In modern exploration for non‑ferrous and precious metals — and gold in particular — a worrying trend is emerging, which analysts are increasingly referring to as the “discovery crisis”. The picture emerging from recent data is highly contradictory: despite sustained high exploration budgets, the return on investment is falling rapidly, while the scale of new discoveries is noticeably shrinking.

Were it not for the galloping rise in metal prices, gold exploration would, on average, have become an unprofitable activity from the standpoint of direct asset value generation.

Gold exploration is facing a systemic crisis. The declining number and size of discoveries, rising costs, and falling returns all point to the need to revise approaches to deposit prospecting. Everything confirms the necessity of improving forecasting procedures and adopting a more systematic selection of prospective areas.

One of the most effective solutions in this context is the method of geological targeting. This approach has long been successfully applied in Western exploration practices and was adapted by IGT specialists to Russian conditions over two decades ago. The adaptation was carried out in line with the Soviet and later Russian geological school, taking into account specific features of: accessing archival data,

using remote sensing data (Earth observation materials), applying AI and machine learning algorithms developed by IGT.