The Ministry of Natural Resources issued the Measures for the Supervision and Management of Geological Exploration Activities

The Ministry of Natural Resources recently issued the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Geological Exploration Activities (hereinafter referred to as the Measures), which will strengthen the supervision and administration of geological exploration activities such as geological survey, mineral exploration, geological hazard investigation and evaluation, and risk assessment and exploration design, actively build a social co governance pattern of geological exploration units' autonomy, industry self-discipline, social supervision, and government supervision, and further implement the reform requirements of the State Council on "decentralization, management, and service", Strengthen the supervision and management of geological exploration activities and promote the healthy development of the geological exploration industry.

The Measures clearly divided the responsibilities and division of labor of natural resources authorities at all levels. The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for organizing the supervision and management of geological exploration activities nationwide, building a unified "National Geological Exploration Industry Supervision and Service Platform", organizing the formulation and revision of national and industrial standards and technical specifications for geological exploration, coordinating the statistical work of geological exploration units, and guiding and promoting the technical identification and service of geological exploration nationwide. The competent departments of natural resources of autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government are responsible for the supervision and inspection of geological exploration activities in their own administrative regions, organizing the filling and publication of information about geological exploration units, managing the abnormal directory of geological exploration units and the list of major dishonest subjects, investigating and handling complaints and reports related to geological exploration activities, organizing the formulation and revision of local standards and technical specifications for geological exploration, and organizing the relevant statistical work, To guide and promote the technical appraisal and service of geological exploration in the administrative region, and guide the municipal and county natural resources departments to carry out daily supervision and management.

The Measures specify the procedures and methods for supervision of geological exploration activities. The competent departments of natural resources at or above the provincial level should set up a "supervision platform" column on the portal website, collect and share the basic information of geological exploration units, geological exploration activities and government supervision information according to law, and accept social supervision. The provincial natural resources department shall establish a directory of supervision and inspection objects and a directory of supervision and inspection personnel, carry out supervision and inspection in the way of "double random, one open", and publicize the results of the random inspection within the specified time. If the natural resources departments at or above the county level find out the violations of laws and regulations of geological exploration units through supervision, inspection, complaints and reports, the natural resources departments at or above the provincial level shall, after verification, make a decision to include them in the abnormal list within a specified time and order them to rectify within a time limit.

The Measures clearly stipulates that geological exploration units are included in the abnormal list or the list of subjects seriously dishonest. Before making the decision to include the geological exploration unit in the abnormal directory or the list of seriously dishonest subjects, the natural resources authorities at or above the provincial level shall inform them of the reasons, basis and rights enjoyed by the parties according to law for their intention to be included in the abnormal directory or the list of seriously dishonest subjects. If the geological exploration unit has any objection to being included in the abnormal list or the list of seriously dishonest subjects, it may appeal to the competent natural resources department that made the decision through the supervision platform within 20 days from the date of publicity. The Measures specify that, within 3 years from the date when geological exploration units are included in the anomaly directory, if they have completed the rectification as required or have fulfilled the relevant obligations, they can apply for verification to the competent natural resources department that made the decision. After verification by the competent natural resources department, they can make a decision on whether to remove them from the anomaly directory and publicize it on the supervision platform; In case of failure to rectify or fulfill relevant obligations as required, the competent natural resources department shall include them in the list of serious dishonest subjects after verification and publicize them through the supervision platform. If the geological exploration unit has any objection to being included in the abnormal list or the list of seriously dishonest subjects, it may appeal to the competent natural resources department that made the decision through the supervision platform within 20 days from the date of publicity.

The Measures pointed out that the Ministry of Natural Resources could guide the construction of a national technical appraisal and market service mechanism for geological exploration activities according to local practices. All provincial natural resources authorities should rely on industry associations or public geological exploration units, integrate expert resources, guide the establishment of a technical appraisal and market service mechanism for geological exploration activities in their respective administrative regions, and strengthen business guidance. Relevant appraisal results can be included in the regulatory platform for management.