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Mine Stripping Ratio Calculator

Work out mine stripping ratio instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Mine Stripping Ratio Calculator

Stripping ratio is tonnes of waste moved per tonne of ore. It drives open-pit economics directly: at a ratio of 3.4 to 1, waste haulage is the majority of mining cost even though it generates no revenue. The break-even stripping ratio is the point where an extra tonne of ore no longer pays for the waste needed to reach it.

Formulas

Stripping ratio

SR = waste tonnage / ore tonnage

Mining cost per tonne of ore

Cost = (waste x waste cost + ore x ore cost) / ore tonnage

Worked example

With the default values below, Mine Stripping Ratio Calculator returns Stripping Ratio of 3.4000. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Waste Tonnageminimum 0 tonnes
8,500,000 tonnes
Ore Tonnageminimum 0 tonnes
2,500,000 tonnes
Waste Mining Costminimum 0 per tonne
3 per tonne
Ore Mining Costminimum 0 per tonne
4 per tonne

Results

Stripping Ratio
3.4000
Total Material Moved
11,000,000
Mining Cost Per Tonne Of Ore
$14.200
Waste Share Of Mining Cost
71.83%

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Stripping ratio
  3. 3Mining cost per tonne of ore
  4. 4Stripping Ratio= 3.4000
  5. 5Total Material Moved= 11,000,000
  6. 6Mining Cost Per Tonne Of Ore= 14.200
  7. 7Waste Share Of Mining Cost= 71.83

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What limits pit depth?

The break-even stripping ratio. As the pit deepens the incremental waste per tonne of ore rises until the marginal ore no longer covers the stripping cost, which defines the ultimate pit shell.

When does underground mining become preferable?

When stripping ratios rise beyond roughly 8-12 to 1 for typical deposits, though the crossover depends on ore value, geometry and ground conditions.

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