Glossary of Mining Terms

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - L - M - N - O - P - R - S - T - U - V - Z

 

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A

AEM - Airborne electromagnetic survey.

Ag - Chemical symbol for the metallic element silver.

Alteration - Any change in the minerologic composition of a rock that is brought about by physical or chemical means.

Anomalism - Said of geochemical and geophysical data which deviates from regularity.

Archean - The oldest rocks of the Precambrian Era, older than about 2,400 million years.

Arsenic - A mineral with the chemical symbol As, the native element occurring in grey masses.

Arsenopyrite - An iron-arsenic sulfide, FeAsS.

Assay - An analysis to determine the presence, absence or quantity of one or more chemical components.

Au - Chemical symbol for the metallic element gold.

Auriferous - Containing gold.

 

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B

Basalt - A dark coloured, fine-grained usually extrusive igneous rock (volcanic) composed mainly of feldspar and pyroxene.

Base Metal - A metal, such as copper, lead, nickel, zinc or cobalt, of comparatively low value and relatively inferior in certain properties (such as resistance to corrosion) compared to noble metals such as gold, silver or platinum.

Basic - An igneous rock having a relatively low silica content.

Biotite - A generally dark coloured iron, magnesium and potassium rich mica.

Block - Regional geological unit containing rocks of similar age.

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C

Cambrian - Designating or at the first period in the Paleozoic era (about 600 million years ago).

Carbonate - A rock composed principally of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).

Channel Sampling - Gathering a sample by cutting a channel a few centimetres wide and more than one-half centimetre deep along a surface.

Cut-off grade - The lowest grade material that can be included in a potentially economic intersection without dropping the overall grade below a specified level, referred to as the minimum mining grade. Lowest grade of mineralized material that qualifies as ore.

Co - Chemical symbol for the metallic element cobalt.

Conductors - Geophysical characteristic by which an electric current can be generated through an electrical charge or an electromagnetic field.

Conglomerate - A coarse grained sedimentary rock composed of fragments greater than 2 millimetres (pebbles, cobbles, boulders).

Copper - A metallic element with the chemical symbol Cu.

Cu - Chemical symbol for the metallic element copper.

Cumulates - Any igneous rocks formed by the accumulation of crystals setting out of a magma.

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D

Diamond (Drill) Hole - A method of obtaining a cylindrical core of rock by drill with a diamond set or diamond impregnated bit.

Dyke - A tabular body of igneous rock cross cutting the host strata at a high angle.

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E

EM - Electromagnetic.

Extrusive - Pertaining to igneous rocks ejected at the earth’s surface.

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F

Fault - A fracture in a rock along which there has been relative movement either vertically or horizontally.

Fe - Chemical symbol for the metallic element iron.

Feasibility study - A definitive engineering study addressing the economic viability of bringing a deposit to the production stage; taking into consideration all associated costs, revenues and risks. The study is used to support the search for project financing.

Felsic - Igneous rock composed principally of feldspars and quartz.

Formation - A body of rock identified by lithological characteristics and stratigraphic position.

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G

G/t - Grams per tonne.

Gabbro - A coarse grained mafic intrusive rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene.

Geochemical Survey - A measure of the abundance of different elements in rock, soil, water etc.

Geochemistry - Study of variation of chemical elements in rocks or soil.

Geophysics - Study of the earth by quantitative physical methods.

Gneiss - A foliated metamorphic rock characterized by alternating bands of light and dark minerals.

Gold - A metallic element with the chemical symbol Au.

Grade - The amount of valuable element in each ton of ore, expressed as troy ounces per ton for precious metals and as a percentage for other metals.

Gram - Metric unit of mass; one thousandth of a kilogram

Granite - A medium to coarse grained felsic intrusive rock.

Granitoid - A field term for a coarse-grained felsic rock resembling granite.

Grassroots exploration - Exploration carried out in an area where there has been no previously identified geological resource.

Greenstone - A field term for metamorphosed mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks.

Greenstone belt - Elongated belts in Archean terrain characterized by major zones of greenstones.

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H

Hectare - A square of 100 metres on each side.

Horizon - A defined layer within a stratigraphic sequence which has unique characteristics distinguishing it from the rest of the sequence.

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I

Igneous - Formed by the solidification of hot mobile material termed magma.

Indicated Mineral Resource - Is that part of a Mineral Resource for which tonnage, densities, shape, physical characteristics, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a reasonable level of confidence. It is based on exploration, sampling and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. The locations are too widely or inappropriately spaced to confirm geological and/or grade continuity but are spaced closely enough for continuity to be assumed.

