Longwall miningLongwall mining is a form of underground coal mining where a long single face of coal, known as a panel, is mined with a continuous cut across its entirety. Seams utilizing longwall panels are typically 4–20 ft (1.2–6.1 m) thick. The panel is typically 10,000–15,000 ft (3,000–4,600 m) long, but can be up to 20,000 ft (6,100 m) long and 1,000–1,500 ft (300–460 m) wide. The longwall method compares with shortwall, room-and-pillar, and several others.
Open-pit miningOpen-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts rock or minerals from the earth. Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful ore or rocks are found near the surface where the overburden is relatively thin. In contrast, deeper mineral deposits can be reached using underground mining.
MiningMining is the extraction of geological materials and minerals from Earth's surface. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly made artificially in a laboratory or factory. Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay.Energy value of coalThe energy value of coal, or fuel content, is the amount of potential energy coal contains that can be converted into heat. This value can be calculated and compared with different grades of coal and other combustible materials, which produce different amounts of heat according to their grade. While chemistry provides ways of calculating the heating value of a certain amount of a substance, there is a difference between this theoretical value and its application to real coal.
Electricity generationElectricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery (transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users or its storage, using for example, the pumped-storage method. Consumable electricity is not freely available in nature, so it must be "produced", transforming other forms of energy to electricity.
Dragline excavatorA dragline excavator is a heavy-duty excavator used in civil engineering and surface mining. It was invented in 1904, and presented an immediate challenge to the steam shovel and its diesel and electric powered descendant, the power shovel.
CoalCombustible sedimentary rock composed primarily of carbonCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as layers called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. It is a fossil fuel, formed when plants decay into peat which is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years.
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024.
AustraliaAustralia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent.
HeadframeA headframe (gallows frame, winding tower, hoist frame, pit frame, shafthead frame, headgear, headstock, poppethead) is a tall timber, steel or concrete structure above an underground mine shaft. Headframes are built to safely handle loads from mine hoisting systems and to facilitate easy movement of rock, equipment, people and materials into and out of the mine shaft.
South AfricaCountry in Southern AfricaFlag Coat of armsMotto: "ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke" (ǀXam)"Unity in diversity"Anthem: "National Anthem of South Africa" Show globeShow map of South AfricaCapitalPretoria (executive)Cape Town (legislative)Bloemfontein (judicial)Largest cityJohannesburgOfficial languages12 languagesAfrikaansEnglishNdebeleSepediSesothoSetswanaSouth African Sign LanguageSwaziTshivendaXhosaXitsongaZuluLanguages with special statusKhoe languagesNamaKhoisan languagesGermanGreekGujaratiHindiPortugueseTeluguTamilUrduArabicHebrewSanskritEthnic groups (2022)81.4% Black8.2% Coloured7.3% White2.7% Indian or Asian0.4% otherReligion (2022)85.3% Christianity7.8% Traditional faiths3.1% No religion1.6% Islam1.1% Hinduism1.1% otherDemonymSouth AfricanGovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency• PresidentCyril Ramaphosa• Deputy PresidentPaul Mashatile• Speaker of the National AssemblyThoko Didiza• Chairperson of the National Council of ProvincesRefilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane• Chief JusticeMandisa MayaLegislatureParliament• Upper houseNational Council of Provinces• Lower houseNational AssemblyIndependence from the United Kingdom• Union31 May 1910• Statute of Westminster11 December 1931• Republic31 May 1961• Tricameral Parliament3 September 1984• Current constitution4 February 1997Area • Total1,221,037 km (471,445 sq mi) (24th)• Water (%)0.380Population• 2024 estimate 63,015,904 (23rd)• 2022 census 62,027,503 (23rd)• Density50.8/km (131.6/sq mi) (169th)GDP (PPP)2026 estimate• Total $1.071 trillion (33rd)• Per capita $16,740 (107th)GDP (nominal)2026 estimate• Total $479.964 billion (39th)• Per capita $7,503 (107th)Gini (2023) 63.0very high inequalityHDI (2023) 0.741high (106th)CurrencySouth African rand (ZAR)Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Date formatShort formats: dd/mm/yyyydd-mm-yyyyCalling code+27ISO 3166 codeZAInternet TLD.zaSouth Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa.
