GEOGRAPHY SUMMARY FORM 4

CHAPTER 6: MINING

Mining is the process of extracting valuable minerals CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR FORMATION OF
from the earth’s crust. PETROLEUM
Minerals are inorganic substances composed of chemical
elements. ❖ Presence of organic remains
❖ Presence of sedimentary rock of burying organic
TYPES OF MINERALS remains.
1. Metallic: e.g. Gold and aluminum. ❖ Presence of pressure to compress organic remains.
2. Non-metallic: e.g. graphite and sulphar. ❖ Presence of a porous reservoir rock to store and
3. Energy minerals or fossil fuels: includes transmit petroleum to the oil pools.
petroleum, coal and natural gas. ❖ Presence of a trap-like or syncline to hold petroleum
in a reservoir to prevent its escape.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALS ❖ Presence of impermeable rocks below the trap or
→ It must be crystalline solid. syncline to prevent petroleum from percolating further
→ It must occur naturally. underground.
→ It must be inorganic.
→ It must have a definite chemical composition. FACTORS AFFECTING EXPLOITATION OF
MINERALS
FACTORS AFFECTING OCCURRENCE OF ✓ Value of the mineral
MINERAL ✓ Size of the mineral deposit
a) Weathering. ✓ The quality of the ore
b) Alluvial deposit. ✓ Methods of mining
c) Oil pools or wells ✓ Transport cost
d) Beds, layers and seams: occurrence of mineral as ✓ Political situation
sedimentary layers. ✓ Availability of labour
e) Reefs- veins and lodes: which are exposed on the ✓ Demand for the mineral
surface. ✓ Availability of capital
i. Veins: when mineral occurs in small quantity. ✓ 10.Effects on the environment
ii. Lodes: those that occur in large quantity.

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METHODS OF MINING ➢ It interferes with natural vegetation.

1. Open-cast mining
2. Underground mining 2) UNDER GROUND
3. Alluvial mining • Involves extraction of minerals covered by great
1. OPEN-CAST MINING METHODS thickness of rock.
a. Stripping method • The mode of occurrence of the mineral deposit will
• Employed if mineral deposits occur very close to determine the type of underground mining to be
the earth’s surface. employed.
• Involves removing of top layers covering the TYPES OF UNDERGROUND MINING
mineral ore. a. Adit method
- If mineral is soft it can be removed by digging. b. Shaft method
- If mineral is hard it can be loosened by use of c. Solution method
explosive and removed by use of powerful bulldozers. d. Drilling method
• Stripping methods is employed on such minerals as a) Adit method
copper, iron and coal. • Used to extract minerals found in horizontal seams
b. Hill slope boring in slopes.
• Involves extraction of Ore outcrop deposits in hill • Horizontal tunnels called adits or drifts are cut into
slopes. the mineral bearing layer for extraction of ore.
• Drilling is done to reach deposits deep in the slope. b) Shaft method
• Drilling instrument called Auger is used to remove • Apply where mineral occur in vertical seams.
the ore. • Vertical cannels called shafts are sunk until mineral
• Main mineral removed using this method is coal. ore is reached.
• The mined ore is lifted and loaded into the trucks
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF OPEN CAST MINING
➢ The land is left with gapping and becomes ugly. Problems associated with shaft mining
➢ Heaps of rock waste hinders any form of land use. • Collapsing of mines causing death of miners
➢ Dust pollutes the atmosphere and is health hazard. • Diseases due to inhaling of dust
➢ Large scale blasting of rocks leads to earthquake. • Flooding due to underground water.
➢ Open mines, when filled with water, become a • Poisonous gasses
health hazard by providing breeding grounds for • Suffocation due to lack of enough oxygen
mosquitoes and snails. • High temperatures due to increased depth

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c) Solution method b) Dredging

• Apply where mineral dissolves into water. • A dredger scoops waterlogged alluvium from the
• Superheated water is sunk into deposits of salts, bed of a lake.
potash and sulphur. • The alluvium is passed over sloping channels with
• Solution is pumped to the surface where it is series of traps.
evaporated and extracted the solid. • Wastes are washed away and denser materials are
d) Drilling method left at the bottom of the trap e.g. mining of soda ash
• Apply on deposits if petroleum or natural gas. at L. Magadi.
• Deposits are reached by sinking wells. c) Hydraulic mining
• The product is then pumped out or reach surface by • This method is used when deposits occur on a valley
own pressure. side.
3) ALLUVIAL MINING • A powerful jet of water is directed to the deposit
• This is where the mineral ore is found along the • Gravel and minerals collects at the valley because of
beds of rivers mixed with sand. the great pressure.
• Valuable minerals are separated from the alluvial • The mineral grains are recovered and washed out.
materials. d) Sub-marine mining
• The minerals include gold, tin and platinum. • Is the extracting of minerals in alluvial deposits
lying deep down the ocean floor.
TYPES OF ALLUVIAL MINING • A sub-marine dredger goes to the ocean floor and
a. Panning scoops mineral deposits and rises to the surface.
b. Dredging • The alluvial is passed over sloping channels with
c. Hydraulic mining series of traps
d. Sub-marine mining • Wastes are washed away and denser materials are
a) Panning left at the bottom of the trap.
• It involves digging a mixture of sand, gravel and
mineral from the river bed. EFFECTS OF MINING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
• Putting it in a pan and rotating the pan while tilted. 1. Wastage of agricultural land
• The lighter sand or gravel is washed on the side 2. Pollution from harmful substances.
leaving the heavier mineral at the bottom of the pan 3. Loss of biodiversity – plants and animals.
e.g. gold mining in Migor. 4. Soil erosion.
5. Landslides

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DISTRIBUTION OF MINERALS IN EAST AFRICA DIAMONDS IN SOUTH AFRICA

• Occur as diamond crystals. Mined by underground
1. Phosphates used in the manufacture of fertilizer- or alluvial mining method.
Torero in Uganda and Majingu in Processing of diamond
Tanzania. • Blasting (explosion) of rock Ore and lifting it to the
2. Limestone used in cement manufacturing- Hima in surface.
N.W Uganda, Tanga in Tanzania, Athi River and • Crushing into small pieces and washing.
Bamburi in Kenya. • Putting in solution together with the waste and the
3. Fluorospar a source of fluorine used in chemical dirt is washed.
industries- Kerio valley in Kenya. • Diamond and remaining rock waste is passed on
4. Common salt used for consumption- Kilifi and greased rotating table.
Magadi in Kenya and L. Kitwe in Uganda. • The diamonds stick on the grease while the waste
5. Diatomite used in making insulators- Kariandusi near rock rolls off.
Gilgil and Gicheru in Nyandarua. PROBLEMS FACING DIAMOND MINING IN
6. Diamond used to make jewellery- Mwadui in SOUTH AFRICA
Tanzania. • Fluctuation in world market prices.
7. Titanium used in the manufacture of insulators for • High cost of mining and processing of diamond
aircraft- Kwale district reducing income.
8. Gemstone- used jewelry found near Voi and Mwatate • Depletion of diamond reserves.
9. Soapstone used for sculpture- Tabaka in Kisii • Inadequate labour.
10. Copper used to make electrical wires and coins-
Kilembe in Uganda Contribution of diamond mining to the economy of
11. Gold used to make medals and jewellery- Musoma in South Africa
Tanzania, Kakamega and Migori in Kenya. 1) Employment opportunities
12. Coal used in smelting of iron and generation of 2) Earning foreign exchange after exportation to
electricity- Kivira Songwe in Tanzania. foreign countries.
3) Development of infrastructure to facilitate
transportation of minerals.
4) Raised the living standards of people due to income
earned.
5) Development of related industries.

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GOLD MINING IN SOUTH AFRICA Formation of petroleum

• Gold is mined using underground mining method • Oil is formed from decomposition of remains of
(shaft method). small creatures.
• Gold is crushed into fine powdery dust. • Over a period of years the remains pilled in layers to
• Mixed with water until it is fluid mud. form sedimentary rocks.
• Cyanide solution is then mixed which causes • These remains were later transformed into oil and
precipitation of gold. gas.
• Gold is then melted and shaped into bars. Extraction of oil
SIGNIFICANCE OF GOLD MINING TO THE • Oil is extracted using drilling method and is
ECONOMY OF SOUTH AFRICA reached by boring wells.
1. Earns foreign exchange • The oil or gas is brought to the surface under its
2. Employment opportunity own pressure or by pumping.
3. Has led to widespread urbanization • Crude oil is processed by refining using a technique
4. Improvement of infrastructure called fractional distillation in order to extract
5. Has led to development of agriculture different products i.e. kerosene, fuel oil, diesel fuel,
PROBLEMS FACING GOLD MINING lubricating oil, gasoline, fertilizers, plastics etc.
1. Expensive to mine.
2. Large capital is required to start mining Contribution of oil to the economies of the Middle East
3. Low gold content in the Ore. countries
4. Problem of removal of underground water. 1. Generation of wealth due to revenues generated
5. Collapsing of mines. from oil.
2. Development of infrastructural network.
PETROLEUM IN THE MIDDLE EAST 3. Development of petro – chemical industries
• Oil producers in the middle east includes: 4. Development of social amenities i.e. schools,
• Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, and United hospitals etc.
Arab Emirates. 5. Increased political and military power.
• Middle East countries produce one-third of total 6. Oil companies helped in fixing down sand dunes.
petroleum produced in the world.
• Middle East accounts for 64% of world oil reserves.
• Petroleum is transported by use of pipelines and
tankers to the consuming countries.

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PROBLEMS FACING PETROLEUM MINING IN a. Crystalline c. must be inorganic

THE MIDDLE EAST b. Occur naturally d. organic content
1. Control by multinational companies. 4. Occurrence of minerals as sedimentary or as a result of
2. Frequent wars in the region e.g. the Iraq-Iran war, etc. compression of accumulated organic or inorganic
3. Reliance on imported labour. material which form layer of deposition is:
4. Accidents in the oil field. a) Beds, layer and seam c) Weathering
5. Oil spills due to leakages and collision of tankers. b) Reefs d) Alluvial

SIGNIFICANCE OF MINERAL MINING TO A 5. State the conditions necessary for formation of

COUNTRY petroleum?
1. Creation of employment opportunity 6. Name and explain any three factors that are necessary
2. Development of settlement for the formation of petroleum?
3. Provision of social services 7. a) Describe the natural conditions under which
4. Earning foreign exchange petroleum occurs?
5. Development of transport links
b) Name three countries that are major producers of
6. Creation of industries
7. Improvement of peoples’ standard living petroleum?
8. Determine any three factors that are necessary for the
EXERCISE exploitation of minerals?
1. Inorganic substances which are composed of chemical 9. a)State any two factors that encourage extraction of
elements are called. minerals
b) List any two methods used in mining?
a) Mining c) alluvial
b) Mineral d) fossils 10. Discuss any five negative effects of mining on the
environment
2. Which of the following is a metallic mineral? 11. a)State two effects of mining on the environment?
a. Aluminium. c. asbestos b) Name three countries that are major producers of
b. Sulphur. d. potash petroleum?
12. State four benefits that a country gets from exploiting
3. Which one of the following does not include the
its minerals? END OF CHAPTER 6
characteristics of minerals?

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