MINING MINERALS AND ORE

 Mining had been going on since the very beginning of civilisations in various forms and for various products. 

Over centuries it only developed slowly but with industrial revolution at the end of 19th century the demand for various metals grew. It was then necessary to develop more sophisticated machinery to bring the ore up in higher quantities. The industrial revolution also sped up technology. Today, mineral and ore mining demands top engineering and technology. 

The mining industry relies on the very changeable international trade. Furthermore, there has to new sources to be found before the old mines finish. New markets open up constantly and some of the old markets change from importers to exporters. All these various changes, some rapidly, have an impact on mineral prices. Another problem the mining industry has to consider and cope with is the environmental pressure groups. Their main concern is to bring out a law forbidding the mining industry to carve up the landscape.

All about the Pits

Minerals are embedded naturally in the Earth’s crust. The mineral deposit called ore is so rich that money is made from by extracting the compounds.

The minerals are classed into three groups. One group of ore contains metalliferous minerals from which gold, iron and copper are produced.  From the non-metalliferous minerals are coal, quartz and asbestos. The third group is building and ornamental stones.

In order to reach these treasures the top soil has to be removed before the actual mining starts.

To discover these deposits a group of scientists are employed by the mining company. Geophysicists measure the variation of electrical conductivity, magnetic field, temperature and radioactivity of the earth. When a deposit had been found shafts are sunk in, pits are dug and holes a re-drilled to assess the profitability of the find. When the experts agree it is worthwhile to start mining.

If the mineral deposit is more or less on the surface it will be exploited as an open pit. The surface will be removed and power shovels will dig out the minerals. Although called an open bit it still can go down hundreds of metres in a terraced style. The ore is blasted with explosives.

Deep deposits have to won by drilling deep shafts which are very costly. Miners have to be transported to and fro the place where they drill the ore. The ore has to be brought to the surface. The deeper they mine the costlier it becomes. Cooling and ventilation systems have to build to reduce the temperature and supply more air. When the cost outweighs the amount of minerals to be won it is decided to close the mine. 

Mining companies, therefore, prefer open-pit but eventually, when the mining goes deeper, it is amazing to learn the constant removal of debris would cost more than drilling a shaft.  One of the open pit mines in Arizona will have a shaft drilled underneath to reach the copper deposit of 120m below.

Previous Recession

In the late 1980 during the previous recession the demand of mineral fell drastically. Especially non-precious metals such as tin and lead piled up and caused a further price drop. The mining industry suffered badly. The collapse of the Soviet Union caused a further drop in demand because of the defence industry. Russia also found new deposits of minerals and started exporting themselves. In 1993 they exported 160,000 tons of nickel which was 25 per cent of the West’s demand for nickel.

China is the next great importer of precious metals. It imported copper and gold which boosted the prices on the world market. To pay for it China exported tungsten and tin. Countries of mining these metals were hit hard.

Deep and Mineral Rich

Scientists discovered that on the seabed are potatoes-sized modules of cooper, cobalt, manganese and nickel. The technology is available with remote-controlled drills, excavators and suction pumps. The problem is nobody can decide who owns what.

The UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA) is thinking of a scheme to share the profit with landlocked and developing countries. Eventually, when they do start they might find out that it is far too costly.

Mining Companies

Big mining companies expand all the time. In 1994 the British Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ) managed to double its profits to £612 million. They achieve more profit when the company processes their own ore. It is called downstream diversification.

Another way to increase profit is to mine various minerals in many countries.  Quite a number of countries the labour is cheap and rules for safety are not restrictive.

For instance, Mexico grants licence for exploration and exploitation within six months and the licence is for 50 years.

Many countries do privatise their state-owned mining company. It brings in enormous sums of money but the private companies only care about profit. They do not care about the welfare of their workers nor the landscape and countryside.