<p>Multi-reef mining of closely spaced tabular orebodies can be problematic owing to the stress interaction between the excavations. Most of the numerical simulations described in the literature are two-dimensional models of multi-seam coal mining or small-scale three-dimensional models. This study uses a displacement discontinuity numerical modelling approach to study the effect of multi-reef mining of closely spaced tabular ore bodies. The benefit of the approach is that large-scale bord and pillar layouts with irregular pillar shapes can be simulated. The initial numerical codes based on this approach assumed that square element tessellations could approximate the excavation outlines. The discontinuity vector was assigned a constant value in each element. This is effective for single reef problems, but can yield poor results in the case of multiple parallel reef planes. The present study investigates the use of higher-order elements. The benefit of using these elements when simulating average pillar stress and closely spaced reefs is presented in the paper. A case study from a multi-reef manganese mine in South Africa is also described. Although the manuscript focuses on hard rock mining, the modelling methodology can also be used for multi-seam tabular coal mine geometries.</p>