exploration

16 U.S.C. § 2462 — for the purposes of this chapter

The term “exploration” means any activity, including logistic support, the purpose of which is the identification or evaluation of specific mineral resource deposits. The term includes exploratory drilling, dredging, and other surface or subsurface excavations required to determine the nature and size of mineral resource deposits and the feasibility of their development.

30 U.S.C. § 1403 — for purposes of this chapter

“exploration” means—

(A) any at-sea observation and evaluation activity which has, as its objective, the establishment and documentation of—

(i) the nature, shape, concentration, location, and tenor of a hard mineral resource; and

(ii) the environmental, technical, and other appropriate factors which must be taken into account to achieve commercial recovery; and

(B) the taking from the deep seabed of such quantities of any hard mineral resource as are necessary for the design, fabrication, and testing of equipment which is intended to be used in the commercial recovery and processing of such resource;

30 U.S.C. § 643 — as used in this chapter

As used in this chapter, the term “exploration” means the search for new or unexplored deposits of minerals, including related development work, within the United States, its Territories and possessions, whether conducted from the surface or underground, using recognized and sound procedures including standard geophysical and geochemical methods for obtaining mineralogical and geological information.

43 U.S.C. § 1331 — in this subchapter (6 versions over time)

The term “exploration” means the process of searching for minerals, including (1) geophysical surveys where magnetic, gravity, seismic, or other systems are used to detect or imply the presence of such minerals, and (2) any drilling, whether on or off known geological structures, including the drilling of a well in which a discovery of oil or natural gas in paying quantities is made and the drilling of any additional delineation well after such discovery which is needed to delineate any reservoir and to enable the lessee to determine whether to proceed with development and production.

43 U.S.C. § 1636 — in this section

“Exploration” means the examination and investigation of undeveloped land to determine the existence of subsurface nonrenewable resources; and

United States Code

Black's Law Dictionary