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- Assay
- The chemical analysis of an ore, mineral, concentrate or metal to determine the amount of valuable species. Precious metals are usually given in ounces per short ton or grams per metric tonne (like gold and silver), while base metals (copper) are given in percentage or PPM (parts per million).
- Breccia
- A rock in which angular fragments are surrounded by a mass of fine-grained minerals.
- Chalcopyrite
- A common mineral found in almost all sulfide copper deposits make it the leading source of copper.
- Concentrate
- The resulting product of the process of separating ore or metal from its containing rock.
- Chip Sample
- A method of sampling a rock exposure whereby a regular series of small chips of rock is broken off along a line across the face.
- Copper Oxide & Copper Sulphide
- There are two major divisions of copper classes found in copper porphyry deposits - oxides and sulphides. Copper oxide, often referred to as "supergene", are the more highly concentrated material generally found at the top of a deposit. Copper sulphide, often referred to as "hypogene", is the copper mineralization generally found at the bottom of a deposit.
- Diamond Drill
- A drill using small diamond chips embedded on the head of the drill bit to cut rock.
- Electrowinning
- Recovery of a metal from an ore by means of electrochemical processes.
- Flotation Cells
- Flotation cells are commonly used in conventional copper concentrators to separate the copper minerals from the waste rock. After being crushed and ground, the copper ore is pumped into flotation cells. Chemical reagents are added and the mixture is aerated and mechanically agitated. The mineral particles are separated from the host rock and float to the surface on air bubbles, forming a froth, which is skimmed off, filtered and dried.
- g/t
- Grams per tonne.
- Geophysical Survey
- An examination of the relevant physical characteristics of an area to assist in the geological interpretation by means of remote sensing. The results are generally presented in the form of maps and sections.
- Grade
- The amount of valuable or useful metal in a tonne of ore.
- Heap Leaching
- A process where valuable metals (typically gold and silver) are leached from a heap or pad of crushed ore by leaching solutions percolating down through the heap. The metals are then collected from a sloping, impermeable liner below the pad.
- Induced Polarization (I.P.)
- A type of geophysical survey where electrical current is passed through rock and the polarization is measured to estimate the content of metallic sulphide minerals.
- Intercepts
- The position of a given plane in space, defined in terms of the distances from the origin along three arbitrarily selected axes which the place intersects.
- Intrusive
- A body of igneous rock formed by the consolidation of magma intruded into other rocks, in contrast to lavas which are extruded upon the surface
- Inferred Resources
- Mineralization which does not have demonstrated economic viability.
- Leaching
- The chemical process by which rocks are broken down and decomposed by the action of external agencies such as wind, rain, temperature changes, plants and bacteria.
- Leach Pad
- A large, impermeable foundation or pad used as a base for ore during heap leaching. The pad prevents the leach solution from escaping out of the circuit.
- Mineralization
- The concentration of metals and their chemical compounds within a body of rock.
- Net Smelter Return (NSR)
- A royalty payment made by a producer of metals based on gross metal production from the property, less deduction of certain limited costs including smelting, refining, transportation and insurance costs.
- Open-Pit Mining
- The most common method of mining porphyry copper, and the least expensive where a large orebody is situated close to the surface.
- Ore
- A mixture of minerals from which at least one of the metals can be extracted at a profit.
- Ore Reserves
- The calculated tonnage and grade of mineralization which can be extracted profitably, classified as possible, probable and proven according to the level of confidence that can be placed in the data.
- Outcrop
- An exposure of rock or mineral deposit that can be seen on surface.
- Overburden
- The alluvium and rock that must be removed in order to expose an ore deposit.
- Oxides
- Minerals that are compounds of oxygen together with another element.
- Qualified Person
- A qualified person (QP) is defined in NI 43-101 as an individual who is an engineer or geoscientist with at least five years of experience in mineral exploration, mine development or operation or mineral project assessment, or any combination of these; has experience relevant to the subject matter of the mineral project and the technical report; and is a member in good standing of a professional association.
- Porphyry Copper Deposit
- A disseminated large-tonnage, low-grade deposit, in which the copper minerals occur as discrete grains and veins throughout a large volume of rock.
- Resource
- A deposit of concentration of minerals for which there is sufficient sampling information and geologic understanding to outline a deposit of current or potential economic merit.
- Reserve
- That part of a resource that can be mined at a profit under current or reasonably anticipated economic conditions which are specified. In addition to the information required for a resource estimate, the technical, operating, legal and financial factors must be considered in a reserve estimate.
- Reserve (probable)
- Part of a resource for which economic viability has been demonstrated at a confidence level which would justify a commitment to major expenditures.
- Reserve (proven)
- Portion of a resource for which technical and economic factors have been established at a high confidence level. The term is generally restricted to that part of a reserve which is being developed or mined, or for which there is a detailed mining plan.
- Scoping Study
- A scoping study is the first level of study that is performed on a mineral deposit to determine its economic viability. This is usually performed to determine whether the expense of a full pre-feasibility study and later full feasibility study is warranted. Much can be determined from a scoping study. A proper scoping study must be performed by independent engineers.
- Silicified
- The process of introducing silica into a non-siliceous rock, either by filling pore spaces or as a replacement of calcite in limestone.
- Stratigraphy
- The science of the description, correlation, and classification of strata in sedimentary rocks, including the interpretation of the depositional environments of those strata.
- Strike
- The direction in which a horizontal line can be drawn on a plane.
- Vein
- A zone or belt of mineralized rock lying within boundaries clearly separating it from neighboring rock.
- Tonne
- Metric tonne equals 1,000 kilograms.
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