METHOD FOR MINING OIL SHALES, TAR SANDS AND OTHER MINERALS

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREIn the mining of subsurface friable mineral ore deposits, theinvention provides a mine configuration and mining system wherein the minehas preferably three levels. The first operating level, is positioned sub-stantially at the base of the deposit and has an interconnecting system oftunnels within which, mining apparatus operates. This level further includes conveyors adapted to receive loose ore and transport same to ver-tical shafts or ore passes which interconnect adjacent operating levels.The second operating level is primarily a collecting level, and is pos-itioned below the first, or mining level, to be parallel therewith. Thissecond level has a tunnel system operatively associated with the verticalore passes of the first level, and has conveyors which collect the looseore and carry same to shafts for transport to a final, lower lever, fromwhich the ore is removed from the mine. According to the invention, ac-tive mining is carried out by the known "Fixed Arch Shield" technique ononly one level, the only other levels being ore collecting and haulagelevels. There are no levels, or mine workings, above the first, mininglevel, only access and ventilation shafts. By utilizing this miningmethod and the preferred mine configuration, a complete ore deposit canbe removed with minimal surface disturbance, and subsidence can be com-pensated for by distributing waste in a manner that is estheticallyacceptable.