{"id":57707,"date":"2025-05-22T16:22:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/what-prevents-new-deposits-from-being-discovered\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T17:59:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T14:59:05","slug":"what-prevents-new-deposits-from-being-discovered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/what-prevents-new-deposits-from-being-discovered\/","title":{"rendered":"What Prevents New Deposits from Being Discovered and How Mining Companies Deal with It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Almost no new deposits are appearing. The state has reduced geological exploration to a minimum, and juniors have not received conditions to enter the industry. All responsibility fell on the mining companies. It is they who are looking for promising areas today – with their own money, without guarantees, without the right to even take a sample without a license. Equipment – minimum, bureaucracy – maximum. \u201cWe\u2019ll get involved for any money, and then we\u2019ll see\u201d – this is no longer a joke, but a working strategy. Soon business will have to not only look for, but also train personnel, finance science and bear everything else. For now there is no other way out.<\/p>\n\n\n

What to do about it? What solutions are possible if everything – from the first tests to specialized education – falls on the shoulders of the business? On conference “Current problems of exploratory geology”<\/a> Tamara Golovina, Head of the Directorate of Technologies and Joint Projects at Polymetal Management JSC, told how the company builds exploration in such conditions: what tools they use, where they find growth points – and what needs to be changed for the industry to continue to operate and develop.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe resource of old Soviet fields is close to complete exhaustion – and not only for oil and gas, but also for metal ores. The situation with rare earth metals is catastrophic: there are a lot of them in the depths, but we haven\u2019t even started to develop them yet.\u201d<\/p>\nNikita Maslennikov, leading expert at the Center for Political TechnologiesSource: MK<\/a>, 12.09.2024<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n

When there are no new areas: how companies build geological exploration themselves<\/h2>\n\n\n

When the industry was left without support, mining companies had to take on everything from field work to analytics and training. Polymetal is one of the few that not only continues exploration, but also achieves tangible growth. Over 24 years, the company has put on its balance sheet almost 500 tons of gold and more than 3,000 tons of silver – and all this in regions that are considered to have been studied for a long time: the Urals, the Magadan region, the Far East.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Map<\/a>
Geography of Polymetal projects in 2024: where they are already mining, where they are developing, and where exploration work is underway. Source: Polymetal <\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

But lucky finds alone won\u2019t get you far. The potential of the \u201cobvious\u201d areas is being exhausted. To be stable replenish the mineral resource base, systematic exploration is needed<\/a> – not by inspiration, but by plan. Polymetal has built a portfolio forecasting and search projects (PPP)<\/strong> are comprehensive programs that allow you to assess the prospects of sites even before obtaining a license.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

PPPs include collection and analysis of geological data, modeling, selection of target zones and preparation for further geological exploration. This approach not only reduces risks – it allows you to build a long-term strategy in conditions when there are almost no new areas for exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Stages<\/a>
How does the geological exploration cycle work: from forecasts and licenses to assessment and placement of reserves on the balance sheet. Source: VIMS<\/a> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

What should such projects be like:<\/p>\n\n\n