The concept and measurement of mineral reserves and resources

The distinction between an exploitable and a non-exploitable mineral deposit is dynamic, varying as a function of changing economic and technological factors. A conceptual framework is proposed: ‘reserves’ are restricted to known currently exploitable deposits; ‘known resources’ are reserves plus currently non-exploitable deposits; ‘total resources’ are known resources plus all deposits not yet discovered. The short-term inadequacy of some mineral reserves requites a policy of accelerated mineral exploration and rapid development of new exploration techniques. Future problems could be avoided if the nature of resources is recognized and new mineral extraction and processing techniques for lower grade and unconventional mineral deposits are developed.     

Indian mineral resources — a short review

Though India's iron ore and manganese exports are a major source of foreign exchange, the continent lacks sufficient reserves of many important minerals, or has only recently exploited known reserves on an adequate scale. This article reviews India's mineral resources and points out trends in exploration and production.     

Impact of different public E&P policies on natural gas reserves and production in Pakistan

Low wellhead domestic gas prices over the past few years have led to the beginning of a shortage in natural gas reserves and production in Pakistan. Gas demand steadily rises in all sectors for being an economical fuel as compare to substitutes. In the view of foregoing consumption trend, the demand for gas is expected to grow with a higher pace during the 2010s. On the contrary, indigenous gas reserves are running out and cannot keep up with the demand. This paper examines the extent of upstream activities in different petroleum policy regimes. The wellhead price for indigenous gas is compared with the prices of alternatives (for example, gas import prices). In order to put the problem in perspective, the relationship between wellhead gas price and cumulative gas reserves in Pakistan are analyzed and we find that the looming gas shortage can be ameliorated in the short-run and eliminated in the long-run through incentivized wellhead price. To put it briefly, the idea is mooted to first take advantage of huge domestic reserves to ensure competitive consumer prices for gas. The findings are applicable to several other economies with under-developed natural resources.     

Investment and future mineral production

The author reviews recent estimates of world resources and reserves and notes that reserves tend to grow with mineral consumption. Legal and economic constraints to the extraction of minerals are at least as important as physical availability. The author also points out that there is far more investment in minerals (government induced investment, companies diversifying into mining, etc) than some commentators suggest. However, the large mining projects of the 1960s belong to the past, and supplies of minerals may well become tight if there is a concerted economic boom.     

Ghana: revival of the mineral sector

After almost two decades of decline, Ghana's mineral sector has rebounded significantly and is currently the main foreign exchange earner. Gold mining is the principal activity within the sector and accounted for 41 percent of total export earnings in 1996. This paper presents an overview of Ghana's mineral industry and covers mineral resources, production and reserves; mining investments; the role of mining in the economy; and the structure of the industry. An overview of the national mineral policy is also presented to depict the current regulatory and fiscal environment in which the industry operates. The spectacular reversal in mineral sector performance can be attributed to the adoption of World Bank recommendations in a new national mineral policy, the 1986 Minerals and Mining Law, aimed at revitalizing the sector.     

安徽省矿产资源现状与可持续发展初探

安徽省矿产资源种类繁多,储量丰富,特别是煤炭、Ｆｅ、Ｃｕ、Ｓ、非金属等矿产资源分布相对集中,具有南北不同的特点。矿产资源在开发利用中存在着开发利用广度大、加工程度低、综合利用率低、浪费严重、引发多种地质灾害等问题。本文对安徽省矿产资源的可持续发展对策进行了探讨     

中国能源矿产态势与可持续开发利用对策

中国能源矿产具有矿种齐全,总量可观,人均拥有量少,能源结构不合理,区域分布不平衡和质量偏差等特征, 在开发利用中存在着后备储量不足,供需矛盾突出,资源破坏浪费严重,消耗高,效率低和严重污染环境问题,因此,21世纪我国能源矿产可持续开发利用必须采取“严格依法管理,推进科技进步,提高利用效率,开源节流并举,国内国外并重,开发利用新能源和可再生资源,储备战略能源”的方针。     

Natural resource abundance and economic growth revisited

An analysis using reserves as a measure of resource abundance suggests that natural resource abundance has not been a significant structural determinant of economic growth in the seventies and eighties. The story behind the effect of natural resources on economic growth is a complex one that typical growth regressions do not capture well. Preliminary evidence suggests that natural resources may affect economic growth through both ‘positive’ and ‘negative channels.’ Potential reverse causality running from these ‘channels’ to fuel and mineral reserves further complicates the analysis. I conjecture that, as economic historians suggest, the ability of a country to exploit its resource base depends critically on the nature of the learning process involved.     

