Legal Definitions - mine

Mine

In a legal and practical sense, a "mine" refers to either:

• An excavation, typically underground, created for the purpose of extracting valuable natural resources such as minerals, ores, or other geological substances from the earth.
• A specific location or geological formation that contains a significant deposit of such valuable resources, whether or not active extraction has begun.

Here are some examples illustrating the application of this term:

• Imagine a company that has invested heavily in developing a vast network of tunnels and shafts deep beneath the desert floor to extract lithium, a critical component for batteries. This entire complex, including the machinery, infrastructure, and the subterranean passages, would be legally referred to as a mine.

  This example demonstrates the term's meaning as an underground excavation and the operational site where resources are actively being removed from the earth.

• Consider a geological survey that identifies a mountain range in a remote area as containing substantial, untapped deposits of high-grade iron ore. Even before any digging or construction begins, this specific mountain range, due to its rich resource content, could be described as a potential mine.

  Here, "mine" refers to the place containing a mineral deposit, highlighting the resource's location rather than the active extraction process itself.

• A historic site in Germany preserves a series of ancient silver excavations that were active for centuries, providing wealth to local communities. Although no longer operational, these preserved tunnels and chambers are still referred to as a mine, often drawing tourists interested in industrial heritage.

  This illustrates "mine" as a historical excavation, emphasizing the physical structure created for resource extraction, even after its active use has ceased.