ProspectingProspecting is the field based physical search for mineral deposits. Prospectors have traditionally not been trained geologists, but have relied on keen observation skills and knowledge of local rock types to find gold. Prospectors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries accounted for most gold deposit discoveries. With the dwindling of easily and cheaply discoverable gold deposits, exploration companies with greater resources have become the main discoverers of gold deposits. This does not take away from fact that prospecting is an invaluable skill to any professional geologist and one that too often lacking. Professional prospectors represent only a small part of modern gold exploration. They continue to recover placer gold directly through panning or with metal detectors. They may also actively work exploration licenses and carry out early stage mapping and sampling with the aim of adding value to them so that it may be on sold to a company for profit. The cost of later stage exploration work such as drilling prohibits prospectors from taking gold discoveries past this early stage, though they may still become extremely wealthy if the results of their work look very good and a company enters into partnership with them to fund further work. |