Mining and Quarrying include the extraction of minerals occurring naturally as solids (coal and ores), liquids (petroleum), or gases (natural gas). Extraction can be achieved by different methods such as underground or surface mining, well operation, seabed mining, etc.
Mining is the process of extracting buried material below the earth surface. Quarrying refers to extracting materials directly from the surface. In mining and quarrying, water is used and gets polluted in a range of activities, including mineral processing, dust suppression, and slurry transport.
In addition, water is subtracted from the environment in the process of dewatering, the process of pumping away the water that naturally flows into the pit or tunnels of the mine. When disposed, this water may also carry pollutants.
The mining and quarrying sector includes mining of fossil fuels (coal and lignite mining, oil and gas extraction), mining of metal ores, quarrying of stone, sand, and clay, and mining of phosphate and other minerals. A rich data source of water use in the mining of conventional and unconventional oil and gas, coal, and uranium is provided in the work of Williams and Simmons (2013).