opencut

Open-cut mining, also known as open-cut, open-pit, or open-cast mining, is a surface mining method used to extract minerals that are near the surface of the Earth. In opencut operations, layers of overburden are removed to reach ore deposits that lie relatively close to the surface. The approach is typically chosen when the ore body has a favorable strip ratio, meaning the amount of waste rock needed to be moved is economical compared with the recovered ore.

The mining process generally involves site preparation, removal of overburden with heavy equipment, drilling and blasting to break hard rock, and loading of ore and waste rock onto trucks or conveyors for transport to processing facilities. Mine designs use benches or steps on the pit walls to maintain slope stability and provide access for equipment. Open-cut methods can also produce aggregate materials such as crushed stone.

Opencut mining is widely used for coal, copper, gold, iron ore, and other minerals, especially where ore bodies extend across a broad horizontal area near the surface. It is typically less expensive and faster to develop than underground mining but requires large surface footprints and can involve significant surface disturbance.

Environmental and social impacts include extensive land disturbance, habitat loss, dust and noise, altered drainage patterns, and the generation of waste rock and tailings. Effective water management, erosion control, pollution prevention, and reclamation are important components of responsible opencut operations. After mining ends, pits may be backfilled, flooded to form reservoirs, or left as landscape features, with reclamation plans guiding post-mining land use.