ORES

•ARE NATURALLY-OCCURING MATERIALS THAT CAN BE

PROFITABLY MINED. IT CAN BE MINERAL OR ROCK OR
METTALIC OR NONMETALLIC, DEPENDING ON THE
ECONOMIC REQUIREMENT.
DEPOSIT

•IS CONSIDERED A POTENTIAL ORE BODY IF ITS LOCALIZED

ABUNDANCE IS GREATER THAT ITS AVERAGE ABUNDANCE
OR DISTRIBUTION ON EARTH’S CRUST.
A ROCK OR MINERAL IS CONSIDERE AN ORE
BASED ON:
1. OVERALL CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
2. PERCENTAGE OF EXTRACTABLE RESOURCE WITH RESPECT TO ITS TOTAL
VOLUME
3. MARKET VALUE OF RESOURCE
MINING ORES
• MINING REFERS TO A SET OF PROCESSES THROUGH WHICH USEFUL RESOURCES ARE WITHDRAWN FROM A STOCK
OF ANY NON RENEWABLE RESOURCE.
• ORE BODIES ARE UNEVENLY DISTRIBUTED THROUHOUT EARTH’S CRUST. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON WHY A
COUNTRY WILL NEVER BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN TERMS OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND SUPPLIES.
1. PROSPECTING OR EXPLORATION
2. DRILLING
3. MODELING
4. IDENTIFYING AND ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS
5. DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING THE MINE
6. ORE EXTRACTION
7. MILLING
8. MINE SITE DECOMMISSIONING
LOCAL ORE MINERALS
•PHILIPPINES HAS VARIOUS KINDS OF MINERAL RESERVES WHICH HAS
PUT THE COUNTRY IN WORLD MINERAL MAP AS:
• 5TH MOST MINERALIZED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
• 3RD IN GOLD RESERVES
• 4TH IN COPPER
• 5TH IN NICKEL
• 9 MILLION HECTARES OR 30% OF THE COUNTRY’S TOTAL LAND AREA OF 30 MILLION HECTARES, ARE BELIEVED
TO CONTAIN IMPORTANT METALLIC MINERAL DEPOSITS.
• 5 MILLION HECTARES ARE ALSO CONSIDERED POTENTIAL SITES FOR NONMETALLIC MINERAL RESERVES.
• 2.2 MILLION SQUARE KILOMETERS OF COUNTRY’S OFFSHORE AREAS, CONTAIN PLACER MINERALS WHICH
INCLUDE GOLD, MAGNETITE- AND CHROMITE-BEARING SANDS, AGGREGATE RESOURCES (SAND AND GRAVEL)
DECORATIVE STONES, AND POLYMETALLIC SULFIDE DEPOSITS.
• THE COUNTRY’S ESTIMATED OVERALL MINERAL RESERVES ARE ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 14.5 BILLION METRIC
TONS OF METALLIC MINERALS AND ABOUT 67.66 BILLION METRIC TONS OF NON METALLIC MINERALS.
• AMONG PHILIPPINES’ IMPORTANT METALLIC MINERALS THAT ARE FOUND IN ABUNDANCE INCLUDE GOLD,
COPPER, IRON, CHROMITE, NICKEL, COBALT, AND PLATINUM AND NON METALLIC MINERALS INCLUDE SAND AND
GRAVEL, LIMESTONE, MARBLE, CLAY, AND OTHER QUARRY MATERIALS.
• THE MOST PROLIFIC COPER AND GOLD PRODUCERS IN THE PHILIPPINES ARE FOUND IN BAGUIO AND
MANKAYAN DISTRICTS OF BENGUET PROVINCE, AND SURIGAO-DAVAO DISTRICT.
• MAJOR PRODUCERS OF NICKEL ARE PALAWAN AND SURIGAO.