Base and precious metals exploration by major corporations

This chapter analyzes base and precious metals exploration by one of the principal participants in the world of exploration - major corporations. The objective is to identify and assess the factors responsible for changes in the level and distribution of corporate exploration over the last fifteen to twenty years. The chapter discusses exploration as an economic activity, providing a conceptual framework for the analysis. It looks at changes in exploration expenditures over time for a number of North American and European companies. This is followed by an examination of the distribution of exploration funds among minerals, paying particular attention to porphyry copper, massive sulfide, molybdenum, and gold and silver deposits