FACTORS AFFECTING
MINING
OBJECTIVE
• To analyse the factors that affect the decision to extract rocks and
minerals.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN IN THE
PREVIOUS CLASS?
• What is the information gained while prospecting and exploration-?
• -type of mineral, the location of the mineral can be traced, quality of the
mineral can be known from the prospecting and exploration.
• What are the methods of prospecting?
TO OPEN A NEW MINE-
• Opening new mine is very expensive and time consuming.
• Mining will only be considered if it is economically profitable. This means
that the price the company receives for the metal or fuel it produces(the
market price) must be greater than the cost of the exploration, setting up
of the mine and of extraction, refining and transporting the ore
• The major factors that have to be taken into account when reaching a
decision are as follows:-
FACTORS AFFECTING THE
8.Financial
1.Ore
grade/quality- VIABILITY
2.Quantity- OF MINING
support-
7.cost for
meeting the Factors 3.supply and
environmental affecting demand-
impact mining
assessment-
6.location and 4.geology-
• .climate-
5.location and
transport-
KEY WORDS
• Supply and demand- the relationship between quantity of the
commodity available and the amount that is needed by the people.
• Environmental impact assessment-a process by which the probable
effects on the environment of a development are assessed and
measured.
• Analyze and compare the factors which has high chance for mineral
exploitation and low chance for mineral exploitation.
Compare the table. ( 3 min)
ANSWER FOR THE TABLE
• The costs of exploration and extraction.
The probable cost of extracting one tonne of ore has to be calculated.
• Ore grade
Quality of the mineral deposit.High grade ores will yield more of the
required chemical elements than low grades.
• Size
Small deposits of high grade ores are worth mining.small deposits of low
grades are kept as reserves to use in future when the price increases.
• Working life of a mine-The amount of reserves of ore present underground
and how long they will last once mining begins.
• Accessibility-
The locations suitability for mining,such as how accessible it is,its climate
and vegetation cover.The more remote and hostile the envt,the higher the
cost.
• Environmental impact-
Cost of meeting the requirements to reduce pollution,loss of
farmland,expense associated with obtaining health and safety and
environmental protection permits.
• .
• Supply and demand
Changes in supply and demand can increase or decrease profits from
working mines.
Increase in world demand for any mineral ore will drive the price up.If the
world price remains high, starting up new mine is considerable.
• Geology:
Strike rate: frequency with which attempts to find a desired mineral is
successful.
Green field sites are areas that have never been mined for minerals.
Chances of finding deposits are low.
gold deposits-strike rate 1:1000
Brown field sites are areas that have already been mined.higher strike rates.
• Transportation
Transporting ore from a mine to processing plants be difficult and expensive.cost
of 1 tonne over 1 km to be calculated.
Large ships keep the transport costs low.
• Processing of the ore at the mine reduce expense of transport.
• Ensures higher grade and higher value. Per tonne.
• Mining companies can only start work after they have been given a
licence to extract a deposit.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY
• Describe the location of coal mines and Analyse why they are located
there?
• https://
www.mapsofworld.com/business/industries/coal-energy/world-coal-deposit
s.html
RUBRIC
Acceptable Good Very Good Outstanding
To list the different types To compare the high To Analyse the factors To evaluate how the factors
of factors affecting mining chance and low chance that affect the decision might affect how the minerals
factors to extract rocks and are extracted.
minerals
Target set by the learner:
Teachers remark:
My Targets for improvement:
