Exploration of Minerals and Prospecting: A Comprehensive Guide

This article provides a comprehensive guide to the exploration of minerals and prospecting. It covers the aims, techniques, and legislation involved in the process. Additionally, it discusses the role of engineering geologists in identifying geological factors affecting production assignments.

Question 1 (20 marks)
Exploration of minerals encompasses determining the availability of mineral in the underground
reserve store considering the quality and volumes present which is done mainly because of the
economic reasons. This process is accomplished through carrying out inspections, cross
selection, using necessary equipment or employing any other worthy technique.
On the other hand, prospecting the minerals involves exploring for the mineral deposits down
below the surface of the earth at a distance of approximately two metres. It also entails finding
out if there exists any quarry with use of hand operated tools.
Mineral exploration is objective by nature which includes the following aims.
i. It targets to reduce the time taken in the search process, at the same time lowering the
volume and limit the aims to be achieved to be considered.
ii. To magnify the possibility that the outstanding targets sorts will produce ore bonds to be
worked on.
iii. The other aim is also to reduce the dangers of losses, and time range.
Question 2 (30 marks)
Name of
mine
State or
territory
Geographi
cal
locality
Principal
share-
holding
company
Geological
setting
Major
ore-
bearing
rock
Major
commerc
ial use
Source
of informat
A1 mine Victoria North of
woods
point on
Manfield
Centennial
MNG Ltd.
El Callao
formation
Alluvium
ores
Making
jewellerie
s
Padoan et al
2014 Choco
PR
Jeebropill
y
Queensland City of
Ipswich
New Hope
Coal
Sedimentation Bituminous Fuels Hutton, C.A
(2009)
Moonee
Colliery
New South
Wales
Catherine
Hill Bay
Menar
Holding.
Sedimentation Bituminous Fuels
Agnew
Gold
mine
Western
Australia
West of
Agnew
South
African
mining
company
Ore
deposition
Alluvium
ores
Making
jewellerie
s
The sAustra
hand book.
Olympic
Dam
, South
Australia
Olympic
Dam ,
South
Australia
BHP
Billiton
Ore
deposition
uranite Nuclear
fuel
Flinder rang
Research
Renison
Bell
Tasmania Melba
Flats
Metals X
Limited
Tin deposition Cassiterite Plating
steel cans
http://
www.austria
nesatlas.gov
educatio/
fact_sheets
/tin.ntml

Question 3 (20 marks)
The values considered before prospecting and exploration program are as follows;
a) High protection and conservation values. This requires that a particular area to remain
untouched. No activity should take place.
b) Significant protection and conservation values where there is downstream impacts on
biodiversity and protected areas.
c) Medium to low conservation values where there is likelihood to have few downstream
impacts on biodiversity and protected areas.
The legislation required to comply with during the prospecting and exploration phases is as
follows.
i. Legislation on licencing for prospecting and exploration.
ii. Legislation on extraction concession.
iii. Legislation on financial terms and conditions.
iv. Termination of contracts.
v. Use of land.
vi. Legislation on the enactment and inspections relations and conditions.
vii. Legislation on the disputes resolution involving settlement and intercontinental mediation
process.
viii. Legislation on the determination of threats to the nationwide security and defence system,
the environmental factors together with the wellbeing of the employees, considering their
safety and good health. It is also essential on this legislation to consider the borders,
mining sites and communal beliefs.
ix. Attachments to be submitted in envelops which should include the working formula
including the summarised objectives, time limits for the start.
Question 4 (20 marks)
JORC is an Australian code which is used in the reporting of exploration Outcomes. There are
minimum standards stipulated within the code where the public reporting need to base their
results on. As a geological engineer, you are capable of identifying compulsory system to be
followed more so when you classify minerals. It should be noted that, in this case classifying is
based on confidence level as understood in geological field together with the economic
perspective in public report.
The public report are mainly are prepared for the purpose of investors seeking information that
ranges from annual to quarterly for the company reports, media publications , facts memos ,
technical documents and public exhibitions of examination results.
A competent person is a reliable individual, whose documentation is a base for any public
reporting of exploration results. A competent person prepares document according to the JORC
code, and any reporting should reflect it. A company initially obtains the previous in print
approval of the competent person to the procedure and setting in which it look like on the report
the competent person work. Generally, a capable individual need meet the following
requirements;
i. Must be a member in the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in Australia.

ii. Must have a minimum of five years of experience working in mineralisation sector.
It is required that a competent person preparing a report on investigation consequences, he she
should have the minimum experience in the field of exploration. As a principal mining engineer,
it is essential to identify certified competent individual before you present your reports.
Question 5 (10 marks)
Engineering geologists are in control of recognizing the geological factors affecting
production assignments. These geologists work by investigating materials below the
earth surface to analyze the uncertainty factors and at the same time give a direction on
the best methods to be adopted for the improvements and the suitability of productions
resources. These geologists are capable of finding the location of given types of the
earth’s resources occurrence by applying geological ideologies.
Engineering geologist’s play the following roles;
 They collect, analyse and interpret data.
 They play a role to access, use and analyse location statistics which include images
detector, above ground pictures, reports and geological plots, before investigations.
 They also plan, organise and undertake field surveys by generating boreholes and
sample pits.
 They prepare reports for presentations.
 They play a critical role in to provide guidance and facts to customers on a range of
topics which involves subsistence and creation of resources.
 They also assess and minimize the dangers of artificial and natural hazards in the
location.
 They ensure that assignments hold onto resources and timescales
 They manage and network with manufacturing engineers, consultation experts, site
contractors and geotechnical engineers.
It is possible for the geologist engineers to specialise in natural threats, hydrogeology,
rock mechanism, petrology and geochemistry – to name but a few specialist areas.
Engineering geologists are capable of splitting their time between place of work and
locations