have been cleared or dug up, eg. trenches, gravel pits,
tracks and dams.
DBIRD – the Northern Territory Department of Business, Industry and Resource
Development.
DBIRD Environment Officers = scientists, technicians and inspectors of the
Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development who check the
rehabilitation work of the companies and to make sure that they are looking after the
environment properly.
Downstream impact = what the mine will do to the rivers and creeks near the mine.
Drainage = where the water flows.
Drainage morphology = the look and shape of the waterways of an area including
creeks, rivers and streams, and billabongs and the shape of the land around them.
Drill bit = is at the end of long steel pipes, 9 metres long (the size of a palm tree)
and has hard metal teeth and sometimes with strong diamonds to cut into the rock.
Drilling equipment = equipment used for drilling holes.
Drilling fluid = muddy liquid made of clay, chemicals and water which is pumped
down through the insides of the pipe and flows out through the bit and along the
outside of the pipe bringing rock chips to the surface (top) for the geologists to
check.
Drill record = a list of each drill hole made by the title holder.
Drill rig = a machine that drills holes deep in the ground.
Dust deposition = where the dust will fall.

E

Earthworks = digging up and removing (taking away) and stockpiling the soil and
rocks using bulldozers and excavators, eg. making a track when digging a hole.
Ecological = the relationship of plants and animals with their environment.
Economic evaluation = The company does its sums to see if the project will cost
much to run and if they can make money from the project.
Electrowinning machine = is a shaking tray that has ridges. Gold liquid is poured
onto the tray and the gold sticks to the ridges when the tray is shaking.
Employment = jobs
Endangered = rare, very, very few.
End product = what is left after processing that is useful, eg. gold, zinc, gravel,
sand.
Environmental impact = causes (make) problems for the environment.
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) = is also the second stage of the
Environmental Assessment (checking) process. If the Notice of Intent (NOI) shows
that the mining project will cause many environmental impact (problems) that could
cause a lot of worry, the company must write an EIS following set guidelines which
explains the mining project, the possible environmental problems and how the
company will look after the environment and prevent (stop) environmental problems.
The public and government departments may read the Draft (first) EIS and make
comments about it. The company must also write a supplement (extra report) that
answers these comments. The EIS and the Supplement goes to the NT Department
of Lands Planning and Environment for checking. This Department writes a report to
the company to tell them it is OK or if any changes have to be made. No mining
work can begin until the EIS is OK.
Environmental issues = environmental problems/worries.
Environmental Lease Conditions = with the lease there are rules about the
environment which the company must obey.
Environmental Management Plan (EMP) = is the company’s plan on how it will
look after the environment during all stages of mining; construction, mining,
processing, decommissioning and rehabilitation.
Environmental plan = how the company will look after the environment at different
stages of mining processing, decommissioning and rehabilitation.
Environmental protection = looking after the environment including; the land, the
sea, the air, the water, the plants and animals.
Environmental Securities = company sends money for rehabilitation work to
DBIRD. If the company does not do a good rehabilitation job then DBIRD will use
this money to pay a contractor to do the work.
Erosion = wash-aways.
Excavate = to dig up
Excavation equipment = equipment used for digging up ore or rock eg. bulldozers
and excavators.
Executive Summary = short explanation about the mining project, its size, how
much will be mined, how it will help the Australian economy, employment and
possible environmental and social problems related to the project.
Existing environment = the environment now, before mining.
Exploration companies = are companies which look for minerals that can be mined
or for oil and gas.
Exploration costs = the amount of money that is spent on doing exploration work.
Exploration Licence Application = a request (a special note asking) for an
Exploration Licence, to explore (look) for minerals.
Exploration Licence Application – Exploration Program = the exploration work a
company plans to do on the land they have an exploration title to.
Exploration Licence (Exploration Title) = permission/permit to explore (look) for
minerals that can be mined.
Exploration Permit Application = a request for an Exploration Permit. To explore
for oil and/or gas.
Exploration Permit (EP) = a permit to explore for oil and/or gas.
Exploration Reports (Company Reports) = are reports written by exploration
companies about the exploration work they have done in an area and the results of
their work.
Exploration Retention Licence = when a company has finished its exploration work
it applies for this licence to carry out a feasibility study for a mine in the area of their
exploration licence. The company does their sums for a mine but they are not
allowed to start mining.
Exploration work program = exploration work that an exploration company wishes
to do.
Extension = extra time for negotiation.
Extract = separate
Extractive Mineral Lease = a permit which gives a company permission to
quarry/mine for extractive minerals, eg. sand, gravel and soil from an area that has
been surveyed.
Extractive Mineral Permit = a permit to quarry/mine for any extractive minerals, eg.
sand gravel from private land with the land owners permission included in the
application.

