Glossary
Bioheapleaching: Bioheapleaching is the dissolution of metals from ore by certain naturally occurring bacteria. The process occurs naturally but as part of our operations we accelerate it by crushing the ore into smaller particles and then stacking them in a heap before treatment. The ore then has air pumped through it, water dripped through and nutrients for the bacteria added to the water.Ore: Rock, generally containing metallic and non-metallic minerals that can be mined and processed.
Resources: Mineral Resource: A concentration or occurrence of material of intrinsic economic interest in or on the Earth’s crust in such a form and quantity that there are reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, geological characteristics and continuity of a Mineral Resource are known, estimated or interpreted from specific geological evidence and knowledge. Mineral Resources are sub-divided, in order of increasing geological confidence, into Inferred, Indicated and Measured categories.
Reserves: A mineral resource which has been demonstrated to be economically exploitable.
Nickel: Nickel is a metal with a valuable combination of properties suitable for alloying, electrochemical processes and catalysis of chemical reactions. The greatest proportion of Nickel production is applied in stainless steel, followed by plating and non-ferrous alloys.
Leaching: Leaching is the process of extracting a substance from a solid by dissolving it in a liquid.
Agglomeration: In the agglomeration process the finer ore particles are glued with the aid of sulphuric acid to the surface of coarser particles. The agglomerated material is homogenous and allows both air and leaching solution to flow through the material.
