ANATOMY of a MINE from PROSPECT to PRODUCTION CONTENTS Page FOREWARD
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United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service ANATOMY Intermountain Research Station OF A General Technical Report INT-GTR-35 Revised February 1995 MINE FROM PROSPECT TO PRODUCTION Foreword This 1995 edition was funded by the Forest Service’s Minerals and Geology Management Staff, “Anatomy of a Mine” was first prepared in looseleaf Washington, DC. The combined efforts of Inter- form to aid Forest Service land managers and mountain Region and Intermountain Research Sta- other administrators with mineral area responsi- tion employees, and consultation with other Forest bilities. The material summarized legislation af- Service Regions, in reviewing and updating the fecting mining, defined mining terms, and dis- material brings to the reader the most current cussed basics of mineral exploration, develop- minerals management information. We thank them ment, and operation in the West. The goal then as all for their continued efforts to foster better under- now was to foster better understanding and com- standing of basic legislation, terminology, and pro- munication about minerals and forest and range cesses used in the mining industry. land surface values. The 1975 guide was written primarily by private mining consultants James H. Bright and Anthony L. Payne under direction of the Minerals and En- DENVER P. BURNS ergy Staff (now Minerals Area Management), In- Acting Director termountain Region, Forest Service. It quickly Intermountain Research Station became popular with land managers in many State and Federal agencies. Planners, environmental- ists, and mining industry personnel sought copies. Educators from elementary through college levels DALE N. BOSWORTH have requested copies for classroom use. Regional Forester In 1977, a revised publication was issued in the Intermountain Region present format by the Intermountain Research Station, with funding and compilation provided by the Surface Environment and Mining Program. It Abstract was updated for another edition in 1983. Nearly Reviews mining laws and regulations and their 20,000 copies of the various editions have been application to mining in Western States. Describes distributed, and demand continues. A major use of prospecting, exploration, mine development and the publication is in training land managers. operation, and reclamation factors. The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information only, and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. Intermountain Research Station 324 25th Street Ogden, UT 84401 ANATOMY OF A MINE FROM PROSPECT TO PRODUCTION CONTENTS Page FOREWARD ..................................................... ii Electromagnetic ........................................ 36 INTRODUCTION............................................... 1 Electrical ................................................... 36 MINING LAW .................................................... 3 Radiometric .............................................. 37 Federal Laws ................................................. 3 Remote Sensing ....................................... 37 Claim Location ............................................ 4 Restudy of Old Mining Districts .................... 38 Lode vs. Placer Claims ............................... 5 Trenches, Pits, Overburden Drilling ............. 39 Extralateral Rights ...................................... 5 Exploration Drilling ....................................... 40 Tunnel Sites ................................................ 5 Hand Drilling ............................................. 41 Mill Sites ..................................................... 6 Percussion Drilling .................................... 41 Claim Procedures ....................................... 6 Rotary Drilling ........................................... 41 Pursuit of Discovery ....................................... 7 Diamond Drilling ....................................... 42 Protection Prior to Discovery ......................... 8 Underground Exploration ............................. 43 Discovery ....................................................... 9 Bulk Sampling .............................................. 45 Locatable Minerals ......................................... 9 Pilot Testing ................................................. 46 Leasable Minerals ........................................ 10 Feasibility Studies ........................................ 46 Salable Minerals .......................................... 10 DEVELOPMENT ............................................. 47 Private Property ........................................... 11 Drilling Large Deposits ................................. 48 State Laws ................................................... 11 Drilling Small Deposits ................................. 48 Assessment Requirements .......................... 12 Development Shafts and Adits .................... 49 Adverse Proceedings ................................... 14 Blocking Out Ore Underground ................... 49 Rights of Claimants ...................................... 15 Proven (Measured) Ore ............................ 49 Multiple Surface Use Act of 1955 ................ 16 Probable (Indicated) Ore .......................... 50 Occupancy ................................................... 16 Possible (Inferred) Ore ............................. 50 Trespass Limitations .................................... 17 Access ......................................................... 50 Federal and State Safety Requirements ...... 18 Power ........................................................... 51 Environmental Regulations .......................... 18 Communications .......................................... 51 Forest Service Regulations .......................... 18 Site Preparation ........................................... 52 PROSPECTING .............................................. 21 Mine .......................................................... 52 The Conventional Prospector ...................... 22 Mill ............................................................ 53 Amateur Prospectors ................................... 23 Town Site .................................................. 53 Regional Mineral Exploration ....................... 23 Postponement of Production ....................... 53 Exploration Concepts ................................... 24 PRODUCTION ................................................ 55 Preliminary Evaluation of Exploration Results 25 Underground Mining Methods ..................... 55 EXPLORATION............................................... 26 Open Stoping ............................................ 55 Planning ....................................................... 27 Shrinkage Stoping .................................... 55 Personnel ................................................. 27 Cut and Fill Stoping .................................. 56 Access ...................................................... 27 Square-set Stoping ................................... 57 Occupancy ................................................ 27 Block Caving ............................................. 57 Communications ....................................... 28 Surface Mining Methods .............................. 59 Property Adjustments ............................... 28 Placer Mining ............................................ 59 Contact with Federal Agencies ................. 28 Glory Holing .............................................. 60 Geological Exploration Methods .................. 28 Open Pit Mining ........................................ 61 Criteria for Ore Recognition ...................... 29 Leaching Methods .................................... 62 Geochemical Exploration Methods .............. 32 Ore Dressing ................................................ 63 Reconnaissance Geochemistry ................ 32 Crushing and Concentration ..................... 63 Rocks ........................................................ 32 Extractive Metallurgy ................................ 64 Soils .......................................................... 33 Wastes ......................................................... 65 Vegetation ................................................ 35 Mine Wastes ............................................. 65 Geophysical Exploration Methods................... 35 Mill Wastes ............................................... 66 Gravity ...................................................... 35 Miscellaneous Junk .................................. 67 Seismic ..................................................... 35 Roads .......................................................... 67 Magnetic ................................................... 35 RECLAMATION .............................................. 68 INTRODUCTION Western North America produces more metal The era of the legendary mining engineer, who and mineral products today than any other region of could go anywhere in the world and briskly size up similar size in the world. Beginning with the forty- the ore potential of any kind of mineral property, niner’s discovery of gold, there has been one surge passed during World War I. The method of the of mining activity after another. Silver in the Civil mining engineer was to examine and sample the War era, copper at the turn of the century, potash, partially developed ore deposits found by early gold tungsten, phosphate, uranium, beryllium, to name and silver prospectors,