F

 Facilities = buildings, equipment and special places which are used for a set reason,
eg. the mess which is the place where miners get their meals.
Fauna = animals
Feasibility study = before a company starts a project, it does its sums and research
to make sure that the project is worth doing and that they have enough money to do
the project. The company must know the following things:
• How much good quality ore is there?
• What type of plant will they need to crush the ore?
• Cost of environmental protection and rehabilitation after mining.
• Is the area an easy or difficult place to get to will this affect the cost of transport?
• What is the price of the minerals overseas – is it high or low?
• How much work does the company have in other areas of Australia and the
World?
• Cost of Employment – Are there skilled workers (people who can do the work) in
the area or do they have to fly them in?
• What is the company’s mining policy (plan)?
Feral animals = animals that have gone wild, eg. buffaloes, donkeys, brumbies,
goats and wild cats.
Field work = doing research work outside the office, eg. geological fieldwork
involves collecting rock, soil and sand samples.
Field reconnaissance = survey in the bush for something specific eg. different types
of rocks.
Flagging = coloured plastic ribbon that is used for marking out things like tracks or
places.
Flora = plants.
Fossicker’s Permit = permission to fossick (look for) gems and minerals using only
hand held equipment, eg. shovel, picks and crow bars to a depth of 1 metre (waist
deep) at the most.
Froth flotation = is a process when the undersize is mixed with a solution which
froths up like Coke. The minerals stick to the froth (bubbles) and the rubbish sinks to
the bottom of the solution.

G 

 Gas plant = processes the gas that comes out of the ground through the well. At the
gas plant the water that comes out of the ground with the gas is separated and the
gas is compressed (squeezed) so it can be transported by pipeline.
Geochemical sampling = testing the chemicals in the rocks from an exploration
area.
Geochemistry = the chemistry in geological forms such as rocks, soils and sand.
Geological layers = layers of different types of rocks.
Geological maps = maps that show the geology of an area of land including the
different rocks, soils and sands that are found there.
Geology = is the study of how the Earth, its rocks, minerals, soils and sand were
made.
Geophones = are special equipment that are pegged along the seismic track. They
send signals (messages) to the seismograph.
Geophysics = the way to measure the physics (physical composition such as heat,
pressure, magnetics, radioactivity, and electricity) of a rock under the ground and
what the earth is made of.
Geophysicist = is a person who has knowledge of geophysics and studies the
geophysics of the Earth.
Grant = give permission to do something.
Granted = passed/permission given/OK.
Gravity = the force that pulls things to the centre of the Earth. The Earth’s gravity
causes things to fall when you drop them.
Grid = are lines that are the same distance apart that run north to south and east to
west of the area to be explored thoroughly. These grid lines are marked with
flagging tape and a number of its location.
Growing medium = surface layer of any material that plants will grow in.
Ground ore = crushed ore that is broken into very small pieces of ore about the size
of peas.
Guidelines = checklist, a list of advice that must be followed.

H

 Habitat = home and living area of plants and animals.
Half a metre = knee deep.
Hazardous wastes disposal = dangerous/poisonous rubbish including chemicals
like cyanide left over from processing.
Hardstand areas = where the soil has gone hard, eg. roads and tracks.
Heap-leach = dirty water that is left over after processing the ore.
Heavy medium = a mixture of grey powder made from fine iron dust and water
which looks like sloppy grey mud that is used to separate diamonds from the
kimberlite.
A Heavy Medium Separator = is a machine that separates out the heavy minerals
from the unwanted lighter minerals using a heavy medium.
Heritage matters = things left over from the past (a very long time ago) which are
still important for the people now, eg. buildings, monuments, and traditions.
High risk business = business that can be difficult because of science, technology,
money, guess work and luck.
History story of what happened in the time past, before now.
Historical sites = old places.
Horizontal drilling – drill pipes that go down into the ground and enter the rock
trapping the oil side ways.

