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Mining and Minerals

Underground Mining Methods and Selection

The mining method chosen for an orebody fixes its cost, its dilution and its safety profile for the life of the mine, and it is a decision that cannot be meaningfully reversed. This course covers making it. Delegates work through orebody geometry, grade distribution and rock mass characteristics as the inputs that constrain the choice, then the main method families: room and pillar, cut and fill, sublevel open stoping, sublevel caving and block caving. Each is taught with its productivity, dilution, recovery and ground control implications. Access and development design follow. The course closes on method selection against a real orebody and on the hybrid approaches used when one method does not fit throughout.

5 day courseRegister NowRequest Proposal

Course objectives

  • Characterise an orebody by geometry, grade distribution and rock mass
  • Describe the main underground method families and their mechanics
  • Compare methods on productivity, dilution, recovery and ground control
  • Design access and development to suit the chosen method
  • Assess the capital and operating cost consequences of a method choice
  • Select a method against a real orebody and defend the choice
  • Apply hybrid approaches where one method does not fit the whole orebody

Who should attend

  • Mining engineers and mine planners
  • Geologists working with mine planning teams
  • Mine managers and production superintendents
  • Consultants and technical services staff
  • Graduate engineers entering underground operations

Course outline

  1. 01Why the method decision cannot be reversed
  2. 02Orebody geometry and grade distribution
  3. 03Rock mass characterisation for method selection
  4. 04Room and pillar and cut and fill
  5. 05Sublevel open stoping
  6. 06Sublevel caving and block caving
  7. 07Access and development design
  8. 08Method selection and hybrid approaches

Scheduled sessions

Scheduled sessions for Underground Mining Methods and Selection
DatesVenueFormatPriceRegister
26 to 30 October 2026Lusaka, ZambiaClassroomUSD 1,325 per delegateRegister Now
7 to 11 December 2026Gaborone, BotswanaClassroomR19,950 per delegateRegister Now
14 to 18 December 2026Pretoria, South AfricaClassroomR19,950 per delegateRegister Now
11 to 15 January 2027OnlineOnlineR8,500 per delegateRegister Now

Underground Mining Methods and Selection

From R8,500

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