Metallic ores

ferrous metals, base metals, precious metals, radioactive minerals

ferrous metals

(iron, manganese, molybdenum, and
tungsten

base metals

copper, lead, zinc, and tin

precious metals

gold, silver, the platinum group metals

radioactive minerals

uranium, thorium, and radium

Nonmetallic minerals

the nonfuel mineral ores that are not associated with the production of metals. These include phosphate, potash, halite, trona, sand, gravel, limestone, sulfur, and many others.

Fossil fuels

the organic mineral substances that can be utilized as fuels, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, coalbed methane, gilsonite, and tar sands.

Ore Body

accumulation of a solid and fairly continuous mass of
ore with gangue, distinctly distinguishable by form and
character from the enclosing host rock

Tabular, flat, sheets – bedding planes

Lenticular/lensoid, podiform

Cylindrical/Pipes/chimneys

Irregular, disseminated

Veins

Syngenetic ores

Primary
mineralization;
- ores form at the
same time as the
host rock

Epigenetic ores

Secondary
mineralization;
- ores concentrate
some time* after
the rock has
formed

Magmatic

(Chromite, Nickel-copper and PGE’s) and Diamonds

originate by the aggregation of the desired mineral
particles or crystals at one or several stages during
the cooling and solidifying of molten rock.

Hydrothermal

ore constituents (e.g. Cu, Pb, Au, etc.) are dissolved in a hot aqueous solution along with other deposit constituents (e.g. Si, S, Fe)

Most Common source for minerals in the Philippines

Hydrothermal

Supergene enrichment

surface waters percolate downward

Hypogene Enrichent

- a process that occurs as deep, upwelling magmatic fluids concentrate ore minerals in the crust

Skarn

Gold

Surficial

originate from surface or near-surface processes

Latherite

Surficial (Mostly Ni and Fe)

Limonite

More Fe less Ni

Saprolite

More Ni Less Fe