The dugout tunnel or area where the ore is being mined is called a stope. Clear stopes are necessary for a mining operation to function properly [1]. In an underground mine, the stope routes ore and trash and offers direct access to the orebody. Drilling holes, setting explosives, and then blasting open a space results in a stope [1].
Digging vertical shafts all the way down to the orebody is standard procedure for making stopes. Horizontal levels are made to mine the ore after it is found. Stopping happens at these levels.
Stopes in underground mining are designed as excavated voids that allow for efficient ore extraction while maintaining safety and minimizing waste. The design process involves several key considerations:
Geological and orebody characteristics: the shape, grade, width, and orientation (vertical, tilted, or flat) of the ore body significantly influence stope design. For instance, steeply dipping orebodies often use narrow, vertical stopes, while flatter orebodies might use room and pillar or cut-and-fill methods.
Geomechanical stability: ensuring the stability of the stope is crucial. This involves assessing the strength of the surrounding rock, geological discontinuities, and the need for artificial support systems such as props, packs, tendons, or backfill materials. Backfill materials can include mixed sand, rocks, cement, or dewatered tailings to support the roof and prevent collapses.
Mining method: the choice of stoping method (e.g., longhole stoping, sublevel stoping, cut-and-fill) depends on the orebody and surrounding conditions. These methods dictate how stopes are drilled, blasted, accessed, and subsequently cleared of ore.
Support design and safety: stope support design is often empirical but increasingly uses engineering approaches to optimize support spacing and types. Collaboration with geotechnical engineers is vital to align stope dimensions with ground control plans, including predicted seismic responses and safety standards.
Operational and economic constraints: the stope layout must consider mining infrastructure (drifts, shafts, ventilation), operational logistics (ore transport and waste removal), and economic factors such as maximizing ore recovery, minimizing dilution, and adapting to fluctuating commodity prices.
Optimization tools: modern mining uses advanced computational models and software to optimize stope designs for maximum efficiency, profitability, and safety. These tools integrate geological, operational, and economic data to dynamically adjust stope layouts during mining.
Reference
[1] “Stope Mining Guide: Techniques & Methods Explored.” Accessed: Aug. 21, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.flyability.com/blog/stope-mining
