Xtractore / An educational field guide

Understand how mining companies are made.

Follow an exploration idea from prospect to project to company. Understand the funding, ownership and risks, then decide what to explore next.

Start with the basics Try a project scenario

Explore possible pathways. Many prospects stop before becoming a company or a mine.

IDEA → PROJECT → POSSIBILITY

Understand the model. Choose your next question.

Company announcements can describe very different interests with similar language. Learn to separate project ownership, shares and royalties—and identify who pays for the work.

01 / LEARN

Understand the model

Learn what prospect, project and company generation mean and where the terms overlap.

Read the basics →

02 / EXPLORE

Explore the possible outcomes

Compare partnerships, sales and spin-outs, including dilution and exploration failure.

Try a project scenario →

03 / CONTINUE

Choose your next step

Use sourced examples to decide which company information, markets or events you want to explore.

Explore examples and questions →

Plain-language explanations, linked company sources and clearly labelled hypothetical examples.

Interactive field guide

Follow a project.

One geological idea. Different ways to fund the next step.

Entirely hypothetical. All amounts are illustrative Australian dollars, not valuations, forecasts, typical deal terms or a MineFinder transaction. Routes are alternatives; interests are not added together.

01 / Originate

Start with a target

A generator spends A$200,000 on tenure, data and initial fieldwork. It owns 100% of an early exploration project. There is no established resource.

02 / Choose a path

Failure branches before any sale or spin-out and before a completed earn-in. The funding-round toggle then has no effect.

Enable JavaScript to explore the scenarios. Without it: a partner may earn a project interest by funding exploration; a sale can retain shares or a royalty; a new company can raise its own capital. All routes can fail, and retained equity or project interests can dilute.

Where would you like to go next?

Choose the destination that matches your next question.

See an Australian example

Read MineFinder’s description of its project-generator strategy, distinguishing plans from completed transactions.

Explore MineFinder’s Australian approach →

Understand overseas mining markets

Learn how Canadian exchanges and US OTC quotations differ.

Read Beyond ASX’s market guide →

Find conferences and industry events

Find opportunities to hear presentations and develop your questions.

Browse MiningEvents →

Continue learning at industry events

Use what you have learned when listening to company presentations: ask who funds the next stage, what interests remain and which milestones are still proposed. Check each organiser’s programme and speaker details; a company mentioned here may not be attending.