Video Description
Yakutia. Mirny. Kimberlite pipe (Diamond mining)
One of the 'The 7 Wonders of Russia' contest nominee.
Mir Mine
Mir Mine also called Mirny Mine was an open pit diamond mine located in Mirny, Eastern Siberia, Russia. The mine is 525 meters (1,720 ft) deep and has a diameter of 1,200 m (3,900 ft), and is the second largest excavated hole in the world, after Bingham Canyon Mine. The airspace above the mine is closed for helicopters because of a few incidents in which they were sucked in by the downward air flow.
Currently, the mine is operated by Alrosa, the largest diamond
producing company in Russia, and employs
3600 workers. It has long been
anticipated that the recovery of
diamonds by conventional surface methods
will saturate. Therefore, in 1970s
construction has started of a network of
underground tunnels for diamond
recovery. Production of diamonds by this
method started in 1999 and is estimated
to last for another 27 years. This
estimate is based on depth explorations
down to 1220 meters. In order to
stabilize the abandoned main pit, its
bottom was covered by a rubble layer 45
meters thick. Source:
Wikipedia, Mirny mine
Seven Wonders of Russia
The “Seven Wonders of Russia” contest had several stages, after the first one 49 national locations were chosen and after the second one only 14 remained. Finally the people chose the places they thought best represented their country’s beauty.
The final results were revealed on June 12 of
2008: Peterhof, The Valley of Geysers, Mamayev Kurgan
(Mother Motherland monument), Mount Elbrus, Saint Basil cathedral, Baikal Lake, and Poles
of Erosion of the Komi Republic.
Open Pit Mining
Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast mining, open-cut mining, and strip mining, refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow.
Source: Wikipedia:
Open pit mining.
Interactive Satellite Map
Explore the Mirny Mine, Eastern
Siberia, Russia. Click the placemark. To Pan: click and drag or take advantage of the pan and zoom bars.
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