Mining Glossary
Mining Glossary
My name is Xavier Ménard and I am on my second year in the mining program. My glossary will be for people who want to learn some vocabulary about the mining industry but have very little to no knowledge on the topic. Briefly, mining is about extracting valuable resources from underground. My glossary can help people who lack vocabulary in the mining topic to express themselves in the mining industry. It includes 20 terms about different parts of a mine and about what is extracted. I used my knowledge to find the words and found definitions for them on google.
- deposit
- noun
- A natural, concentrated accumulation of minerals.
- Example: Agnico Eagle found a deposit in Nunavut.
- fr: dépôt minéralisé
- ore
- noun
- Rock that contains valuable minerals in sufficient quantity to be mined profitably.
- Example: The ore contains a high concentration of copper.
- fr: minerai
- overburden
- noun
- Material such as soil and rock that lies above an ore body.
- Example: Overburden must be removed before mining begins.
- fr: morts-terrains
- open-pit mine
- noun
- A surface mine created by excavating a large pit in the ground.
- Example: The open-pit mine is visible from several kilometers away.
- fr: mine à ciel ouvert
- underground mine
- noun
- A mine accessed by tunnels or shafts below the surface.
- Example: Workers entered the underground mine through a vertical shaft.
- fr: mine souterraine
- shaft
- noun
- A vertical or inclined passage providing access to an underground mine.
- Example: The shaft allows miners to reach deeper levels.
- fr: puits
- drift
- noun
- A horizontal tunnel excavated in an underground mine.
- Example: The drift follows the ore vein.
- fr: galerie
- blasting
- noun
- The use of explosives to break rock for mining.
- Example: Blasting is scheduled for early morning.
- fr: sautage
- drilling
- noun
- The process of creating holes in rock for exploration or blasting.
- Example: Drilling confirmed the presence of gold.
- fr: forage
- haul truck
- noun
- A large truck used to transport mined material.
- Example: The haul truck carries ore to the crusher.
- fr: camion de transport minier
- crusher
- noun
- A machine that breaks rock into smaller pieces.
- Example: The crusher reduces ore size before processing.
- fr: concasseur
- mill
- noun
- A facility where ore is processed to extract valuable minerals.
- Example: The mill operates 24 hours a day.
- fr: usine de traitement
- tailings
- noun
- Waste material left after valuable minerals are extracted.
- Example: Tailings are stored in a containment area.
- fr: résidus miniers
- grade
- noun
- The concentration of valuable minerals within ore.
- Example: High-grade ore is more profitable.
- fr: teneur
- vein
- noun
- A sheet-like body of mineralized rock within surrounding rock.
- Example: The gold vein extends for several meters.
- fr: veine
- exploration
- noun
- The search for new mineral deposits.
- Example: Exploration drilling began last summer.
- fr: exploration minière
- feasibility study
- noun
- A study evaluating whether a mining project is economically viable.
- Example: The feasibility study confirmed the project’s profitability.
- fr: étude de faisabilité
- reclamation
- noun
- The process of restoring mined land to a natural or usable state.
- Example: Reclamation begins after mine closure.
- fr: restauration du site
- mine closure
- noun
- The process of shutting down a mine at the end of its life.
- Example: Mine closure planning is required by law.
- fr: fermeture de mine
- ventilation
- noun
- The circulation of fresh air in an underground mine.
- Example: Proper ventilation keeps underground workers safe.
- fr: ventilation