Copper in India: Present and future outlook

The availability of mineral resources plays an important role in India's national economy. Copper, one of the important non-ferrous metals, has various industrial uses and demand for it is increasing in India where the inventory and production of copper, though not comparable with developed countries, shows an impressive growth rate, particularly during the last decade. With an increasing rate of industrial production envisaged in future plans copper consumption is expected to rise. Logistic curves have been used to study the potential long-term production capability under the dynamic concept of reserves and resources, with curves drawn for various estimates of total available resources. The production figures shown are not final and are subject to change due to a number of factors. This approach merely provides a method for projecting trends in future production.     

Environmental issues for developing countries arising from liberalized trade in the mining industry

This review analyses some of the environmental and economic implications of current trade policies and changes in the world trading system for mineral producers and consumers. A principal factor which determines environmental performance is whether firms have the resources and capabilities to undertake innovation. We therefore place particular emphasis on the anticipated effects of liberalized trade on innovation and competitiveness at the firm level. Evidence indicates that improvements in environmental management would be expected to occur irrespective of the country hosting the investment. Due to the opening investment climate and relatively large quantities of mineral reserves, we expect these effects to be positive for many mineral producing developing countries. One difficulty which may arise is whether policy measures to promote production efficiency and develop innovation in mining and mineral processing operations could be interpreted as protectionism. The creation of new lines of credit, to promote, but not subsidize, technological and organizational innovation, may be the best way forward for developing countries .     

WORLD ENERGY RESOURCES - LIMITS FROM TODAY'S GEOLOGICAL STANDPOINT

World fossil energy resources are estimated at about 12,500 times 10⁹ tons of coal equivalent (t.c.e.) of which 900 times 10⁹ t.c.e. are classed as presently recoverable reserves. Future exploration will transform a substantial part of the resources into reserves. Coal is by far the dominant fossil energy. Oilshales and tarsands represent a large energy potential, whose utilization depends on a high energy price level and progress in production technologies. Limits in the availability of oil and gas are visible now for the first time. Low-cost, high-grade uranium reserves are also limited. However, there are large amounts of low-grade uranium resources, which might become recoverable in the future. The use of geothermal energy is currently troubled by problems of technology, costs and environment.     

The necessity to elaborate minerals policies exemplified by Romania

Mineral resources represent an integral component within a country’s economy. Despite the fact that the need for raw materials undergoes continuous growth–especially in countries which experience industrial upswing–proper measures to secure the access to domestic mineral resources in the long term have only been applied marginally in a large number of states. This lack of future-oriented legal frameworks–referred to as ‘Minerals Policies’–might lead to a diversity of sectoral problems (eg. dependency on certain raw materials imports). Based on data analysis and subsequent demand forecasting comprehensive national Minerals Policies can be derived in order to anticipate emerging issues and to achieve optimum sustainable management of domestic geological resources. The necessity of such concepts is illustrated by the example of Romania focusing on non-energetic mineral resources.     

CO-OPERATION BETWEEN CMEA-MEMBER COUNTRIES OVER MINERAL RESOURCES

The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance is providing a base for raising its members' reserves and production of fuels and mineral raw materials through co-operation. The authors outline the framework for this co-operation, highlight the special role of the resources of the U.S.S.R. and provide illustrations of the co-operative projects under implementation or planning.     

A RECOMMENDED BASIC FORMAT FOR THE CLASSIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL DATA ON CRUDE OIL AND NATURAL GAS RESERVES AND RESOURCES

Effective assessment of nonrenewable resources depends on both the availability and the interpretation of basic data. The quality of these data directly affects resource policy decisions based on them. It is vital to bring information on reserves and resources into sharper focus, by clearer definition of what has been measured, by orderly classification and by identification of the results of assessment in a way that stimulates their proper understanding and application. As part of the overall programme of the United Nations Centre for Natural Resources, Energy and Transport in the field of natural resources, an Expert Group was convened in New York from 28 March to 4 April to discuss a series of such basic questions concerning the international classification and measurement of crude oil and natural gas resources. Key conceptual principles and definitions were agreed as a basic framework within which governments could work towards an internally consistent and comprehensive international exchange of information. The Group also examined problems of measurement and the manner in which existing national data would be incorporated into an international classification. The report of the Group is reproduced in full below.     

