We never know for sure if any year will be good, bad or excellent for the prospector making a living. But there is information available and news to watch for that may help us get a better feeling for the business outlook. Staying in tune with the times and keeping up with the latest industry news and trends, has to play an important and ever increasing part in the prospecting business today. If one is serious about success we need to remain informed of trends and the opportunities that they could bring.
My thoughts on the 2010 outlook are presented below in short form.
As the demand for minerals increases so should the prospecting effort to locate promising discoveries that could lead to eventual deposits of economic importance. Increased demand for minerals often results in increased demand for new properties. This adds a stimulus to the prospecting profession and helps relight the dream of finding mineral showings of value or the next mine.
2010 should be a good year for the prospector that is seriously looking for a diversified mix of minerals including Rare Earth Elements, Precious Metals, Base Metals, and Industrial Minerals etc especially if he or she has a good portfolio of properties some or all of which may be of interest to larger exploration and mining companies.
With these changing times and technology advancements also comes increased opportunity for growth in the prospecting, exploration and mining fields especially for those folks that are able to search for and find minerals for which the demand is growing. Individuals and companies that can broaden their efforts to include a variety of target minerals should have a better opportunity for success.
While there is little doubt that the uncertain economic times of last year have had an effect upon the demand for new properties, there are indications that the demand is increasing. This can be seen in the press releases of numerous companies and announcements of new property purchases and or options. Rare Earth Element (REE) properties are becoming more of a focus and the demand for quality gold properties has also been on a steady increase. Let us not forget base metals, although maybe not as "sexy" to some there are strong indications that demand will remain strong.
Of course while we are looking into the future demand, we would do ourselves a disservice if we forget about industrial minerals such as magnesium or even aggregate deposits of value. Deposits of this category although far from being in the "stock market fashion or the latest buzz", are still very important to society and to economic advancement. Finding such deposits of good grade and tonnage certainly has and will always have value and can be very lucrative. Perhaps they are a harder nut to crack promotion wise and a harder sell to exploration companies, they are still a key resource to serious mining quarry companies and the eventual rewards of having one can certainly still be worthwhile.
Mineral Properties for Option - Gold - Lithium - Magnesium - Base Metals
The search for REE deposits has recently seen an upsurge as explorers begin to hedge their bets on the future demand for these types of minerals. Lithium or the 3 rd element as many refer to it is also the focus of increased attention.
Gold, Platinum group minerals, and silver are gathering serious attention once again due to potential shortages into the future and the recent increases in price for these metals.
Now that the spring and summer seasons are upon us, prospectors are once again increasing their efforts to examine new areas and revisit past mineral minds as is the tradition. With the new season and increased demand this should be a good year for the prospector.
This post is from Prospecting- The Search For New Gold
Happy Prospecting! Always do your home work and due diligence, learn to sell Popsicles to the people that want them, and be ready to fit the right buyer with the right property. Keep your powder dry and your axe sharp.
About the author: Robert Freeman is a full time professional prospector with over 20 years direct hands on experience in the field. He manages a prospecting and exploration company which provides mineral claims, mineral claim staking, prospecting services, field and logistical services, along with consulting property management and acquisition services to the mining industry. He founded or played a key role in the formation of several exploration companies and has created mineral exploration land packages in numerous regions of Canada for both public and private companies.
