Exploration & Mining Glossary

Optimal pit shell - The pit shell contour, the shape of the pit which is the result of extracting the volume of material that provides the total maximum profit while satisfying the operational requirements of safe wall slopes.

Ore - Rock from which metal or minerals can be extracted at a financial profit.

Ore shoot - A long seam of mineral or metal bearing rock that can be profitable to extract.

Outcrop - An exposure of rock or mineral deposit that can be seen on surface, that is, not covered by soil or water.

Oxidation zone - The zone found near the earth’s surface that forms as a result of chemical decomposition of unstable minerals under the action of surface waters and groundwater, as well as the oxygen and carbon dioxide present in the air and dissolved in these waters. The change is caused mainly by the process of oxidative transformation. Metal sulfide ores and deposits of sulfur, salts, and coal undergo the most vigorous change.

Polymetallic - A deposit or rock composed of a combination of different metals.

Portable XRF (pXRF) - X-ray flourescence spectroscopy (XRF), is a non-destructive analytical technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials, predominately used on drill core, RC / RAB bags, and soils.

Pre-collars - A “pre-collar” hole is one that is started with reverse circulation drilling and then converted to core drilling when the reverse-circulation drill reaches its limit. Diamond ‘tails’ are drilled from the bottom of RC pre-collars to attain target depth, although some ‘shallower’ RC holes did achieve lode intersections.

Precious metal - Are rare, naturally occuring, highly valuable metallic chemical elements. These include Gold (Au), Silver (Ag) and Platinum (Pt).

Pyrite - Is an iron sulphide mineral (FeS2), which is also known as 'fool's Gold' due to its initally visable similaries to Gold. It is the most abundant sulphide mineral and can be seen throughout the rock profile at Peel Minings Prospects in trace to massive concentrations(, barring typically the laterite profile). It can easily be identified by it's brassy colour and regulary forms cubic crystals.