Mineral exploration compliance

Temporarily sealed borings

Mineral exploration in Minnesota is closely regulated to protect people, land, and water. The DNR, in coordination with Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), oversees all exploratory drilling activities and inspects every exploratory boring to ensure proper construction, sealing, and safeguarding of groundwater, wetlands, and surface waters.

This page provides an overview of exploratory drilling regulations, with fact sheets and links to exploration plans on state lands.

Mineral exploration fact sheets

The DNR created fact sheets in an FAQ format to answer common questions about mineral exploration and related topics.

• Mineral exploration
• Exploratory boring regulation and construction
• Mineral exploration and pretection of water resources

Exploration on state lands — exploration plans

Before mineral exploration occurs under a state nonferrous metallic mineral lease, an explorer (a state mineral lessee) must submit an exploration plan to the DNR. After receipt of an exploration plan the public is notified on this website within 5 business days of the submittal. The DNR has up to 20 days to complete a review and determine whether changes or conditions are required.

Review

Review of exploration plans identifies natural resources, features, and land administrators that may be impacted by proposed activities. The DNR sends the exploration plan to potentially impacted administrators including the county, area DNR Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries managers, and others for review and comment. DNR develops conditions, recommendation, and informational items regarding invasive species, plant communities, surface waters, and other natural resources during review. DNR may work with the explorer to amend the plan during the review period to address needs identified by administrators.

Authorization letter to lessee

After the review is complete, DNR will send an authorization letter containing any recommendations and conditions for approval to the explorer for signature. This letter authorizes activities on state nonferrous metallic minerals leases as outlined in the exploration plan, subject to any conditions and applicable laws and rules. Exploration plans only authorize activities on state lands. Not all plans are approved as submitted. An exploration plan is only approved when a lessee agrees to meet all applicable laws and the special conditions added to the plan by the DNR.

Learn more about typical exploration activities

• Mineral exploration in Minnesota
• Annual drilling activities

If you have additional questions about exploration plans please contact:

Ted Anderson
Assistant Director, DNR Lands and Minerals Division 
1525 Third Avenue East,
Hibbing, MN 55746
tel. 218-231-8488
[email protected]
 

List of exploration plans

The public is notified here within five business days of DNR receipt of a proposed exploration plan. Listed below are exploration plans currently under review and plans approved by the DNR. A DNR prepared summary and map for each exploration plan are provided.

Under review

No plans currently under review

Subscribe above for notifications as new plans are received.

Exploration drilling regulations

The DNR and MDH are both involved in regulating exploration to protect the environment. Under Minnesota Statute 103I and Minnesota Rules Chapter 4727, which govern Explorers and Exploratory Borings, there are strict requirements to protect groundwater during the drilling of exploratory borings. The DNR and MDH conduct drill site inspections throughout exploration activities to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and rules.

MDH webpage for Explorers and Exploratory Borings »

Exploration drill site

The following regulations must be met when a company drills exploratory borings on either public or private land in Minnesota:

• Register as an explorer engaged in exploratory boring with the DNR
• Obtain an explorer’s license from the MDH
• Register a responsible individual with the MDH
• Notify both the DNR and the MDH at least 10 days prior to commencing an exploratory boring
• On state nonferrous metallic minerals leases, the explorer must submit an exploration plan at least 20 days prior to the start of exploration
• Following completion of exploratory borings, the explorer must submit a completed MDH sealing report that provides details on how the boring was sealed
• Upon lease termination, a portion of all samples must be submitted to the DNR. These samples become public property at the time of submission. This helps to limit future environmental impacts by allowing others to view and analyze the drill core

Exploration drilling vs. water wells

Click to enlarge

Exploratory borings represent one percent of all drill holes in the state. To put exploration drilling activity into perspective, from 2000 to 2020, there were 2,085 exploratory borings drilled compared to 196,657 water and other wells statewide. Of all nonferrous metallic mineral leases issued since 1966, less than 3% have had exploratory drilling.

Learn more about state oversight of metallic minerals exploration activities:

• State oversight of metallic mineral exploration activities slideshow

DNR Role in environmental review, permitting, and reclamation

The Mineland Reclamation webpage offers details on the DNR's environmental review, mine permitting, inspection, and reclamation rules and standards roles.