Exploration activities according to Law No.. 1967 of 11 years mining geology investigation, which means an application of the science of geology to mining operations. The basis of a mining operation is geologic and economic certainty about the existence of a quantity (tonnage or volume) minerals, called the reserve.
Certainty in terms of geology, among other things with regard to:
1. The diversity of minerals in extractive,
2. Ore mineral content changes due to geological structure or the environment, and
3. Geological possibility that a number of other reserves in place around Lay known.
While economic certainty, which affect the cost of data mining, among others determined by the dimensions of Lay and minerals beneath the surface-surface, variations in quantity over quality, diversity of technical nature and properties of rock-soil water flow, and the carrying capacity of the waste rock. Natural resource commodities in general and in particular mineral resource commodities, is the real goods that can meet market demand quickly and can be measured by the value of money.
While ore or mineral reserves are not the real stuff, though in practice the backup information can be traded, and do not include commodity mineral resources. After the mineral resources derived from its natural position, it becomes commodity mineral resource. Examples of mineral resource commodities such as aluminum is a metal, clean coal has been mined.
In practice, as mentioned in the exploration of the 1967 Act was preceded by the existence of an activity known as the General Investigation. This public inquiry as the investigation mentioned in the general geological or geophysical, on land, water, and from the air, all things in order to make a general geological map or assign any hint of minerals in general. Put the existence of minerals specified in the general investigation examined more closely in the exploration stage.