a$)$ Why is it so important to have a $$quality$$ deposit for the long$-$term viability of your mining project?

$($d$)$ In terms of an economic valuation, why would you prefer that all the mineralization be near surface and easily open pit$-$able rather than the same mineralization being at significant depths requiring underground mining? $($b$)$ The price of nickel has plummeted recently because the Chinese have found a cheap way to produce good quality nickel from Indonesian nickel laterites $($of which there are a lot$).$ In this context, how does the phrase $$Risk is the largest component of any discount rate$$ apply to the mining cash flow analyses we use?

$($c$)$ Why do you think major oil companies are trying to ensure they produce oil at less than $US $40$ per barrel when current selling prices are double this and have been this high for quite a while?

$($d$)$ What are the fundamental quantity differences between the expected sizes of oil flows from a typical production well over time versus the size of mineral production during the typical life of a mine?

$($e$)$ Why is this quote so cautionary for real life? The quote is $$Because the discounted net present value of a proposed project can be made larger by reducing the discount rate many project proposals understate the risks, i$.$e$.$ use a low discount rate $($among other misrepresentations$).$