Given the current set of challenges facing mining operations, it seems quite possible that underground mining could soon overtake surface mining and even become the only way to mine.
Right now, surface mining is still the most popular type of mining operation. Many major companies prefer surface mines since they cost less to run and have simpler procedures.
But several factors could soon force the industry as a whole to rethink its operating policy. These factors include shifting economic demands, political and popular pressure, and advances in technology.
Increasing Demand for Polymetallic Ores Deeper Below Ground
Concerns about carbon-induced climate change are causing a worldwide push to walk back from coal as a fuel source and move towards renewable energy.
As a result, the mining industry is seeing higher demand for the raw materials that go into creating batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines—not to mention electric cars and other clean energy products.
Think about the now-pressing demand for the metals to create comm tech, like cell phones, computers, and tablets.
Now, combine that with the emerging market demand for the raw resources needed for renewables. This trend could cause a massive shift in mining priorities.
Polymetallic ores like cobalt, lithium, copper and rare-earth minerals are set to replace coal as the new ‘most important’ target materials for mining companies.
And where do we find these metals?
Unlike coal, which is more likely to be on or near the Earth’s surface, most of these ores require mining activity much deeper below the surface.
The shift in demand will mean a change in policy priorities for major mining companies as well.
Rather than focusing on the simpler task of surface mining, they will need to sink deeper shafts (and deeper investments) to attain the safety and efficiency needed to mine in this century.
That shift in demand by itself might not be enough to create a major change. However, other factors are poised to make such a shift not only prudent, but even to demand it to avoid potentially irreparable damage to the world of mining as a whole.
As an example of increasing demand, space exploration is starting to get more visibility. Though yet to be proven as economical as mining on earth, the potential can be limitless.
Another major trend points towards the growth of underground mining. It may be uncomfortable to discuss, but we have to talk about it anyway in order to have a complete picture of what’s going on.
Certain aspects of surface mining have done severe damage to the industry’s reputation in the last half-century—a message that will come as no surprise to those who keep up with current events.
The mining industry—and the coal mining industry in particular—has come under fire for the environmental damage from its surface mining practices.
A large segment of the population is putting pressure on the mining industry to be more conscious of its environmental impact on a local and global scale.
This pressure is already starting to show results in the move away from coal mining and towards renewable energies.
And frankly, it is vital to take these concerns seriously. Surface mining often causes massive disruptions to the eco-zone around a deposit. It damages the local environment and puts stress on the local human community as well.
Mining Impact
Consider the impact of strip mining on the Appalachian mountain region. Mining operations of the past century often ignored the responsibility of reclaiming the land that their mountain mines violated.
They simply pushed the overburden down the slope. This caused untold damage from landslides, pollution, flooding, erosion, and sedimentation.
On flat land, cutting through coal beds that serve as groundwater aquifers can degrade the quality of the water supply in areas that badly need it.
This leaves the land unusable for farming and puts pressure on the local population as well.
Even in the decades since the passage of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1977, the impact of surface mining has made the industry a prime target for political and environmental activists.
Policy makers, and the local communities around surface mines, are reaching a point where they will no longer accept the environmental consequences—and their displeasure is increasing in volume.
None of these examples, by the way, are meant to demonize anyone or any company.
We can just no longer deny that the environmental effects of surface mining exist—or pretend that they’re not serious.
Yes, a safer, more eco-friendly, less disruptive path for the mining industry does exist.
And given the current state of things, it only makes sense to explore that option as fully as humanly possible.
We need this for the sake of efficiency as well as to get the proverbial target off of the mining industry’s back.
Underground Mining’s Smaller Environmental Impact
Eiler, Lyntha Scott. Aerial shot of entrance to Eagle Mine, an underground mine above Shumate's Branch. Shumate's Branch West Virginia Raleigh County Sundial, 1995. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/cmns000127/.
The simplest explanation for why underground mining is preferable to surface mining is because it’s less visible.
No more ugly visuals of crumbling mountains, torn-up valleys, or discolored lakes lead to fewer public relations issues.
And for those of us who are also interested in a meaningful solution to more than just the image problem, we can find plenty of real, impactful environmental benefits in shifting focus to underground mining.
For instance, these three benefits all relate to a mine’s visibility but are still very real.
⭐ First, an underground mine impacts a far smaller area than an open-pit mine or a mountaintop removal would.
Underground mines displace less ground in the initial digging phase and cause far less disruption to an area’s plants or wildlife.
Rather than letting an entire mountaintop of sediment roll down the hill and land where it may, an underground mine has far more control over how to dispose of the waste material it brings up, both in the early phase and during reclamation.
⭐ Second, there’s less material to pull up. That may seem like a point too obvious to have to make, but it is genuinely worth a mention.
Pulling less material up from under the ground—whether that material is ore or waste—means less to dispose of, either in the short or long term.
⭐ Third, because less material needs pulling up, it stands to reason that the environmental impact of processing that smaller amount of ore, etc., will also be less.
At a time when the mining industry is under attack for the size of its carbon footprint, it makes sense to put priority on a type of mining that requires more precision to be effective.
Such a move is a step towards addressing that concern in a meaningful way rather than as a large-scale PR stunt.
Done properly, underground mining is not just less visible than surface mining. It’s legitimately less impactful on the ecosystems.
And mining technology is progressing at such a pace that the impact on the ecology may be even smaller in the very near future.
Technological Progress Improves Underground Mining
Even if the outside world tends to paint the mining industry as slow to change, mining has always been at the forefront of using new technologies to make production safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly.
As new tech presents itself to help the mining industry, the forward thinkers in the industry are devising ways to use it to help further reduce mining’s environmental impact and increase its efficiency.
Here are some examples:
Electrification
The industry is already shifting from diesel to electric vehicles to reduce its own carbon footprint.
GPS
The expanded use of GPS and drones under the ground allows safe and efficient mining at greater depths.
Data Technology
Advancements in data technology, including the use of AI-based machine learning, allow geologists and engineers to predict production scenarios more accurately before they start mining.
Such predictions will increase efficiency and improve the ability to control the environmental impact on the chosen mining site.
Blasting Technology
New blasting technology can achieve more productive, more efficient blasts that create less ground vibration and thus less environmental disturbance.
Use of Sensors
New sensors can more quickly distinguish valuable metal ore from unnecessary by-products. This allows for a higher percentage of ore to make it to the surface in transportation—and for less waste disposal after the fact.
All of these upgrades are quickly closing the efficiency gap between surface mining and deeper operations, leaving fewer reasons for the industry to hesitate to make the transition on a larger scale. We’ve even gone into more detail about them very recently.
And as technology continues to advance, we can expect underground mining operations to eventually outpace surface operations as the industry looks further into the future.
What’s Next?
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This article was written by An Underground Miner