Figure 1. Distribution of Global Exploration Budgets, by Location, 2010
| Country | US$ Millions | Percent of total |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2 032 | 19.0% |
| Australia | 1 276 | 11.9% |
| United States | 829 | 7.8% |
| Mexico | 630 | 5.9% |
| Peru | 582 | 5.4% |
| Chile | 544 | 5.1% |
| China | 393 | 3.7% |
| Russia | 377 | 3.5% |
| Brazil | 354 | 3.3% |
| Argentina | 282 | 2.6% |
| Other countries | 3 381 | 31.7% |
| Total | 10 679 | 100.0% |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on Metals Economic Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies: A Worldwide Analysis.
Notes: Data include base metals, precious metals, and diamonds. Based on 2085 international companies with exploration budgets of at least US$100 000.
Figure 2. Distribution of the World’s Larger Exploration Companies, by Domicile, 2010
| Domicile | Number of companies | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 298 | 48.2% |
| Asia-Pacific | 182 | 29.4% |
| Europe and the FSU | 55 | 8.9% |
| United States | 36 | 5.8% |
| Africa and the Middle East | 18 | 2.9% |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 29 | 4.7% |
| Total | 618 | 100.0% |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on Metals Economics Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies: A Worldwide Analysis.
Notes: Based on 618 companies with budgets of at least US$3 million for precious-metal, base-metal, or diamond exploration.
Figure 3. Exploration Budgets of the World's Larger Companies, by Domicile, 1998-2010
Companies With Worldwide Budgets of at Least US$3 Million in 2010 for Precious-Metal, Base-Metal, or Diamond Exploration
| Domicile | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (constant 2010 US$ millions) | |||||||||||||
| Canadian company budgets worldwide | 513.2 | 356.5 | 380.2 | 294.2 | 272.3 | 404.4 | 783.2 | 1 252.4 | 2 159.8 | 3 252.0 | 4 684.1 | 1 773.7 | 3 606.4 |
| Foreign company budgets worldwide | 1 200.8 | 944.5 | 822.3 | 757.9 | 649.8 | 792.2 | 1 359.0 | 1 920.5 | 2 799.4 | 4 303.9 | 6 497.8 | 4 174.8 | 5 633.6 |
| Canadian company share of worldwide budgets | 29.94% | 27.40% | 31.62% | 27.96% | 29.53% | 33.79% | 36.56% | 39.47% | 43.55% | 43.04% | 41.89% | 29.82% | 39.03% |
| Total large exploration budgets | 1 714.0 | 1 301.0 | 1 202.5 | 1 052.1 | 922.2 | 1 196.5 | 2 142.3 | 3 172.9 | 4 959.2 | 7 555.9 | 11 181.9 | 5 948.5 | 9 240.0 |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on Metals Economics Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies: A Worldwide Analysis.
Notes: The worldwide exploration budgets of companies that intended to spend less than US$3 million in 2010 and an equivalent amount in previous years are excluded. The worldwide exploration budgets for other commodities such as uranium or industrial minerals are also excluded.
Figure 4. Exploration Budgets of the World’s Larger Companies for Selected Regions of the World, 2009 and 2010
Companies With Worldwide Budgets of at Least US$3 Million for Precious-Metal, Base-Metal, or Diamond Exploration
| Year | Latin America | Asia-Pacific | Canada | Africa and the Middle East | Europe and the FSU | United States | Other Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (US$ millions) | |||||||
| 2009 | |||||||
| Companies based in Canada | 556.2 | 172.6 | 553.5 | 187.7 | 132.1 | 221.2 | 2.5 |
| Companies based elsewhere | 1 165.3 | 1 344.1 | 295.3 | 818.6 | 518.1 | 155.6 | 0.6 |
| Total | 1 721.5 | 1 516.7 | 848.8 | 1 006.3 | 650.2 | 376.8 | 3.1 |
| 2010 | |||||||
| Companies based in Canada | 1 060.3 | 303.4 | 1 221.3 | 387.3 | 208.0 | 422.6 | 3.5 |
| Companies based elsewhere | 1 552.7 | 1 850.2 | 392.0 | 947.9 | 613.3 | 275.3 | 2.2 |
| Total | 2 613.0 | 2 153.6 | 1 613.3 | 1 335.2 | 821.3 | 697.9 | 5.7 |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on Metals Economics Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies: A Worldwide Analysis.
