Mineral exploitation

Lasky’s principle

  • Generally, as the purity of a mineral decreases, the amount of the mineral present increases exponentially

    A graph illustrating Lasky's principle

Reserves vs resources

  • Resource: all of the material that exists in the lithosphere; that that can be theoretically and currently economically exploited
  • Reserve: the amount of a resource that can be currently exploited, economically, using current technology
  • Reserves make up part of a resource
  • Market price increases or technology improves → increased reserves
  • Market price decreases → decreased reserves