Abstract
Ore deposits are masses of ore (rocks rich in metal) that are mined to obtain the metals needed for the machines and devices we use in everyday life, but how do ore deposits form, and where do we find them? Nowadays, recycling supplies some metals but by no means all of them, and not in sufficient amounts. So, for many years to come, we will continue to depend on ore deposits. To improve the chances of finding new deposits, geologists need to understand what processes concentrate metals into ores. This is the goal of scientific research on ore formation, and the best method is to drill boreholes through a deposit to obtain a continuous series of rock samples—drill cores—from top to bottom. The Bushveld drilling project in South Africa is described here as an example. This project targets the world’s largest ore deposit of platinum, a key metal for green energy technologies.
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