Task: What Goes Down Must Come Up Coming up at the end of this section.

3.3 Stages in Ore Extraction

		Extracting the ore from a deposit is a highly specialized activity and done almost entirely by remote control.
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3.3.1 Ore Extraction

Mining of the orebody itself is called "stoping."

However, since every deposit is different, many factors must be taken into consideration when choosing the stoping method.

Factors to consider include the shape, size and position (horizontal or inclined) of the deposit, enclosing rock type, and the valuable metal content of the ore.

Choosing the right method can make a huge difference in profit.

In Canada and Québec, longhole blasting is a frequently used extraction method. It is relatively efficient and low-cost in the case of massive sulphide deposits, such as those found in the Abitibi region.

In longhole blasting, a series of vertical holes is drilled in the orebody from one level of the mine to the next.

		Longhole drilling.
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Longhole drills are used to drill holes in small rooms or "stopes" in the orebody.

		Longhole drill.
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Once the holes have been drilled, they are charged with explosives and the ore is blasted in vertical slices. The blasted material falls into the stope below.

		Blasting.
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Broken rock and ore is then removed from the stope and the operation is repeated until the stope is mined out.

When the stope has been fully mined, access to it is blocked. The void is filled with a mixture of mine waste and cement, or with a slurry made from mine waste and chemical compounds.