Week 10 - Mineral and Energy Resources

What is a critical mineral?

What is a rare earth mineral?

Critical mineral: a metallic or non-metallic element that is essential for functioning modern technology, economics, & national security & risk supply chains could be disrupted

Rare earth mineral: 15 elements in lanthanide series

What is a mineral deposit?

What is an ore deposit?

Mineral deposit: any concentration of a mineral, economically valuable or not

Ore deposit: economically significant accumulation of ore

Gaunge: other minerals found in an ore mineral that’s not of economic value

What are the 3 broad requirements for making a mineral deposit?

1) Primary source: large volume of material with relatively low levels of desired element

2) Transport: movement of desired element from source area or removal of other material from finals deposit location

3) Concentration: mechanism that enriches element to form a deposit

What are the 5 ways to form a mineral deposit?

1) Magmatic: deposits associated with igneous activity, early formed crystals denser & accumulated at bottom of magma

2) Hydrothermal: fluids dissolve dispersed elements & when conditions change, minerals precipitate (caused by cooling, depressurization, or fluid interactions)

3) Sedimentary: any concentration of minerals formed through sedimentation processes, 3 main types (sulfide deposits on ocean floor, ocean-precipitated iron deposits, & evaporate deposits)

4) Placer: resources come from weathering of source rocks, transport, & deposition into fluvial systems.

5) Residual: mineral of interest concentrated by removal of other elements via weathering

What are 3 mining techniques?

How do we know which to use?

1) Open cut: deposits close to surface

2) underground w/access via shafts & declines: deposits at depth

3) Alluvial placer deposits mined using water, suction, & sluicing

What depth, type, & geometry of mineral will determine which to use

Why is mining so important?

1) Minerals we get create nearly everything we own

2) Huge economical value just from mining alone

3) Provides jobs for families

4) Provides resources for developing countries

Why can’t we stop mining and just use green energy techniques?

What are some unconventional hydrocarbons?

A lot of minerals needed to make said techniques require critical & rare earth elements to make them, like neodymium, Aluminium, Gallium, ect.

---

Coal Steam Gas, Shale Gas, Shale Oil, Tight Gas, ect.

What is coal?

What is peat?

What is coal rank?

Coal: a rock composed of at least 50% weight of carbon aincent vegetation

Peat: an organic material that turns into coal & accumulates in wetlands

Coal rank: maturity of coal reflecting degree of coalification undergone by organic matter. Useful for guide usage

Exaplain how gas & oil gets created.

What are the conditions for gas & oil creation?

Organic material turns into kerogen as it is heated and compressed, under right conditions this can turn into gas and oil.

1) Maturation: conversions of kerogens to hydrocarbon

2) Oil window: narrow range of conditions good for oil formation

How is uranium used?

Uranium is mined & collected from breccia complex, unconformity-related, sandstone, or surficial deposits, then bombarded with neutrons to stimulate nuclear fission.

What is the difference between fossil hydrogen and green hydrogen?

Fossil hydrogen: H gas that formed over long periods of time through natural processes & accumulates is reservoirs

green hydrogen: H gas formed through electrolysis or similar synthetic reactions

What are the 3 gaps renewable energy grids have & what can cover them?

1) Consistency

2) Adaptability

3) Exportability

Combining renewable energy production with clean hydrogen production covers the gaps.

What is hydrogen storage?

What is carbon capture & storage (CCS)?

Hydrogen storage: geological storage of electrolysis-generated H, can be stores in tanks but longer, larger storage underground

CCS: active way to reduce CO₂ entering atmosphere though liquid injection, enhanced weathering, or both

What is an aquifier?

What is a Hot Sedimentary Aquifiers Geothermal system?

Aquifier: permeable subsurface material that hosts or transfers groundwater

HSA Geothermal: sedimentray basin aquifiers in areas w/significant geothermal gradients to heat groundwater above 100 ^oC within economically recoverable depths.