User:Morgan.b18/Borehole mining

Borehole mining is a method of mining solid resources created in 1981 and a form of chemical/conversion mining. The process involves loosening the mineral or metal that is being extracted into a form of slurry and withdrawn through boreholes that have been drilled into underground deposits. Materials such as coal, lignite, iron-ore, and other minerals are mined using borehole mining.

The process
First, boreholes are drilled into the underground deposit, then the area is isolated from the surrounding environment with the help of plugging materials. The solid material is then converted into a slurry and extracted through the borehole.

Advantages
Previously, conversion mining, that is mining solid materials by converting them into a slurry, had significant issues with control and penetrating the material to be mined. Borehole mining is advantageous to other methods of conversion mining as it allows for extraction of resources without contaminating the nearby environments, such as groundwater, because the boreholes have be isolated. Another advantage is that even in difficult geological conditions, minerals can be withdrawn using this method.