Only a small percentage of exploration projects result in active mining. Globally, fewer than 1 in 1,000 exploration targets become an operating mine. In Sweden, exploration is often carried out over many years without leading to extraction. Even if a deposit is found, it must pass strict environmental, technical, and economic assessments before potential mining can be approved. Most exploration projects contribute to geological knowledge without advancing to mining.
In practice, this means that as a private company, mineral exploration poses a genuine economic risk. That is also the reason for why most mineral exploration occurs in the vicinity of mines that are already active, because the company in question knows that the mineralization’s are there. If, as District Metals are doing, a company explores areas where no mining operation is active, it is because we have a high degree of certainty that one or more economically viable deposits to extract are there.
Sources:
- SGU, “Hur en gruva blir till”, https://www.sgu.se/mineralnaring/mineralnaring-och-samhalle/hur-en-gruva-blir-till/
- Government Offices of Sweden , “Frågor och svar om gruvor”,
https://www.regeringen.se/regeringens-politik/naringspolitik/fragor-och-svar-om-gruvor/ - SGU, “SGU Rapport 2013:01: Prospektering och gruvbrytning i Sverige”, https://resource.sgu.se/produkter/sgurapp/s1301-rapport.pdf