A mine, panel, or stope reaches this state when the remaining mineral deposit is either physically exhausted or too low in grade to cover the cost of extraction. Once an area is fully exploited, crews pull out salvageable equipment like pumps and rails before abandoning it. The void is then typically sealed off or allowed to collapse.
Heard on the job
We'll work out the upper seam by November and then move the continuous miner down to the lower block.
Do not mix it up with
- Scram: To work out means to finish the planned extraction, while scramming means scraping up the tiny remnants left behind after the main work is done.