Longwall mining with blasting

A method for the extraction of ore products in underground ore mining operations using blasting in the face with the employment of an advancing support equipment and a face conveyor coupled to it and with at least one boring device for the production of shot holes and a loading device for the loading of the face conveyor with the blast rock loosened by blasting whereby the boring device and the loading device can be connected or are connected to a common boring and loading machine travelling along the face conveyor at right angles to the direction of mining, with the following steps in which:

• boring shot holes in the rock face at right angles to the direction of mining and essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the face using the boring device connected to the boring and loading machine;
• driving the boring and loading machine together with the boring device back along the face conveyor to a safe distance from the firing point and re-equipping the machine with the loading device whilst the preparations for firing are made firing the shot holes;
• following completion of firing driving the boring and loading machine, equipped with the loading device forward;
• loading the loosened blast rock onto the face conveyor running parallel to the path of the loading machine;
• driving the boring and loading machine with the loading device back and re-equipping the machine with the boring device;
• driving the boring and loading machine, equipped with the boring device forward and repeating of the previous steps in the method until the face of the entire length of the mining is complete;
• and
• the advancing support equipment together with the face conveyor.