Notes: The worldwide exploration budgets of companies that intended to spend less than US$3 million in 2010 and an equivalent amount in previous years are excluded. The worldwide exploration budgets for other commodities such as uranium or industrial minerals are also excluded.
Figure 5. Exploration Budgets of the World’s Larger Companies for Canada and Elsewhere, 1998-2010
Companies With Worldwide Budgets of at Least US$3 Million for Precious-Metal, Base-Metal, or Diamond Exploration
| Year | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (constant 2010 US$ millions) | |||||||||||||
| Canadian budgets for Canada | 140.3 | 113.9 | 133.1 | 95.1 | 114.1 | 160.6 | 299.2 | 425.7 | 759.7 | 1 184.9 | 1 581.5 | 537.8 | 1 221.0 |
| Foreign budgets for Canada | 70.3 | 48.7 | 60.1 | 72.8 | 47.6 | 87.5 | 90.9 | 95.6 | 109.4 | 212.6 | 407.0 | 286.8 | 392.0 |
| Total worldwide budgets for Canada | 210.6 | 162.6 | 193.2 | 168.0 | 161.7 | 248.1 | 390.1 | 521.2 | 869.1 | 1 397.5 | 1 988.4 | 824.6 | 1 613.3 |
| All budgets for elsewhere | 1 503.4 | 1 138.4 | 1 009.3 | 884.1 | 760.5 | 948.5 | 1 752.2 | 2 651.6 | 4 090.1 | 6 158.4 | 9 193.4 | 5 123.9 | 7 626.7 |
| Total worldwide budgets | 1 714.0 | 1 301.0 | 1 202.5 | 1 052.1 | 922.2 | 1 196.5 | 2 142.3 | 3 172.9 | 4 959.2 | 7 555.9 | 11 181.9 | 5 948.5 | 9 240.0 |
| Proportion of worldwide budgets for Canada | 12.3% | 12.5% | 16.1% | 16.0% | 17.5% | 20.7% | 18.2% | 16.4% | 17.5% | 18.5% | 17.8% | 13.9% | 17.5% |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on Metals Economics Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies: A Worldwide Analysis.
Notes: The worldwide exploration budgets of companies that intended to spend less than US$3 million in 2010 and an equivalent amount in previous years are excluded. The worldwide exploration budgets for other commodities such as uranium or industrial minerals are also excluded.
Figure 6. Exploration Budgets of the Larger Canadian-Based Companies, Countries Accounting for 90% of Canadian Budgets, 2010
Companies With Worldwide Budgets of at Least US$3 Million for Precious-Metal, Base-Metal, or Diamond Exploration
| Country | Amount Spent by Larger Canadian-Based Companies | Percent of Total | Cumulative Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| (US$ millions) | |||
| Canada | 1 221.3 | 33.86% | 33.86% |
| United States | 422.6 | 11.72% | 45.58% |
| Mexico | 308.4 | 8.55% | 54.13% |
| Chile | 202.2 | 5.61% | 59.74% |
| Peru | 122.6 | 3.40% | 63.14% |
| Brazil | 96.1 | 2.66% | 65.81% |
| Argentina | 84.2 | 2.33% | 68.14% |
| Australia | 81.8 | 2.27% | 70.41% |
| Colombia | 67.3 | 1.87% | 72.27% |
| Mongolia | 65.2 | 1.81% | 74.08% |
| Papua New Guinea | 64.8 | 1.80% | 75.88% |
| Burkina Faso | 59.9 | 1.66% | 77.54% |
| Russia | 59.2 | 1.64% | 79.18% |
| China | 53.7 | 1.49% | 80.67% |
| Dem. Republic of Congo | 46.9 | 1.30% | 81.97% |
| Mauritania | 46.9 | 1.30% | 83.27% |
| Ecuador | 45.7 | 1.27% | 84.54% |
| Zambia | 43.9 | 1.22% | 85.76% |
| Tanzania | 37.0 | 1.03% | 86.78% |
| Turkey | 36.0 | 1.00% | 87.78% |
| Mali | 33.5 | 0.93% | 88.71% |
| Ghana | 31.9 | 0.88% | 89.59% |
| Finland | 30.9 | 0.86% | 90.45% |
Source: Natural Resources Canada, based on Metals Economics Group’s Corporate Exploration Strategies: A Worldwide Analysis.
Notes: The worldwide exploration budgets of companies that intended to spend less than US$3 million in 2010 and an equivalent amount in previous years are excluded. The worldwide exploration budgets for other commodities such as uranium or industrial minerals are also excluded.