I had a question about possible mining methods for a big mostly flat lying but thin gold deposit (OBS) Basically it may be around 600mx600m (probably bigger) but is only about 3-4M in thickness. Average grade may be about 3-4g/t Au and depth to the top of the ore body is between 40-100M. I initially thought open pit, but then thought the strip ratios might be woeful. Is this kind of orientation more suited to an underground operation, using something similar to the longwall techniques used in coal mining, or block caving?
