Mining research is defined as the process that leads to the discovery of an economically exploitable deposit and is done in multiple steps. It aims to find and extract the maximum amount of exploitable deposits. More specifically, mining research and study includes the collection and processing of data (geological or drilling cores) in order to estimate the exploitable reserves of the deposit.

However, the mining exploration can continue even after the completion of the development stage, when additional reserves may have been discovered, which will lead to a larger, more satisfactory and more efficient operation of the mine and consequently to the extension of the “life” of the mine.