Glossary · Geology
Strip ratio
The ratio of waste rock that must be removed to access one tonne of ore.
Strip ratio (waste:ore) is critical for open-pit mines. A 5:1 strip ratio means 5 tonnes of waste must be moved to extract 1 tonne of ore. Higher strip ratios mean higher mining cost per tonne of ore. Pit deepening usually increases the strip ratio over the life of mine, which is captured in the mine plan and AISC projection.