As with other types of hard rock mining there are several methods of extraction. In 2012, the percentage of the mined uranium produced by each mining method was: in-situ leach (44.9 percent), underground mining (26.2 percent), open pit (19.9 percent), and heap leaching (1.7 percent). The remaining 7.3% was derived as a byproduct of mining for other minerals, and miscellaneous recovery. In open pit mining, overburdenis removed by drilling and blasting to expose the ore body, which is then …