Drift in diamond mining is best described as which of the following?

Drift in diamond mining is best described as which of the following?

• A. A vertical shaft
• B. A horizontal tunnel drilled through a diamond pipe
• C. A surface excavation
• D. An underground chamber

Answer: (B)

In mining terms, a drift is a horizontal or nearly horizontal passage driven into the ore body to provide access for development and ore extraction. In diamond mining, kimberlite pipes are typically vertical structures, so a drift is used to run a horizontal tunnel through the pipe to reach and work the ore from the side. This makes the horizontal tunnel through the pipe the best description of a drift. A vertical shaft is a vertical opening for movement between levels, not a horizontal passage. A surface excavation is an open-pit operation on the surface, not underground. An underground chamber is a spacious room underground, not a passage used to traverse the deposit.

In mining terms, a drift is a horizontal or nearly horizontal passage driven into the ore body to provide access for development and ore extraction. In diamond mining, kimberlite pipes are typically vertical structures, so a drift is used to run a horizontal tunnel through the pipe to reach and work the ore from the side. This makes the horizontal tunnel through the pipe the best description of a drift.

A vertical shaft is a vertical opening for movement between levels, not a horizontal passage. A surface excavation is an open-pit operation on the surface, not underground. An underground chamber is a spacious room underground, not a passage used to traverse the deposit.