Friable chromite ore was extracted from an open-pit mine surrounded by limonitic host rocks which are friable and weathered. The mine has reached its pit limit and it is decided to further extract the ore body by underground methods. However, the conventional mining techniques are not suitable for the desired level extraction from the underground since the surface benches and crown pillar cannot be made stable under the prevailing ground conditions. The GSI value of the ore and host rock is about 25–35 with stand-up time less than one hour. The high monetary value associated with the ore prompts the proposition of an innovative mining approach for extracting the ore from underground. The paper delineates the novel mining methodology, emphasising key aspects of mining and backfilling sequence, providing stope and pillar dimensions with safety factors and support mechanisms for decline and other developments. For this purpose, numerical models of 36 mining and backfilling sequences are developed, incorporating variations in stope and pillar dimensions. The stope width is maintained at 20 m, with variable heights 30 m, 40 m and 50 m, while the pillar width is varied as 20 m, 40 m and 60 m. The models are characterised in terms of strength and stability by introducing a novel sequence factor (SF) and average cumulative plastic strain (ξa), respectively. Their inter-relation helps recommend the safe mining operations.