Q: Is ore a type of rock that contains sufficient minerals with important elements including metals that can be economically extracted from the rock? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Is ore traded between customer and producer? ¶
A: Yes, though various benchmark prices are set quarterly between the major mining conglomerates and the major consumers, and this sets the stage for smaller participants.
Q: Is ore of too low a grade to be worth mining? ¶
A: Yes.
Q: Are ores generally oxides? ¶
A: Yes, and sulfides, silicates, or "native" metals that are not commonly concentrated in the Earth's crust, or "noble" metals such as gold.
Q: Are ores extracted from the earth through mining? ¶
A: Yes, they are then refined to extract the valuable element, or elements.
Q: Are ores unequal and dislocated from locations of peak demand and from smelting infrastructure? ¶
A: Yes.