Abstract:

 The new ore prospecting methodologies based on risk analysis in commercial ore exploration and assessments are to focus on ore prospecting in the vicinities and deep parts of metal mines and on the venture capital investment in commercial ore exploration and assessments. We have systemically reviewed the achievements in ore prospecting from the views of risk analysis and economic geology, and summed up the following methodologies that can be widely used in ore prospecting for metal mines: those are the patterns of oreforming and geochemical haloforming and the related predicating system of geologygeochemistry; the tectonic geochemistry; the balance sheets of explorationexploitation of orebody; the optimization of occurrences and anomalies in the scope study, such as mineralization probability of occurrences and anomalies; the extensive assessments and quantitative predication. The mineralgeochemistry and the sublithofacies and microlithofacies mapping of lithofacies may also be broadly applied for ore prospecting and predication but only after making some improvement. With the development of ore prospecting methodologies based on risk analysis in commercial ore prospecting and assessments, the demands of the drastically increasing tasks of commercial oreexploration overseas can be steadily met. Thereby the management of ore exploration and exploitation will be promoted in the future.

Key words: metal mine; vicinities and deep parts of mines; risk analysis; ore predication; new methodology