What is an ore and how are mineral resources classified?

Ores are natural deposits containing valuable elements like metals that must be extracted and processed into a useful form. To evaluate these mineral deposits economically, various reporting codes and classification systems are used worldwide. These classification standards help regulate how mineral resources and reserves are reported globally.

What we know

• Metal ores exist as natural resources that must be transformed by extractivist industries into economically useful forms through processing. [3]
• Economic evaluation of mineral deposits worldwide relies on several reporting classification systems based on the International Reporting Template developed by CRIRSCO. [2]
• Examples of international mineral reporting standards include the JORC Code in Australia, the PERC Standard in Europe, and the CIM classification in Canada. [2]
• The United Nations Framework Classification for Resources was developed in 1997 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. [2]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat is a natural resource?
• how it workedHow are minerals defined in geology?
• a case in pointWhat is the JORC Code?
• compared withHow does the UN framework classify resources?
• an unexpected connectionWhat are rare-earth minerals?

Sources

• [1]mineral resource classification (Wikidata Q63092390) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Mineral resource classification · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Natural resource · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Mineral · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Rare-earth mineral · CC BY-SA 4.0