1. “If you can’t grow it, you gotta mine it”
MINERAL RESOURCES
The earth’s crust is the storehouse of all materials that we can use
“If you can’t grow it, you gotta mine it”

2. Mineral Resource
Mineral Resource – earth’s storehouse of useful minerals that can be extracted
Basically, all the minerals in the crust that can be realistically dug up for human use

3. Mineral Reserves
Reserve – the already identified mineral deposits that can be recovered profitably
How is this different from mineral resources?
They are still in the ground, but have not been dug up because they don’t need to be extracted at this time
(the market may already be flooded with these elements or there may be other deposits that are easier to get to at this time)

4. Did you say Oar or Ore?
Ores – useful metallic minerals that can be mined for a profit
Metals include things such as Iron, Magnesium, Cobalt, Nickel, Titanium, Manganese, Zinc, etc…

5. $$$ Chah-Ching $$$
How do we know if a mineral resource is going to be profitable for a mining company to dig it out of the ground?
It must be found in concentrations above its average crustal abundance
The value of the mineral must outweigh the cost of digging it up

6. Example for the CEOs
If the average crustal abundance of cinnabar is 0.93% and you discover a chunk of rock which contains 2.5% cinnabar, should you mine it?
Absolutely!!!
ps – cinnabar is a mineral that contains the liquid metal mercury (HgS)

7. Is it worth it?
Digging it up is more complicated than all that though…
First you have to find the deposits
Then you have to extract them
Then you have to transport them
Then, isolate the elements you want
And then you have to pay everyone involved
Finally, you can then sell the elements for profit

8. And one more thing to consider
Not only does the crustal % of the deposit play into the equation of a profit
But, also economic demand (do we all of a sudden need more of a particular mineral)
Extracting technology (are we waiting for new tools to get at harder to reach places)

9. How do we mine resources?
Surface Mining – Above ground mines that are nothing more than a big hole in the ground…sometimes called open-pit mines
Underground mines – exactly that; mines where the surface is not touched and all the mined material comes up via railways, shafts, and elevators

10. Some BIG Toys of Open-Pit Mines
Huge Earth Mover
World’s Largest Dump Truck

11. Some more BIG Toys
World’s Largest Dragline
The Bucket of the Dragline

12. Large CATS at Work

13. An Open-Pit Mine

14. OK, Let’s go Underground
Remote controlled continuous miner
Longwall Mining Machine

15. Diagram of an Underground Mine

16. Do they just leave a hole there?
STEP 2: Empty Mine with rain water in it
STEP 1:
Mining in progress
STEP 3: Reclaiming begins
STEP 4: Reclaiming complete

17. Mining & Reclaiming Together

18. Mining & Reclaiming Together

19. Gems
Gemstones - Minerals that are beautiful, rare, valuable, polished, and cut into specific reflecting shapes
Gems are nothing more than pretty, pure minerals
Rough Sapphire Stones
Cut & Polished Sapphires

20. To Review:
Know the difference between a resource, a reserve, and an ore
Several factors go into determining whether or not a mineral will be profitable to mine: location, technology, supply/demand, size and percentage of deposit
Gemstones are minerals that are rare, pretty, polished, and cut