EOSC 118 Lecture 31: Lesson 31
4 Aug 2015
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Document Summary
Life cycle process: exploring and finding mineral deposit, mining the resource, recovering the resource, reclaiming the land. Differentiate between the 6 discrete phases of mineral resource development: bc geological survey phases. Geoscience: undertaken by government bodies and academic institutions (bcgs, ubc earth and ocean sciences dept) o. Pre-production phase: financially riskiest phase: exploration - finding potential mineral deposits underneath the ground, discovery - verifying findings with geological surveys and extensive drilling, development - appraising mineral deposit and determining if it is economical to mine o. Includes feasibility, engineering, metallurgical, infrastructure studies, consultation with local communities, acquiring mine permits, and due diligence studies: outlines area and method of extraction, preliminary mining and infrastructure development. Production phase: happens if mine is economical to develop: begins production, marketing, and sale of commodities, exploration and operation continues for as long as it can. Exploration methods differ depending on type of mineral and its geological setting.
