Abstract: For large lean ore deposits, it is economically unfeasible to use the filling method and there are problems of low integral resource recovery and difficult control of ground pressure in later period if conventional open-stope or caving method is used. As a solution, Professor Gu Desheng has proposed a continuous mining method , where the ore block is taken as a stoping unit , there are no intermediate pillars between the ore blocks and induced roof caving is used to release the ground pressure. The industrial test made on No. 92 orebody Dachang Underground Copper Mine has effectively raised the resource recovery and successfully prevented the great ground pressure disaster by economic and safe engineering means.

Key words: Large lean orebody, Continuous mining, Induced caving, Mined-out area treatment, Recovery