TRANSCRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.479
How do you know where to mine?
00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.360
Like, how does anyone even figure out where to start looking for a mineral deposit?
00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:13.439
And what steps do you take to make sure there actually is a deposit before mining even begins?
00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:18.719
These are the kinds of questions people in mineral exploration ask themselves every day.
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:22.879
Today, Amelia and I are diving into all of that and more.
00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:25.519
Welcome back to Grounded, Mining the Facts.
00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:30.480
Today we're talking about something that's really close to my heart: mineral exploration.
00:00:30.719 --> 00:00:40.079
I worked for an exploration company during and after college, and honestly, that experience is what pulled me into the minerals industry in the first place.
00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:44.000
See, I've always thought mineral exploration sounded fascinating.
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:51.679
It seems like one of those jobs where you're outside, constantly exploring, discovering new places, seeing things most people never get to see.
00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:54.320
Fieldwork is definitely a huge part of it.
00:00:54.479 --> 00:01:02.960
You're sampling different areas, running surveys, and trying to figure out whether you're even in the right spot for the type of deposit you're hoping to find.
00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:05.280
So what does that whole process look like?
00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:07.200
I imagine there are a lot of stages.
00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:08.799
Oh, absolutely.
00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:13.359
And it also depends on whether the project is greenfield or brownfield.
00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:13.920
Okay.
00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:17.040
Could you explain the difference between greenfield and brownfield?
00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:17.920
Of course.
00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:24.239
A greenfield project basically means no one has done substantial exploration in that area before.
00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:28.959
You're starting from scratch, collecting data, building maps, everything.
00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:30.799
Brownfield is the opposite.
00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:37.760
There has been exploration or previous mining, so you have a lot of data to work with.
00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.799
That gives companies a head start on figuring out where to drill and what the deposit might look like.
00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:43.519
Got it.
00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:45.760
So knowing the history of the site matters.
00:01:46.079 --> 00:01:46.719
Exactly.
00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.760
But for today, let's pretend everything is greenfield so we can walk through the full process.
00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:53.280
That sounds good.
00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:57.439
Like most good things, exploration starts with research.
00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:02.079
Without that stage, it's almost impossible to get a project off the ground.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:09.439
Especially because exploration is usually funded by investors or companies trying to secure future resources.
00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.199
After research, the focus shifts to claim staking and permitting.
00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:17.919
You have to stake your claims so no one else can explore the same land that you're exploring.
00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:21.680
And the permitting process truly does depend on where you are.
00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:28.639
For example, here in South Dakota, companies have to submit an exploration notice of intent or an EXI.
00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:34.479
Within one to two months, the state issues a restriction letter outlining any additional requirements.
00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:40.639
Once all the permits, like stormwater, for example, are in place, drilling can begin.
00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:44.240
So what actually goes into an exploration notice of intent?
00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:45.759
Quite a bit, actually.
00:02:46.000 --> 00:03:07.280
You submit the notice itself, a reclamation plan, a completed certification of applicant form, it took a graphic map of the proposed exploration area, the$250 application fee, and written consultation with the service owner about the reclamation processes and preferences, and a reclamation bond determined by the department.
00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:14.000
And then you also have to file annual reports about all activities that you have completed on the work site.
00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:17.280
Wow, it sounds like a lot actually goes into that process.
00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:18.560
Definitely.
00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:21.360
And it gets even more complicated on federal land.
00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:21.919
Really?
00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:22.719
How so?
00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:32.800
Well, if you're on federal or public land, you have to follow both the state regulations and the regulations of the federal agency overseeing the land.
00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:37.039
So yes, multiple permits for the same project.
00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:39.439
That sounds like a lot of hoops to jump through.
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:40.319
It is.
00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:44.719
And both the state and federal agencies oversee reclamation and drill hole plugging.
00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:48.080
What does a company actually do while waiting on these permits?
00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:49.759
Great question.
00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:55.280
They might do limited field sampling, rock grabs, outcrop mapping, that sort of thing.
00:03:55.680 --> 00:04:01.039
And then once they have permission, they can run more thorough soil sampling programs.
00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:06.400
Sampling makes a lot of sense, but I'm curious as to how they actually process those samples.
00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:09.439
You can't just look at dirt and know what's below it.
00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:11.919
Well, that's very true.
00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:18.560
And after the samples are collected and prepped, they're sent to an accredited lab for fire assay testing.
