Ore Minerals, Mining Processes & Energy Resources Lecture

These flashcards review major concepts on how ore minerals are discovered, mined, processed, and how various energy resources—both non-renewable (fossil fuels) and renewable (geothermal, hydropower)—are formed, harnessed, and utilized.

What is mining in the context of ore minerals?

The process of extracting valuable minerals from a rock seam or ore body.

Which modern geophysical techniques are used to detect prospective mineral ore bodies?

Measuring magnetic, gravity, and sonic responses of rocks.

During exploration, which three physical properties of rocks are commonly analyzed?

Gravity, magnetism, and radioactivity.

List the key steps in locating ore minerals before mining begins.

Conduct a geophysical survey, analyze gravity/magnetism/radioactivity, drill cores for samples, and perform chemical analysis to determine grade and value.

What are the two broad categories of mining techniques?

Surface mining and underground mining.

Give two defining characteristics of surface mining.

Performed near Earth’s surface; overlying soil and rock are removed—often by blasting—to access the ore.

Name three common surface-mining methods.

Open-pit mining, strip mining, and dredging.

What distinguishes underground mining from surface mining?

It involves digging tunnels and shafts to reach deeper ore bodies; it is costlier and riskier for workers and the environment.

Describe open-pit mining.

A surface method that creates a large pit through blasting and drilling; used to extract materials like gravel, sand, and rock.

Outline the basic sequence of strip mining.

1) Remove a thin overburden strip, 2) dump it behind the deposit, 3) extract the deposit, 4) cut a new parallel strip, 5) place new waste in the first strip.

Strip mining is commonly applied to which commodities?

Coal, phosphates, clays, and tar.

What is dredging?

Mining materials from the bottom of bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.

List the five major stages of mineral processing.

Sampling, analysis, comminution, concentration, and dewatering.

In mineral processing, what is sampling?

Removing a representative portion of the ore for analysis.

What is comminution and why is it important?

Crushing and grinding ore to liberate valuable components for further separation.

What is the goal of the concentration step in mineral processing?

Separate and enrich valuable minerals from raw materials.

Which operations are included in dewatering?

Filtration, sedimentation, and drying of concentrated solids.

Complete the quote: “Mining is not a _. It’s a privilege.”

Right

How does a renewable energy resource differ from a non-renewable one?

Renewable resources can be replenished quickly and are generally eco-friendly; non-renewables take far longer to restore and are limited in supply.

What primary group of fuels represents non-renewable energy?

Fossil fuels.

Roughly what percentage of the Philippines' electricity is generated from coal?

About 50%.

Briefly explain how coal forms.

Plant material in ancient swamps became buried under water and sediment; over millions of years, heat and pressure converted it to coal.

Name the four major ranks of coal in order of increasing moisture content.

Anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous, lignite.

What makes anthracite distinct from other coal types?

It is the highest-rank, hard, shiny coal with high fixed carbon and low volatile matter.

Why is bituminous coal widely used for power generation?

It has a high heating value and is the most abundant coal grade used in electricity production.

How does sub-bituminous coal differ from lignite?

Sub-bituminous is black and dull with higher heating value, whereas lignite is brown and the lowest grade with least carbon.

From what material does crude oil primarily originate?

Buried organic material, mainly algae, in marine sediments.

Which two countries supply most of the Philippines’ crude oil imports?

Saudi Arabia and Russia.

What is the chief component of natural gas, and why is it called the cleanest fossil fuel?

Methane; it burns more cleanly with fewer pollutants than other fossil fuels.

Where is the Philippines’ main domestic natural-gas field located?

Malampaya field off Palawan Island.

Why do fossil fuels form in low-oxygen environments?

Low oxygen slows decomposition, allowing buried organic matter to transform chemically into coal, oil, or gas under heat and pressure.

Approximately how deep must wells be drilled to access steam or hot water for geothermal power plants?

About 1–2 miles (1.5–3 km).

What reservoir temperature range is desirable for hydrothermal geothermal plants?

Roughly 300 °F to 700 °F (150 °C to 370 °C).

What constant subsurface temperature range do geothermal heat pumps exploit?

Approximately 50–60 °F (10–16 °C).

Name the three main types of geothermal power plants.

Dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle plants.

How does a dry-steam geothermal plant generate electricity?

It taps pure underground steam, directs it through a turbine, then condenses and recycles the water.

Describe the flash-steam geothermal process.

High-pressure hot water is brought to the surface; pressure drop causes some water to flash into steam, which drives a turbine.

What distinguishes a binary-cycle geothermal plant?

Geothermal fluid heats a secondary fluid with a lower boiling point; the vaporized secondary fluid spins a turbine and is then condensed and reused.

Which two river characteristics best indicate hydropower potential?

High water volume and significant vertical drop (steepness).

List the three main hydropower facility types.

Impoundment (dam), pumped-storage, and run-of-river.

How does an impoundment hydro facility produce electricity?

A dam stores water in a reservoir; water released through turbines turns generators.

What unique feature allows pumped-storage facilities to store energy?

They pump water from a lower to an upper reservoir during low-demand periods, then release it to generate power later.

Why can run-of-river hydropower be intermittent?

It depends on natural river flow rates and often lacks large reservoirs to buffer seasonal variability.