A horizontal or nearly horizontal mineral deposit, vein, or section of a lode that typically runs parallel to the bedding planes of the host rock. Miners distinguish flats from steeply dipping veins or pitches, as flats require different extraction methods, often resembling room-and-pillar extraction rather than vertical stoping.
We mined out the vertical pitch and are now drifting into a rich lead flat that follows the limestone bedding.
Related terms
Lode
A defined vein or tabular deposit of valuable metallic ore embedded within barren rock.
Pitch
A designated section of a mine assigned to a specific group of miners working for a share of the ore.
Room and pillar
An underground mining method where material is extracted across a horizontal plane, leaving blocks of ore to support the roof.
Veinstuff
The non-valuable minerals and rock that fill a vein alongside the target ore.