Inferred Mineral Resource - Is that part of a Mineral Resource for which tonnage, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a low level of confidence. It is inferred from geological evidence and assumed but not verified geological and/or grade continuity. It is based on information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that may be limited or of uncertain quality and reliability.

Intrusive - Said of an igneous rock that invades older rocks.

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L

Lens - A geologic deposit that is thick in the middle and converges toward the edges, resembling a convex lens; an irregularly shaped formation consisting of a porous, permeable sedimentary deposit surrounded by impermeable rock.

Linecutting - Technique consisting of making corridors of equal spacing on the ground to have a precise reference of the location of a specific area.

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M

Mafic - Descriptive of rocks composed dominantly of magnesium and iron forming silicates.

Magmatic - Of magma (liquid or molten rock deep in the earth, which on cooling solidifies to produce igneous rock).

Magnetic Survey - A geophysical technique which measures variations in the earth’s magnetic field caused by variations in rock type of geological structures.

Magnetite - An oxide of iron (Fe3O4).

Massive Deposit - A deposit that contains a very high percentage of a mineral or minerals and usually has an irregular to compact shape.

Measured Resource - That portion of a mineral resource for which tonnage, densities, shape, physical characteristics, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a high level of confidence. It is based on detailed and reliable exploration, sampling and testing information gathered through workings and drill holes. The locations are spaced closely enough to confirm geological and/or grade continuity.

Metamorphosed/Metamorphic - A rock that has been altered by physical and chemical processes including heat, pressure and fluids.

Mineralization - The concentration of metals and their chemical compounds within a body of rock.

MRNQ - Québec government department of natural resources.

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N

Ni - Chemical symbol for the metallic element nickel.

Noble Metal - A metal (such as gold, silver or platinum) relatively superior in resistance to corrosion or oxidation.

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O

Open-pit mining - Used to mine shallow deposits. Economics depend on the ratio of ore to waste, higher-grade ores producing higher ratios.

Ore - Rock containing mineral(s) or metals that can be economically extracted.

Orebody - A solid and fairly continuous mass of ore.

Outcrop - An exposure of bedrock at the surface.

Oxidation - Near surface decomposition by exposure to the atmosphere and ground water.

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P

Paleozoic - Period of geologic time from 570 - 240 million years ago.

Pb - Chemical symbol for the metallic element lead.

PGE - Abbreviation for platinum group elements.

Pyrite - Iron sulphide (FeS2).

Pyrrhotite - A magnetic iron sulphide material.

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R

Resource - The concentration of naturally occurring minerals, based on limited drill information, in such a form that economic extraction is currently or potentially feasible.

Reconnaissance - A general examination or survey of a region with reference to its main features, usually as a preliminary to a more detailed survey.

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S

SOQUEM - A Québec Crown Corporation.

Stringer - A very small vein either independent or occurring as a branch of a larger vein; also known as string.

Sulphide - A group of minerals in which one or more metals are found in combination with sulphur.

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T

Till - Unsorted and unstratified drift consisting of a heterogeneous mixture of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders which is deposited by and underneath a glacier; also known as boulder clay, glacial till and icelaid drift.

Tonalite - Quartz diorite; a group of plutonic rocks having the composition of diorite but with large amounts of quartz (greater than 20%); also known as quartz-bearing diorite.

Tonne - Metric unit of weight equivalent to volume multiplied by specific gravity, equivalent to 1.102 tons.

Traverse - A line of survey or sampling across a thin section of a geological region.

Trenching - The act of blasting or digging through overburden/outcrop to attend fresh outcrop for mapping and sampling.

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U

U - Chemical symbol for the metallic element uranium.

Ultramafic - Descriptive of igneous rock containing virtually no quartz or feldspar and composed mainly of olivine and pyroxene.

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V

Vein - A thin sheetlike crosscutting body of hydrothermal mineralization, principally quartz.

VLF - Very Low Frequency.

Volcanic - Descriptive of rocks originating from volcanic activity.

Volcanoclastic - Pertaining to a clastic rock containing volcanic material without regard to its origin or environment.

Volcanogenic - Formed by processes directly connected with volcanism.

Volcano sedimentary - Type of rock involved simultaneously in a volcanic and a sedimentary activity.

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Z

Zn - Chemical symbol for the metallic element zinc.

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