Deposit

A natural occurrence of mineralization in the ground containing an economic quantity worthy of further exploration.

As mined ore is a depleting resource, there is a constant demand to find new deposits.
Exploration companies are continually searching for new deposits around the world, which prove economical to be mined.

Below is a diagram of a deposit under exploration; the black lines illustrate drill holes that produce core samples, the blue figures on the left signify the thickness and quantity in grams per ton of the deposit at that particular point of intersection and a calculation can be made on the enrichment of the mineralized zone.