I

 Income = money from something, eg. business or from work.
Indicate = show
Industry = exploration and mining companies.
Infrastructure = buildings, roads, transport, mining equipment and power.
Insect control = what the company will do about the insects in the area. Eg. stop
mosquitoes from breeding and growing in the mine area.
Intensive exploration = exploration work in a small area involving a lot of closespace
work.
International Standards Organisation (ISO) = is an organisation that sets the
highest standards in the world.
Investigate = check.
Investigation work = checking and reporting about accidents and problems at a
mine including waste (rubbish, rubbish rock and dirty water), acid drainage,
maintenance, and safety and give advice on how they can be fixed.

 K

 Kimberlite = the volcanic rock which contains diamonds.

L

 Land restoration = fixing up the land that has been mined to make sure it is safe for
people and wild life.
Landscape = the shape of the land, eg. hills, mountains, flood plains, desert,
valleys, lakes.
Landslides = a lot of earth and rock breaking off and sliding down the side of a pit.
Land use = how the land is used, eg. mining, conservation, farming and recreation
(sports and fun).
Leaching = when something is washed out of a substance by water passing through
it or over it.
Lease= title
Legally = by law
Letter of Approval for Substantial Disturbance = Permission for a company to do
activities of substantial disturbance, eg. drilling, grading, costeaning.
Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) = is natural gas that has changed into liquid by cooling to
161”C so it can be transported in special tankers.
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) = is made from natural gas and is stored in strong
steel gas bottles. LPG is used for gas stoves and some taxis use it instead of petrol.

M

 Magnetics = something that is magnetic is something that pulls metal things to itself,
eg. a magnet pulls a piece of iron or steel to itself.
Maintain water quality = keeps the water good.
Market = businesses and people who want to buy the end products.
Mill = the equipment used to tumble and grind rock into small pieces the size of
peas.
Mine Operations = what happens at the mine.
Mine Plan (MP) = what the company plans to do at the mine.
Mineral Claim (MC) = A permit which gives a company permission to prospect and
mine for minerals, or explore for extractive minerals (sand, gravel) or run a business
for tourists
Mineral Deposits = Areas where there is a lot of rock containing minerals.
Mineral Lease = A permit which gives a company permission to mine for minerals
and to build a mine and all the equipment necessary for mining. The area of the
lease must be surveyed (measured and mapped).
Mineral Price = is the international (world) price for a specific mineral, eg. gold price.
Mineral Processing (also called ore dressing or mineral dressing) = is a process
using machines which separate the good ore minerals from the rubbish ore minerals
or the ore minerals that the company does not want to produce (make).
Miner’s Right = permission to prospect (look for) minerals and apply for an
exploration and mining licences.
Minimum = as little as possible.
Mining Act and Mine Management Act = laws about exploration and mining.
Mining methods = ways of mining.
Mining Policy = the company’s plans and ideas about mining that help the company
to make decisions (make its mind up).
Mining Project = everything about a mine.
Monitoring = testing and sampling.
Monitoring Data = test results.
Monitoring Program = program for sampling, measuring, testing, checking and
reporting during the mine project.
Moratorium = 5 years of moratorium.

N 

 National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) = is an association that sets
the highest standards in Australia.
Native Plants = plants that are special to an area.
Natural Drainage = wherever the water flows to when it rains like into gullies,
billabongs, streams and creeks.
Natural Gas = gas that comes straight out of the ground.
Negotiate = talk and do business.
Negotiation period = request for extra time to talk and do business.
Noise control = reduce (make less) noise at the mine as much as possible.
Non-Metallic Rock = are rocks which do not have valuable minerals used to make
metal.
Notice of Intent (NOI) = is the first stage of environmental assessment (checking)
process. It is a short explanation of the mining project that the company wants to do.
It includes maps, photographs, plans and an explanation of the environmental
problems that may happen. The NOI which follows set guidelines, is used to help
decide if the project should go to the Northern Territory Department of Lands
Planning and Environment for checking under the Environmental Assessment Act.
No mining work can begin until the NOI has been checked and is OK.

O

 Occupational Health = work health, the health of the worker while he is at work.
Oil and Gas Fields = area of land where oil and gas is found.
Oil and Gas Production = pump oil and gas out of the ground.
Oil Plant = Processes the oil that comes out of the ground through the oil well. At
the oil plant small amounts of gas that comes up the oil wells with the oil and is
burned off. This type of gas is not used for anything.
Oil Refinery = refines the crude oil into useable oils and other products.
Ongoing Rehabilitation = rehabilitation work that is being done all the time during
each stage of mining.
Open Cut Mine = is a very large and deep pit dug with excavation equipment that is
open to the sky and weather.
Ore Deposit = rocks that have a lot of minerals in them.

