Copper Mining and Processing: Life Cycle of a Mine | Superfund
The Life Cycle of a Mine. The stages in the life cycle of a mine are: 1) Prospecting and Exploration, 2) Development; 3) Extraction, and 4) Closure/Reclamation. Each of the stages may overlap with the next and is very lengthy and expensive. A. Prospecting and Exploration ("Finding and Defining it")