Mining is the digging up of minerals and other different materials.  Drilling is part of mining.  Copper, silver, diamond and gold are some of the minerals gotten from mining.  There are several distinct steps in mineral mining.  The first is the discovery of an ore body.  Ore is a rock from which mineral and metals are obtained.  For the ore to be discovered a lot of prospecting is carried out.  Exploration is then carried out to establish the value and extent of the ore.  Resource estimation is the second.  Now, the size and grade of the ore deposits is approximated.  This approximation is then applied in feasibility studies that help establish the economics of the ore deposits.  This is crucial because it provides information on whether further estimation studies and engineering investments is necessary.  It also helps in risk identification.  It is at this point that feasibility studies are conducted.  This helps to evaluate the technical risks and also the financial viability of the mineral mining project.  It is now that mining corporations make the decision to either abandon or go ahead with the venture.  Where corporations make up their minds to continue with the venture, they calculate the financial requirements, the cost of infrastructure as well as the marketability and pay ability of the ore concentrates.  Mining starts where the studies divulge that the venture is feasible.  Accordingly, the processing plant is set up.

Various techniques are employed in mining.  They are separated into two different types of excavation.  These are underground and surface mining.  Surface mining is the most common.  The majority of minerals including silver and diamond are obtained through surface mining.  Surface mining is performed by completely removing all surface vegetation as well as the rock layers.  This is performed to get to the deposits of ore.  On the contrary, the digging of shafts and tunnels with the aim of reaching the ore is what is involved in underground mining, also referred to as subsurface mining.

The mining of minerals requires the use of heavy machinery.  As far as land exaction is concerned, bulldozers, explosives, trucks and drills are essential.  Miners and the minerals are transported using trams while lifts carry them in and out of the mines.  In surface mining, cranes, huge trucks and shovels are used to move huge ore amounts.  Machineries to be found in processing plants include roasters, crushers, mils and reactors.  These help to extract minerals, metals and other important materials from the ore.