P

 Permanently = forever
Petroleum = oil and gas.
Pipeline = is a long line of pipes which transports either gas, oil or water from one
place to another.
Pit = where the ore is mined.
Pitting = drilling a hole about one metre deep (to your waist) with an auger (a hand
held drill).
Pit Water = water from the pit where the ore is mined.
Plugged = blocked
Policy = rule
Pollution = dirty, dangerous and bad for health like noise, dust, dirty water and dirty
air.
Post Mine Rehabilitation = this is the last stage of rehabilitation when the company
must tidy up and rehabilitate the whole mine site.
Pressure = the force of something pushing on something else, eg, gas pushing out
of the ground.
Prevent = stop
Processing = the ways of taking minerals out of the ore.
Processing Plant = is the place where the ore is processed so that the special
minerals such as gold are separated from the ore.
Process Water = water out of the treatment plant which has poisonous chemicals in
it.
Production Licence (PL) = a licence which gives the company permission to pump
the oil and gas out of the ground to sell.
Progressive = ongoing.
Production Rates = how much end product do the customers want and how quickly
can the company mine the ore or rock and extract the end product, eg. mineral or
stone for gravel.
Proposal = what the company plans to do.
Prospective = an area that has a lot of specific mineral that the company is
exploring (looking) for.
Protected = looked after.
Public Environmental Report (PER) = is the second stage of the Environmental
Assessment (checking) process. If the NOI shows that the mining project will cause
environmental impact (problems) that could cause some worry, the company must
write a PER following set guidelines which explains the mining project, the possible
environmental problems and how the company will look after the environment and
prevent (stop) environmental problems. The public and government departments
may read the Draft (first) PER and make comments about it. The PER then goes to
the DBIRD (Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development) for
checking. DBIRD writes a report to the company to tell them it is OK or if any
changes have to be made. No mining work can begin until the PER is OK.
PVC Pipe = white plastic plumbing pipe.

Q

 Quality = how good.
Quality control =means testing all products all the time to make sure that they are
always good.
Quarry = is a small open-cut mine where large amounts of non-metallic rock are dug
or blasted out of the ground. These rocks are only cut or crushed, eg. for tiles or
gravel. No chemicals or water are used during the mining and processing stages.

R

 Radiological Protection =safety from radiation.
Raw Water Storage = dams and tanks used for storing clean, fresh water.
Recording = writing information (notes).
Refined = separate crude oil into useable oil and other products such as petrol,
diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, wax, lubricating oil and bitumen.
Regenerate = plants that grow back after they have been cut, damaged or dug up.
Regional Survey = geological survey of the area of an exploration licence where an
exploration company wants to explore.
Rehabilitate = fix.
Rehabilitation = fixing the land after mining so the plants will grow and the animals
will come back.
Rehabilitation methods = ways of doing rehabilitation work.
Rehabilitation trials = small areas to practice and test rehabilitation methods.
Representative = a person who has been chosen to do something or make
decisions on behalf of another person.
Research = study, learn about and watch.
Reservoir = sedimentary rock that traps oil and gas under the ground.
Respread = put soil back.
Resource = an area that has plenty of useful rock, eg. for gravel or ore that has a lot
of special mineral in it eg, gold.
Resources for Rehabilitation Work = all the things that the company needs to do
rehabilitation work including, workers, equipment, money, seeds, fertilisers and
topsoil.
Revegetate = planting plants in areas where there aren’t any plants or where the
plants have been removed.
Revegetation = regrowth of plants.
Reviewed = checked.
Ripper = is a piece of equipment that is attached to a bulldozer or tractor to rip the
soil.
Risk = chance.
Rock Samples = small pieces of rock, no bigger than the size of a hand.
Runoff of brown water = water which has mud in it that has been left after the land
has been cleared for construction and road works.

