Moving towards deep underground mineral resources: Drivers, challenges and potential solutionsShow others and affiliations
2023 (English)In: Resources policy, ISSN 0301-4207, E-ISSN 1873-7641, Vol. 80, article id 103222Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Underground mining has historically occurred in surface and near-surface (shallow) mineral deposits. While no universal definition of deep underground mining exists, humanity's need for non-renewable natural resources has inevitably pushed the boundaries of possibility in terms of environmental and technological constraints. Recently, deep underground mining is being extensively developed due to the depletion of shallow mineral deposits. One of the main advantages of deep underground mining is its lower environmental footprint compared to shallow mining. In this paper, we summarise the key factors driving deep underground mining, which include an increasing need for raw materials, exhaustion of shallow mineral deposits, and increasing environmental scrutiny. We examine the challenges associated with deep underground mining, mainly the: environmental, financial, geological, and geotechnical aspects. Furthermore, we explore solutions provided by recent advances in science and technology, such as the integration of mineral processing and mining, and the digital and technological revolution. We further examine the role of legacy data in its ability to bridge current and future practices in the context of deep underground mining.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier Ltd , 2023. Vol. 80, article id 103222
Keywords [en]
4th industrial revolution, Exploration, Legacy data, Mineral resources, Mining, Subsurface
National Category
Other Civil Engineering
Research subject
Mineral Processing; Mining and Rock Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-95240DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103222ISI: 000901671700001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85145220060OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-95240DiVA, id: diva2:1727662
Note
Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-01-16 (sofila);
Funder: Department of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation (South Africa) Thuthuka Grant (grant no.121973)
2023-01-172023-01-172023-05-08Bibliographically approved