Micromining

Scenic view of the mining operations in Chloride, Arizona. This is in the northwest corner of the state. Here, gold, silver, turquoise and other minerals were blasted from the mountains.

The earth's crust is full of small mineral deposits but their recovery may not be economic under the current system. Small-scale or "micro" mining ("artisanal mining") can extract wealth from small mineral deposits that might not be worthwhile to exploit by traditional large-scale mining processes. Despite smaller size, these deposits may still be high-margin operations. Small communities may profitably mine these reserves, although this requires a different mind-set. Communities can use very low-tech excavation techniques, down to pick and shovel. Even if the infrastructure is more advanced, it does not have to be purchased and can be built by the community itself, drastically cutting up-front investment requirements. Some recent advances in mining technology, such as biomining and cheap sensors can easily be scaled down.

Important principles for community based micro-mining are:

1. use machines that can be built from simple parts, are easy to use and repair
2. minimize amount of material that is moved to the surface, try to process in situ and only transport the finished product
3. minimize energy requirements per cubic meter, use free energy that may be available (solar, hydro, biomass; other "stranded" energy)
4. slow but steady mining processes
5. multiple products, use tailings for something (construction, build dam, etc.)

Problem statement

• Economic models for mining have been based on corporate objectives rather than community needs
• Systems used in resource exploitation are geared toward highly educated and utilizes a network of specialists to keep the systems running
• These systems marginalize the participation of the community in the process because of our education levels in the community

Open Source Micromining vs. traditional artisanal mining

• deep scientific understanding: metallurgy, chemistry, materials science
• Open Source Equipment reduces start-up cost
• availability of inexpensive sensors, cameras and computing power
• creative use of stranded energy
• multiple products (e.g. extract multiple minerals, plan mining with an eye for subsequent use such as aquaculture, construction or underground infrastructure).
• mining not for the general market but for own use of the mineral (very different economics)
• advanced techniques for underground mine ventilation (e.g. using solar thermal or wind energy)
• use of open source Aerial Ropeways to transport large amounts of earth/rock

Product Ecology

• use of versatile agricultural equipment such as LifeTrac and Well Drilling Rig
• mining of aluminum from clay using using hydrofluoric acid solution
• use of biogas and syngas for carbothermal reduction of iron (see Metal Refining)
• novel biotechnology techniques (see Biomining)
• in underground mining: use of thermal ventilation or Compressed Air

Related pages on OSE wiki

Biomining, Metal Refining, solar metallurgy,

External Links

• Wikipedia: Artisanal mining
• "CASM" – Communities and Small-Scale Mining