Mineral Resources (2)

How are Minerals found? through

a complete sequence of activities

aims to deposit of minerals and rocks that can be used to meet the resource need of society.

is the process of searching for evidence of any mineralization hosted in the surrounding rocks.

3 activities under mineral explorataion

the “initial stage” in formulating a project.

involves review of all available data (geologic reports, mining history, maps, etc.), government requirements in acquiring the project, review of social, environmental, political and economic acceptability of the project, and budget and organization proposals.

This stage involves physical activities in the selected project area

3 phases of field exploration

The main objective is to identify targets or interesting mineralized zones covering a relatively large area (regional)

activities involve regional surface investigation and interpretation.

involves more detailed surface and subsurface activities with the objective of finding and delineating targets or mineralized zones.

The main objective is to assess market profitability by Extensive resource geotechnical and engineering drilling, Metallurgical testing, and Environmental and societal cost assessment.

The main objectives of prospect evaluation to assess its market profitability

determines and validates the accuracy of all data and information collected from the different stages

The purpose is for independent assessors to satisfy interested investors to raise funds and bring the project into production

recovering minerals without extracting the mix of rocks and ore to the surface for processing.

It is the process of mineral extraction from the earth.

MAJOR METHODS OF MINING

Utilized to extract ore minerals that are CLOSE to Earth’s surface

The different types of surface mining

Utilized to extract ore minerals from the orebody DEEP UNDER the Earth’s surface

TYPES OF MINING

it is a process of extracting minerals from the ore, refining them, and preparing them for use.

Examples of Milling Process

crushed rocks are submerged in liquid where the heavier/denser minerals sink, separating the lighter minerals

commonly used to separate chalcopyrite from quartz before the refining processes of extracting copper.

If the metal or mineral is magnetic the crushed ore is separated from the waste materials using magnet.

powdered ore is placed into an agitated and frothy slurry where some mineral and metals based on physical and chemical properties may either sink to the bottom or may stick to the bubbles and rise to the top thus separating the minerals and metals from the waste.

This method used for low-grade gold ore

the crushed rock is placed on a “leach pile” where cyanide solution is sprayed or dripped on top of the pile.
- As the leach solution percolates down through the rocks, the gold is dissolved into the solution
- The solution is processed further to extract the gold.

Part of the rock

contain very little or no element/mineral of economic value

either used as a backfill in the mine or sent to a tailings pond while the metals are sent for further processing.