贫困山区矿产资源的开发战略

合理开发矿产资源，优化资源配置和产品结构，是贫困山区脱贫致富的实现选择，本文以北川县为例，立足市场需求和该县矿产资源，地理，经济等情况，综合分析了有利条件和制约因素，提出了开发北川矿产资源的战略指导思想，目标，重点和主要对策。     

Capitalizing on energy supply: Western China's opportunity for development

Two kinds of disparities pervade China and threaten its well-being. The first, regional disparities focus on levels of economic development, which vary considerably across China. The second is largely a corollary of the first, referring to mismatch in energy supply and demand, with some places suffering severe shortages while others are blessed with significant surpluses. Western China enjoys the dubious distinction of recording the country's lowest levels of economic development while, paradoxically, being blessed with plentiful reserves of energy and non-energy minerals. Turning those surplus resources to good account through transferring them to minerals and energy-hungry Eastern China is seen by policy-makers as something of a panacea. Not only will such a strategy significantly boost Western China's economic prospects, but it will eliminate the resource shortages currently constraining the East's vibrant growth. The issues of regional disparities, energy mismatches and transfers of these resources are discussed, with attention given to both spatial and time perspectives. The paper concludes with a cautious endorsement of the policy initiatives that promote the strategy of mineral transfers.     

Geoconservation versus legislation and resources policy: New achievements,new questions—Comment on Cairncross (Resources Policy, 2011) The National Heritage Resource Act (1999): Can legislation protect South Africa's rare geoheritage resources?

In his recent article, Cairncross identified problems with legislation relevant to the conservation of national geological heritage. This permits us to pose some more general questions, which are not addressed in the noted contribution. The example given by Cairncross indicates some pitfalls linked with the “all-inclusive” nature of legislation in which geological heritage is mixed with cultural heritage. Are such laws really helpful? Even if they are inevitable, they should be prepared with great caution. Moreover, it appears sensible to discuss whether particular geological objects or geodiversity as a whole should be legally conserved. Cairncross also proposes the interesting idea of a special fund/agency for purchasing rare mineral specimens for museums. This raises a set of questions about selection criteria for minerals to be purchased, types of market to be dealt with, number of fund/agency staff, necessary financial resources, and the administration of such purchasing schemes. Broad multi-stakeholder debates are necessary in order to establish the proposed fund/agency and to facilitate its efficient work.     

Using the cumulative availability curve to assess the threat of mineral depletion: The case of lithium

The cumulative availability curve shows the quantities of a mineral commodity that can be recovered under current conditions from existing resources at various prices. The future availability of a mineral commodity depends on the shape of its cumulative availability curve (determined by geologic considerations, such as the nature and incidence of the available mineral deposits), the speed at which society moves up the curve (determined by future demand and the extent to which this demand is satisfied by recycling), and shifts in the curve (determined by cost-reducing technological change and other factors). While the shape of the curve for any given mineral commodity may or may not be known, it is knowable since the geologic processes responsible for the curve's shape took place many years ago. In contrast, the factors governing how fast society moves up the curve and how the curve shifts over time are not only unknown but also unknowable.Using lithium as an example, this article shows that knowledge about the shape of the cumulative availability curve can by itself provide useful insights for some mineral commodities regarding the potential future threat of shortages due to depletion. Despite the inherent uncertainties surrounding the future growth in lithium demand as well as the uncertainties regarding the future cost-reducing effects of new production technologies, the shape of the lithium cumulative availability curve indicates that depletion is not likely to pose a serious problem over the rest of this century and well beyond.     

矿业城市的发展研究与对策——以昆明市东川区为例

东川是依托矿产资源开发利用而兴建起来的城市，其经济结构属于典型的矿业依赖性经济，随着铜资源的耗竭，经济发展停滞，城市散失可持续发展能力。矿业城市的经济发展，关键是将单一的矿业经济转化为矿产业与非矿产业并举的多元型经济结构。现以云南省昆明市东川区为例，对其发展特征进行分析，揭示矿业城市的发展对策，为此类城市的发展提供思路。     

International policies on the economic resources of the deep-seabed

The resources of the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction were declared the ‘common heritage of mankind’ by the United Nations General Assembly. This article discusses the mineral resources located in this area and how the commercial availability of such resources was perceived to affect national interests. Although the exploitation of these resources would have benefited all states, some more than others, such exploitation was seen to have conflicting consequences on national interests in the light of the North-South dialogue in which trade and access to raw materials played a central role. The factual basis for these different national interests is examined by a discussion of the possible impact of mineral production from the deep-seabed on world markets and the policies implemented in the Convention on the Law of the Sea to ensure these interests are evaluated.