What is the difference between exploration and prospecting

Prospecting done at the large area and indirect methods i. Geophysics and Geo chemistry used predominantly. Exploration precedes prospecting and prospecting followed exploration. Exploration to see probability of presence and prospecting to make sure that there is a definite. Exploration by geophysical method and prospecting by drilling. Products By Bayt. Use Our Mobile App. Less than one per cent of exploration projects typically progress to establishing a mine. This is part of the reason why mining and the resources extracted come at a high financial cost.

Initial exploration activities, such as mapping, will start over a large area and then target smaller and smaller areas. The aim is to see if mineralisation is at levels large enough to be commercially extracted. Exploration is strictly governed. Minerals explorers need to apply for an exploration licence. The licence gives the explorer sole rights to search for a specific mineral within the specified area.

An exploration licence does not permit mining or guarantee that a mining licence will be granted. The licence holder may also apply for a mining or retention licence. Nearly everything we use each day began life as a mineral. Your car, PC, mobile phone and power supply are all made with materials derived from minerals. Investigations of lithology For instance, IP can be used for gold, as the chargeability of the gold bearing formation most often sulphide mineralization has a higher chargeability than the surrounding geological formations.

Mapping depth to a bedrock unit Mapping bedrock type and variation within it Advances in processing software now make it possible to start extracting IP effects from TEM data which opens up further opportunities for the use of TEM systems within mineral exploration.

SP SP investigations can also be carried out with mostly the same instrumentation as for IP and resistivity, with some requirements regarding the measuring electrodes. SP measurements are suitable for: Exploration of sulphide mineralization; these formations often host base metals such as Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb. What method and technique to use? For example: TEM is unsuitable in or close to urban areas and infrastructure due to sources of electromagnetic disturbance, IP and SP measurements can be sensitive to electrical disturbance from trains, industrial processes and thunderstorms.

Resistivity requires galvanic contact via electrodes of some description, which can be both hard and time consuming in environments with bare rock, very resistive overburden or asphalt etc. TEM is not well suited to differentiating between highly resistive geological units; the method responds better to conductive features. In complex geologies careful consideration must be given to how TEM data are collected and complex 3D numerical modelling will likely be required.

GPR measurements can be used for: Depth to bedrock, geology Borehole GPR investigations for geological contacts in the bedrock and information on fractures Rock quality, e. Detection and tracking of mineral-rich veins, major fault zones, and lateritic nickel exploration Seismic investigations are suitable for: Mapping geological structures hosting mineral deposits In some instances, velocity contrasts may help identify the presence of large ore bodies Depth to bedrock and determining the strength of bedrock rippability which may impact the extraction strategy and costs.

GPR for mineral exploration Depth to bedrock, geology Borehole GPR investigations for geological contacts in the bedrock and information on fractures Rock quality, e.

Detection and tracking of mineral-rich veins, major fault zones, and lateritic nickel exploration Learn more about gpr. The conclusion paragraph should restate your thesis, summarize the key supporting ideas you discussed throughout the work, and offer your final impression on the central idea.

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