The core production activity in underground hardrock mining, where miners systematically drill and blast the economic rock. Stoping encompasses various specialized techniques, such as cut-and-fill, sublevel caving, or shrinkage, chosen based on the rock stability and vein geometry. It is distinct from development work, which merely creates the tunnels to access the ore.
Heard on the job
They finished the crosscut last week and are finally starting production stoping on the main vein.
Do not mix it up with
- Stopping: Stoping is the extraction of ore, while a stopping is a ventilation wall.