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obligate - (3) essential, necessary, unable to exist in
any other state, mode or relationship.
open pit mining - (2) a form of mine operation designed
to extract minerals that lie near the surface through removal of
all overburden resulting in a depression in the earth. (3)
a surface mining method in which overlying rock and soil are removed
to expose an ore body, which is then drilled, blasted and hauled
from the pit.
ore - (2) a mineral or mineral aggregate containing precious
or useful metals and which occurs in such quantity, grade, and chemical
combination as to make extraction commercially profitable.
orebody - (3) a mineralized mass whose characteristics have
been determined and deemed commercially viable. The term orebody
is used once the economic limits of the mineralized mass and its
grade have been examined.
ore reserves - (3) the portion of a mineral deposit that
can be profitably mined. Use of this term implies detailed knowledge
of all the geological, engineering, economic, and environmental
parameters that might affect the profitability of an operation.
For a new mining project or for the mining of new zones in an existing
mine, a formal feasibility study is conducted to evaluate all parameters
of the project.
outcrop - (4) a surface exposure of bedrock not covered
with surficial material or water.
overburden - bedrock or unconsolidated debris overlying
a mineral deposit or coal seam which is removed during mining. (3)
all the earth and other materials that overlie a natural mineral
deposit.
overburden ratio - (3) in strip mining, the ratio of vertical
thickness of overburden to the vertical thickness of the underlying
ore.
oxidation - (4) (a) the removal of one or more electrons
from an ion or atom. (b) a process of decomposition in which electrons
that hold matter together are transferred to another compound called
an oxidant. (c) process of combining with oxygen.
oxidation/reduction potential - (2) the hypothetical electron
activity at equilibrium. A measurement of the relative tendency
(potential) of a solution to accept or transfer electrons, measured
in volts.
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