how metal is formed crash course

by Jaunita Boyle 9 min read

What happens when two metals are mushed together?

But when they are mushed together, they will form a metallic bond. Makes sense because they're metals. And what's interesting about metallic bonds, I'll draw it down here, is that metals like to share their electrons with the other metals.

Why don't all mines progress through the entire life cycle?

Along the way, a huge amount of investment is necessary (with no immediate return) due to the capital-intensive nature of the natural resource industry. Understandably, the vast majority of potential mines are not able to progress through the entire "Life Cycle" for varying reasons.

What is the final step in the mineral exploration process?

Once the company is confident in their direction, the final step in this phase is to stake prospective mineral licenses where one hopes to find an economic mineral deposit. Once mineral licenses have been secured, it's on to the exploration phase (also known as the "pre-discovery phase").

How long does it take to develop a mine from scratch?

One can value mining development projects through risk-adujsted NPV analysis. From start to finish, it can take up to a decade to develop a producing mine from scratch.

What is the grade of copper in a press release?

When mineralization is intercepted, the press release will typically state something along the lines of "20m of 1.05% copper". Both the grade "1.05% copper" and the intercept length "20m" are of equal importance.

What are the steps of exploration?

There are two steps in the exploration phase: (1) grassroots exploration and (2) exploration drilling. The main emphasis of grassroots exploration is to determine (in the least expensive manner possible) which areas of a mineral license are most likely host a deposit.

What is the concept phase of a company?

In the concept phase, the company is responsible for developing an exploration thesis and strategic plan of action. These theses will generally emphasize: (1) a particular geological location, (2) a particular commodity, or (3) a particular exploration method.

Do junior miner need to procure financing?

Before beginning construction, the junior miner in question must procure financing for their project's initial capex. This can be done in a number of manners - I will outline the most popular options below.

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