Drift miningDrift mining is either the mining of an ore deposit by underground methods, or the working of coal seams accessed by adits driven into the surface outcrop of the coal bed. A drift mine is an underground mine in which the entry or access is above water level and generally on the slope of a hill, driven horizontally into the ore seam. Random House dictionary says the origin of the term "drift mine" is an Americanism, circa 1885–1890. Drift is a more general mining term, meaning a near-horizontal passageway in a mine, following the bed (of coal, for instance) or vein of ore.
Longue tailleLongwall mining is a form of underground coal mining where a long wall of coal is mined in a single slice (typically thick). The longwall panel (the block of coal that is being mined) is typically long (but can be upto long) and wide. The basic idea of longwall mining was developed in England in the late 17th century. Miners undercut the coal along the width of the coal face, removing coal as it fell, and used wooden props to control the fall of the roof behind the face. This was known as the Shropshire method of mining.
Shaft sinkingShaft mining or shaft sinking is the action of excavating a mine shaft from the top down, where there is initially no access to the bottom. Shallow shafts, typically sunk for civil engineering projects, differ greatly in execution method from deep shafts, typically sunk for mining projects. Shaft sinking is one of the most difficult of all mine development methods: restricted space, gravity, groundwater and specialized procedures make the task quite formidable. Shafts may be sunk by conventional drill and blast or mechanised means.
Malédiction des ressources naturellesLa « malédiction des ressources naturelles », parfois appelée malédiction des matières premières, est une situation économique paradoxale, caractérisée par la difficulté que rencontrent les nations possédant des ressources naturelles en abondance, en particulier le pétrole. Elle a été décrite la première fois en 1990, dans le livre de Richard Auty. La croissance et le développement économiques des pays pétroliers est inférieure à celle d’autres pays naturellement moins riches en pétrole.
Mine à déplacement de sommetthumb|Une mine à déplacement de sommet aux États-Unis (comté de Pike (Kentucky). Une mine à déplacement de sommet (en anglais mountain top removal mining, MTR ou mountaintop mining, MTM) est un type d’exploitation minière à ciel ouvert, faisant l’usage massif d’explosifs et de moyens mécaniques modernes avec des performances supérieures et un coût moindre que les techniques minières plus traditionnelles. En français le terme pourrait être traduit par « rasage de montagne », « décapitation de cime », ou « raclage de sommet de montagne » ou encore « étêtage ».
Underground hard-rock miningUnderground hard-rock mining refers to various underground mining techniques used to excavate "hard" minerals, usually those containing metals, such as ore containing gold, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel, tin, and lead. It also involves the same techniques used to excavate ores of gems, such as diamonds and rubies. Soft-rock mining refers to the excavation of softer minerals, such as salt, coal, and oil sands. Accessing underground ore can be achieved via a decline (ramp), inclined vertical shaft or adit.