00:04:18.800 -->
Load full transcript
00:04:21.680
The lab returns an elemental analysis.
00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:30.879
Then the company plots those results on a map based on sample location and number in order to have a corresponding comprehensive map.
00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:35.600
So that means that you can see patterns, like where certain elements are concentrated.
00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:36.560
Right.
00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:44.879
And companies also run different surveys, like geophysical and geochemical surveys, to detect anomalies that might indicate a deposit.
00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:48.800
It's wild how many different methods go into figuring out where to explore next.
00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:50.079
It really is.
00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:55.199
And all of that leads to one of the biggest stages, exploratory drilling.
00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:57.680
What is exploratory drilling?
00:04:57.920 --> 00:05:03.600
Well, exploratory drilling is how companies get core samples from deep underground.
00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:09.680
It's one of the only ways to directly see what's beneath the surface and start mapping structures.
00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:11.519
You mentioned a core sample.
00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:13.199
What exactly is that?
00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:20.319
It's basically just a cylinder of rock, usually about three inches in diameter, sometimes smaller.
00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:24.160
Or depending on the drilling method, it might just be crushed rock.
00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:32.480
There are two major types of drilling: diamond bit drilling, which produces core, and recirculatory drilling, which produces cuttings.
00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.839
We'll get into that more next episode.
00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.839
I don't want to spoil anything, because I know the Timberland guys are excited.
00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:41.439
Well, now I'm curious.
00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:42.399
Oh, you should be.
00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:43.680
They are a hood.
00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:52.240
And after years of drilling, sampling, and mapping, if a company thinks they've found a resource, they start resource modeling.
00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:56.160
So up to this point, they're mostly collecting and interpreting raw data?
00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:57.120
Pretty much.
00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:04.319
Some companies start modeling during drilling to help decide where to move the drill next, but it's pretty much just raw data.
00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.040
I suppose that means it's not always a straight line.
00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:08.000
Exactly.
00:06:08.240 --> 00:06:17.600
After resource modeling, if it looks like a viable resource and the company wants to move forward toward development, that's when all the big studies begin.
00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:21.120
You mean they can't just get mining permits once they find something?
00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:22.240
Oh no.
00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:37.759
You have to figure out how you'd mine it, what the rock above the deposit looks like, the feasibility of opening a mine there, the economics, what the mine would look like, how it would be reclaimed, environmental considerations, archaeological studies, everything.
00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:42.319
All of that has to be done before mine permitting even begins.
00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:42.959
Wow.
00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:45.920
Finding the deposit almost sounds like the easy part.
00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:49.040
Honestly, I feel like that too sometimes.
00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:52.800
Many exploration projects never find anything.
00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.800
And even when they do, the project can stall for all kinds of reasons.
00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:02.720
With so many of these moving parts, how do companies even keep track of samples and keep employees safe?
00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:04.319
Great question.
00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:12.399
While mineral exploration doesn't fall under MSHA like mines do, health and safety plans are still standard.
00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:16.160
I remember in one of our last episodes, Colin talked about safety.
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.879
Do exploration projects follow similar rules?
00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:19.759
They do.
00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:31.839
Weekly or even daily safety meetings, personal protective equipment, health and safety plans that outline how to stay safe, how to report an incident, emergency procedures, nearest hospitals, everything.
00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:33.600
That's pretty comprehensive.
00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:34.399
Very.
00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:40.000
The project I worked on even included info about wildlife and plants that workers might encounter.
00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:41.839
Oh, that sounds amazing.
00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:50.319
And then there's the sampling and analysis plan, or the SAP, as exploration geologists like to call it, which is even more detailed.
00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:52.879
More amazing than wildlife sections?
00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:58.000
I mean, I'm a pretty boring person, so yes, even more amazing than wildlife sections.
00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:08.959
A SAP outlines who handles samples, how they're documented, what standards and duplicate rates to use, and how to ensure scientific consistency.
00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:15.279
Companies even insert their own standards and duplicates to make sure the lab is processing samples correctly.
00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.959
I had no idea that so much went into handling dirt and rock.
00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:21.120
Honestly, same.
00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:22.800
But it's crucial.
00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:30.319
And now you know, mineral exploration is way more than geologists wandering around looking at rocks.
00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.879
Join us next time as we discuss what's beneath the drill.