Knowledge Base
Our knowledge base of articles on exploration geology and geological methods is written with the non-professional in mind. Learn the basics of geological exploration, drilling, key commodities and mining. Read about mineral deposit types and important discoveries.
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Sediment-hosted Stratiform Copper Deposits: The Future of Copper and Cobalt Mining?
Sediment-hosted Stratiform Copper (SSC) deposits have long been an important, but often overlooked, source of copper. Accounting for about 20%…
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Epithermal Gold Deposits
Epithermal gold deposits are among the richest gold deposits in the world, with some bonanza-grade ore shoots containing more than…
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Gold Deposits of New Zealand
Gold was one of New Zealand’s first industries. What is less known, and somewhat at odds with the country’s “clean…
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OceanaGold’s Project Martha
Introduction The Coromandel area in New Zealand’s central north peninsula has a rich history of 200 years of gold prospecting…
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Tellurium recovery from copper smelting at Rio Tinto’s Bingham Canyon (Kennecott) Mine
Tellurium, an essential component in photovoltaic solar cells, is about to be extracted as a byproduct of copper smelting at…
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What the –ic? An Introduction to Alteration
Understanding alteration is essential to understanding where the next big discovery will be found. The term “alteration” appears in almost…
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Khoemacau: Africa’s Newest Copper-Silver Mine
Botswana has long been known for producing diamonds. The new Khoemacau Project is proving this underexplored region of Southern Africa…
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Wharf Gold Mine, South Dakota
Outline South Dakota is historically known for its gold production. The metal was first discovered near the city of Lead…
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The Seven Rarest Metals
In terms of abundance in the Earth’s crust, the rarest metals are: gold, platinum, osmium, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, tellurium…
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The Morenci Copper Mine: 148 Years and Counting
The Morenci Copper Mine: 148 Years and Counting Most mines are lucky to last more than a decade or two.…
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