Method and system for mining

A method for mining a narrow vein deposit of ore, the narrow vein deposit having a hanging wall and a foot wall, the method comprising:

• operating a pilot hole drill head to drill a pilot hole with a pilot hole diameter into rock containing the narrow vein deposit along a path to a depth within the vein;
• surveying the narrow vein deposit from the pilot hole, wherein surveying includes moving at least a portion of a downhole survey tool out through an opening in the pilot hole drill head into an extended position and operating the downhole survey tool while in the extended position;
• based on surveying, determining a trajectory and thickness of the narrow vein deposit;
• drilling a borehole into the narrow vein deposit with a hole opening drilling assembly, the borehole having a diameter larger than the pilot hole diameter to fragment the ore in the narrow vein deposit into drill cuttings;
• circulating the drill cuttings with a fluid flow up to a wellhead;
• and
• collecting the drill cuttings for processing to recover the ore therefrom.

A mining system for mining a narrow vein deposit of ore, the system comprising:

• a drilling rig;
• a pilot hole drilling assembly including a drill head for drilling a pilot hole in the ore, a downhole survey tool for locating a hanging wall and a foot wall of the narrow vein deposit relative to the pilot hole, wherein the downhole survey tool is configured for extension through an opening in the pilot hole drill head, and a directional assembly for directing the drill head along a path relative to the narrow vein deposit;
• a hole opener assembly including a hole opener drill configured to drill a borehole into the narrow vein deposit with a larger diameter than the pilot hole to fragment the ore into drill cuttings;
• and
• a fluid circulation subsystem to move a fluid through the well to circulate the drill cuttings from the borehole to a well head.