S

 Sample Register = a register of all samples and their test results taken by the
company.
Scale = size.
Screening = way of sizing crushed rock into different sizes by shaking them through
different screens which have different sized holes or gaps. The crushed rock that
passes through the screens is called the undersize.
Secretary of Department = the boss of a government department.
Sedimentary basins = areas of sedimentary or layered rock 1 to 6 kilometres
underground or under the sea.
Seeding = planting seeds in an area.
Seepage = leak.
Seismic Information = information about the movement of rocks under the ground.
Seismic Lines = straight tracks made by a grader. Along these tracks tiny
earthquakes are made by explosives or a thump by a special seismic truck (like a
kangaroo jumping) which cause vibrations to bounce off rocks deep in the ground.
Seismograph = is a special seismic computer which copies the vibrations in the
shape of squiggly, wavy lines which tells the geologist the way the rocks that might
trap the oil or gas or both, are arranged (set) under the ground.
Shaft = a tunnel that goes straight down into the ground. It is an underground lift.
Shifts = working different hours, eg; 12 hour shifts, 7am to 4pm or 4pm to 12
midnight.
Significance = importance.
Silt = fine sand or mud.
Slurry = the ore concentrate that looks like thin mud.
Smelting = melting ore at a high temperature so the metal can separate from the
ore.
Socio-Economic = about people, industry, making business and money.
Solution = a chemical mixture.
Standards = best levels.
Stockpiles = are piles where ore that has been taken out of the pit and has been
dumped. These are usually near the processing plant and away from the pit.
Stockpiling = putting the ore, crushed ore, sand, soil and gravel into piles ready to
be used.
Stream Samples = samples of soil or sand from the creeks and rivers.
Strip mining = is a type of open cut mine that is mined in strips. Strip mines are not
deep.
Stripping =taking away the plants and topsoil.
Substantial disturbance = changes and possible damage to the land surface (top).
Surface treatment = making the land surface (top part) ready for planting.

T

 Tailings = rubbish water which has dirt, chemicals and other minerals left over after
processing.
Tailings Management = looking after rubbish water which has chemicals and mud
left over from processing.
Tailings storage (Dam) = water from the pit and processing.
Tankers = are special trucks and ships that have tanks to transport liquid long
distances.
Technology = equipment and way of doing things.
Tenement = a title of land including exploration titles, mining titles and extractive
mineral permits.
Terrestrial fauna = land animals.
Test Drilling = drilling to check that the ore below the surface (top) of the land has
plenty of special minerals in it.
Timeframes =amount of time, eg. daily (each day), monthly (each month), annually
(yearly, every year) and seasonally (same season every year).
Title = have ownership of land to do specific work, eg. mining title, exploration title.
Title holder = the company that owns the licence or permit.
Topsoil = top layer of dirt to a depth of 10cm (about the same length as a man’s
middle finger in which plants grow.
Toxic = cheeky, poisonous.
Trials = practice tests.
Tunnel = an underground track.

U

 Underground mining = mining ore that is below the surface and deep in the ground.
To reach this ore the miners use tunnels and shafts.
Undisturbed = not touched or damaged.
Undersize = is the finely ground ore that passes through the screens.

V

 Vacant = not taken.
Vegetation = plants.
Moratorium = refused/knocked back/permission to explore and mine has not been
given/say no to the applicant that wants to explore.

W

 Waste = rubbish, rubbish rock, and contaminated (dirty) water after mining and
processing.
Waste management = what to do with all the rubbish at the mine including rubbish,
rubbish rock, dirty water, used fuel and chemicals.
Waste rock = rubbish rock.
Waste rock selective placement = separating the good waste rock from the bad
waste rock.
Water management = how to look after all the water at the mine including, rain
water, water used during processing, water in the tailings dam and the pit.
Water quality = how good the water is. Does it have chemicals in it?
Water treatment = making the water good.

Weathers = worn away over time by water, rain, wind, and temperature.
Weeds = are plants that are not native to the area and are unwanted.
Weed Management = what the company will do with the weeds in the mine area.
Wildcat drilling = exploration drilling for oil and gas.
Wildcat wells = exploration holes made by a drill rig.
Withdraw = remove/take away/stopped.
Work program = the work that a company plans to do.
Work rosters = work time, eg. "2 weeks on/2 weeks off" system which means that
every month the workers work for 2 weeks at 12 hours a day and have 2 weeks off.

Australian mining magnate accuses PM of secret minerals tax deal

Andrew Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals and Australia’s third wealthiest individual, has accused Julia Gillard of secretly negotiating a deal with BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata on the government’s mining tax immediately before she ousted Kevin Rudd as prime minister in June 2010.

After the coup, it emerged that Rudd had been on the brink of announcing a deal with Forrest, watering down the Labor government’s proposed Resource Super Profits Tax (RSPT) in a bid to halt a damaging campaign by the mining companies. Forrest has now alleged that while he and Rudd were in negotiations, Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan were working out a separate arrangement with the three largest transnational mining companies behind the prime minister’s back. This arrangement, he continued, “was used to remove a democratically elected prime minister from office by the promise of stopping the advertising campaign.”

