Stope stability is strongly governed by excavation geometry, with both gravity and in-situ stress playing central roles. From a gravity perspective, wall orientation is critical. Vertical walls are inherently more stable than horizontal or low-angle surfaces. As the dip reduces from 90° toward 0°, stability generally decreases, with the notable exception of the footwall, which […]

Most of us entering the mining industry today will still be here 30 years from now. Many tailings facilities built today will require monitoring for more than 100 years. That gap is not accidental. It is a design decision. Tailings management is not merely a storage problem. It is a century-scale risk management challenge. The […]

The Westray Mine Disaster is often remembered as a tragic moment in Canadian mining history. But for those of us working in mining, engineering, and high-risk industries, Westray is not just history. It is a warning that remains painfully relevant today. In 1992, 26 miners lost their lives at the Westray coal mine in Nova […]

One of the most important decisions a mine makes is how it handles its tailings Dry stacking is quickly becoming the answer when safety, water control, and long-term stability matter. Here’s the flow chart: 1️⃣ Tailings slurry from the processing plant enters the thickener, where the solids concentration is increased. 2️⃣ The thickened slurry is […]

Long-hole open stoping is one of the most widely used underground mining methods in competent rock and steeply dipping orebodies. The concept is simple. The engineering is not. It lives in sequencing, stability management, and fill strategy. Quick terminology Long-hole: production drilling with long blastholes Stoping: excavating large chambers within the orebody Open: the stope […]