Natural resourceNatural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. On Earth, it includes sunlight, atmosphere, water, land, all minerals, along with all vegetation, and wildlife. Natural resources are part of humanity's natural heritage or protected in nature reserves.
collieryRelated word or term.
Open-pit miningOpen-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts rock or minerals from the earth. Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful ore or rocks are found near the surface where the overburden is relatively thin. In contrast, deeper mineral deposits can be reached using underground mining.MiningMining is the extraction of geological materials and minerals from Earth's surface. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly made artificially in a laboratory or factory. Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay.Energy value of coalThe energy value of coal, or fuel content, is the amount of potential energy coal contains that can be converted into heat. This value can be calculated and compared with different grades of coal and other combustible materials, which produce different amounts of heat according to their grade. While chemistry provides ways of calculating the heating value of a certain amount of a substance, there is a difference between this theoretical value and its application to real coal.Electricity generationElectricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery (transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users or its storage, using for example, the pumped-storage method. Consumable electricity is not freely available in nature, so it must be "produced", transforming other forms of energy to electricity.Dragline excavatorA dragline excavator is a heavy-duty excavator used in civil engineering and surface mining. It was invented in 1904, and presented an immediate challenge to the steam shovel and its diesel and electric powered descendant, the power shovel.CoalCombustible sedimentary rock composed primarily of carbonCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as layers called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. It is a fossil fuel, formed when plants decay into peat which is converted into coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial over millions of years.United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a population of over 69 million in 2024.AustraliaAustralia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a land area of 7,688,287 km2 (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world, and is the world's flattest and driest inhabited continent.HeadframeA headframe (gallows frame, winding tower, hoist frame, pit frame, shafthead frame, headgear, headstock, poppethead) is a tall timber, steel or concrete structure above an underground mine shaft. Headframes are built to safely handle loads from mine hoisting systems and to facilitate easy movement of rock, equipment, people and materials into and out of the mine shaft.South AfricaCountry in Southern AfricaFlag Coat of armsMotto: "ǃke e꞉ ǀxarra ǁke" (ǀXam)"Unity in diversity"Anthem: "National Anthem of South Africa" Show globeShow map of South AfricaCapitalPretoria (executive)Cape Town (legislative)Bloemfontein (judicial)Largest cityJohannesburgOfficial languages12 languagesAfrikaansEnglishNdebeleSepediSesothoSetswanaSouth African Sign LanguageSwaziTshivendaXhosaXitsongaZuluLanguages with special statusKhoe languagesNamaKhoisan languagesGermanGreekGujaratiHindiPortugueseTeluguTamilUrduArabicHebrewSanskritEthnic groups (2022)81.4% Black8.2% Coloured7.3% White2.7% Indian or Asian0.4% otherReligion (2022)85.3% Christianity7.8% Traditional faiths3.1% No religion1.6% Islam1.1% Hinduism1.1% otherDemonymSouth AfricanGovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic with an executive presidency• PresidentCyril Ramaphosa• Deputy PresidentPaul Mashatile• Speaker of the National AssemblyThoko Didiza• Chairperson of the National Council of ProvincesRefilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane• Chief JusticeMandisa MayaLegislatureParliament• Upper houseNational Council of Provinces• Lower houseNational AssemblyIndependence from the United Kingdom• Union31 May 1910• Statute of Westminster11 December 1931• Republic31 May 1961• Tricameral Parliament3 September 1984• Current constitution4 February 1997Area • Total1,221,037 km (471,445 sq mi) (24th)• Water (%)0.380Population• 2024 estimate 63,015,904 (23rd)• 2022 census 62,027,503 (23rd)• Density50.8/km (131.6/sq mi) (169th)GDP (PPP)2026 estimate• Total $1.071 trillion (33rd)• Per capita $16,740 (107th)GDP (nominal)2026 estimate• Total $479.964 billion (39th)• Per capita $7,503 (107th)Gini (2023) 63.0very high inequalityHDI (2023) 0.741high (106th)CurrencySouth African rand (ZAR)Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)Date formatShort formats: dd/mm/yyyydd-mm-yyyyCalling code+27ISO 3166 codeZAInternet TLD.zaSouth Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa.Natural resourceNatural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. On Earth, it includes sunlight, atmosphere, water, land, all minerals, along with all vegetation, and wildlife. Natural resources are part of humanity's natural heritage or protected in nature reserves.collieryRelated word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.