Forrest accused Gillard of lying in her first speech as prime minister when she asked for a “truce” with the mining companies, pending a deal on the RSPT. “She already had in her back pocket that truce,” Forrest told Radio 3AW. “That was negotiated by her Treasurer Wayne Swan, who then became deputy prime minister.”

Forrest said he believed he had an agreement with Rudd by the evening of June 21, 2010. A public announcement had been planned for June 24—the day that Gillard ousted Rudd as prime minister. In the days before the coup, he added, executives from BHP and Rio Tinto stopped returning his phone calls. “The prime minister’s office was desperate to get the deal finalised and announced that week,” Forrest told the Australian. “We sensed something was happening, but we had no idea Rudd was about to be removed as prime minister... We didn’t realise then that BHP and Rio had gone behind our backs to do another deal.”

The allegations raise further questions about Gillard’s role in the removal of Rudd, following reports earlier this year that her staffers had prepared a prime ministerial acceptance speech well before the coup. She still maintains that she only decided to challenge Rudd for the leadership the day before she became prime minister.

Gillard has declared that Forrest’s statements were “more rehashed old nonsense.” Swan compared the allegations to the “conspiracy theories” of coal mining magnate Clive Palmer. Neither the prime minister nor the treasurer, however, directly denied the specific allegations. Swan declared he “didn’t intend to respond” to the claims. Rudd refused to issue any statement.

The Australian Financial Review today cited unnamed sources “with close knowledge of events” who confirmed that Swan and executives from BHP and Rio Tinto had reached agreement on a key component of the RSPT before Rudd’s removal. Swan had agreed to allow the mining companies to offset the new tax against the depreciation of their capital assets, assessed at market value rather than the far lower book value. Gillard “had been informed of the progress although she had not been directly involved.” The Australian Financial Review noted that what is now known about Swan’s discussions with the mining companies before the coup “contrasts with the public belief at the time that things were at a stalemate.”

The assets offset provision forms a central component of Gillard’s Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT), under which the largest mining companies are expected to pay little or no additional tax. Details of the MRRT were announced within days of Rudd’s removal. “The reason the deal could be done so quickly by the new Gillard government was that much of it had been completed beforehand, a range of sources say,” the Australian Financial Review concluded.

Forrest’s hostility toward the Gillard government reflects the impact of the new mining tax on Fortescue Metals and other smaller mining companies. The assets offset clause benefits BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata because they have enormous existing projects that can be claimed as tax offsets. Smaller or start up mining companies cannot do this. The deal worked out between Rudd and Forrest instead was to allow mining companies to offset new infrastructure projects against the RSPT. This would have benefitted newer companies at the expense of the established mining giants.

Fortescue Metals is reportedly preparing a High Court challenge against the Gillard government’s tax. As he seeks to shore up his own wealth, Forrest is demagogically posturing as a defender of the “national interest.” He claims that his agreement with Rudd would have raised living standards, whereas Gillard and Swan “put the interests of the political careers of two people in front of 22 million Australians.”

The divisions among the mining giants are undoubtedly connected to growing nervousness over the impact on their profits of falling commodity prices, slowing growth in China and continued instability in international financial markets. Whatever the immediate motivation, however, Forrest’s account of the events of June 2010 underscores the antidemocratic character of Rudd’s ousting.

The coup was driven by several factors, including the Obama administration’s hostility to Rudd’s foreign policy initiatives, especially with regard to China, which the US is aggressively confronting throughout East Asia and the Pacific. Diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks have documented aspects of Washington’s role before the leadership change, including its early sounding out of Gillard. US embassy “protected sources” within the Labor Party hierarchy and trade union bureaucracy organised Rudd’s removal. The key coup plotters also had connections to the mining giants, which spent large sums of money to create an atmosphere of instability and crisis around the government.

Substantial economic interests were at stake. The miners’ campaign against Rudd graphically revealed the dictatorship of capital that exercises power behind the façade of parliamentary democracy. Gillard has served as the handmaiden of the major mining companies since being installed as prime minister as well as fully backing Obama’s “pivot” to Asia. The experience was intended to serve as a warning to governments internationally, as Rio Tinto CEO Tom Albanese made clear in a speech delivered in London in July 2010. Governments internationally, Albanese warned, had to “think carefully” about following the “Australian approach” under Rudd toward the mining corporations.

By Patrick O’Connor.