Drive

verbStandard termMining

To excavate a horizontal tunnel or heading underground.

The act of advancing a horizontal or near-horizontal opening through rock or ore. The process involves a continuous cycle of drilling, blasting, ventilating, and mucking out the broken material. Miners drive tunnels to access new ore zones, establish ventilation circuits, or create haulage routes.

Heard on the job

We plan to drive the new heading at a slight upward grade to help with water drainage.