Mineral exploration is being reshaped by shifting demand for critical minerals across energy, industrial, and technology sectors. These pressures are influencing where and how exploration is conducted. More effort is being directed toward deeper targets beneath significant cover, unconventional deposit types, and settings where environmental and social constraints can present greater obstacles to project development. In this context, geological understanding and technical accuracy are more important than ever for reducing risk and uncertainty.
This issue covers several approaches currently used to investigate mineral systems that are not readily exposed at the surface. Advances in subsurface imaging, structural interpretation, and data integration continue to refine how geoscientists construct geological models in greenfield and brownfield settings. Articles covering discovery at depth, dynamic structural modelling in brownfield environments, structurally controlled geological modelling and the evaluation of spatial continuity describe how updated workflows are being applied to interrogate complex terranes and assess the continuity of geological domains. Contributions addressing complementary approaches to prospectivity analysis—including use of mineral systems concepts, machine learning and absolute prospectivity—demonstrate how different methodologies can be combined for early-stage project evaluation and target ranking.
Technological developments are increasing the range of tools available for interpreting large and diverse datasets. Applications of artificial intelligence, feature engineering, and machine learning are being used to support data-driven targeting, while maintaining the essential requirement for expert geological knowledge for interpretation. Real-time data modelling and the use of spaceborne observations illustrate how remote sensing is contributing more than ever to reconnaissance-scale assessments. These tools, when applied with appropriate geological controls, can support exploration effectiveness in settings where traditional methods may face limitations.
Several contributions in this issue address operational and market considerations. Case studies involving graphite and iron ore projects outline how data quality impacts project progression. Discussions on exploration performance, organizational approaches, and long-term investment cycles provide context for strategic decision-making. The incorporation of sustainability factors into exploration planning reflects the growing importance of how technical, environmental, and social information is evaluated from the outset of project design.
Contributed by SRK’s consulting practices worldwide, articles in this edition provide a cross-section of the current exploration practice. They document recent methodological developments, geological insights, and strategic considerations relevant to mineral exploration under changing technical and market conditions. The full set of articles offers readers perspectives on factors influencing discovery and project advancement today.
