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Slow-flowing, dark brown, heavy oil obtained when kerogen in oil shale is vaporized at high temperatures and then condensed. Shale oil can be refined to yield gasoline, heating oil, and other petroleum products. See kerogen, oil shale.
Resources that have been identified and from which a usable mineral can be extracted profitably at present prices with current mining technology. See identified resources, undiscovered resources.
Number of years reserves of a particular nonrenewable mineral will last at current annual production rates. See reserves.
Water in the form of rain, sleet, hail, and snow that falls from the atmosphere onto the land and bodies of water.
See crude oil.
Chemicals obtained by refining (distilling) crude oil. They are used as raw materials in manufacturing most industrial chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, synthetic fibers, paints, medicines, and many other products.
Layer of soil and rock overlying a mineral deposit. Surface mining removes this layer.
Identified and undiscovered resources not classified as reserves. Compare identified resources, reserves, undiscovered resources.
Part of a metal-yielding material that can be economically and legally extracted at a given time. An ore typically contains two parts: the ore mineral, which contains the desired metal, and waste mineral material (gangue).
Removing minerals such as gravel, sand, and metal ores by digging them out of the earth's surface and leaving an open pit. Compare area strip mining, contour strip mining, dredging, mountaintop removal, subsurface mining.
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