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 disaster investigation and evaluation, risk assessment and exploration design, and actively build a social co-governance pattern of geological exploration units' autonomy, industry self-discipline, social supervision and government supervision. Further implement the reform requirements of The State Council's "decentralization service", strengthen the supervision and management of geological exploration activities, and promote the healthy development of the geological exploration industry.

The Measures clearly delineate the responsibilities and division of labor of the competent departments of natural resources at all levels. The Ministry of Natural Resources is responsible for organizing the supervision and administration of national geological exploration activities, unified construction of the "National geological exploration industry supervision and service platform", organizing the formulation and revision of national and industrial standards and technical norms for geological exploration, coordinating the statistical work of geological exploration units, guiding and promoting the technical appraisal and service work of national geological exploration. The competent departments of natural resources of autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be responsible for the supervision and inspection of "double random and one open" geological exploration activities in their respective administrative regions, organize the filling and publication of information of geological exploration units, manage the abnormal list of geological exploration units and the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects, investigate and handle complaints and reports related to geological exploration activities, and organize the formulation and revision of local standards and technical norms for geological exploration. To organize and carry out relevant statistical work, guide and promote the technical appraisal and service of geological exploration in the administrative region, and guide the municipal and county departments in charge of natural resources to carry out daily supervision and administration.

The Measures clearly define the procedures and methods for supervising geological exploration activities. The competent departments of natural resources at or above the provincial level shall set up a "supervision platform" column on the portal website, collect and share basic information of geological exploration units, geological exploration activity information and government supervision information in accordance with the law, and accept social supervision. Provincial natural resources authorities should establish a directory of supervision and inspection objects and a directory of supervision and inspection personnel, carry out supervision and inspection in accordance with the "double random, one public" way, and publicize the results of random inspection within the specified time. Where the competent department of natural resources at or above the county level finds violations of laws and regulations by geological exploration units through supervision, inspection and complaints, the competent department of natural resources at or above the provincial level shall, after verification, make a decision to include them in the abnormal list within the prescribed time, and order them to make rectification within a time limit.

The Measures clearly stipulate the circumstances in which geological exploration units are included in the abnormal list or the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects. Before making a decision to include a geological exploration unit in the abnormal list or the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects, the competent department of natural resources at or above the provincial level shall inform it of the reasons for its proposed inclusion in the abnormal list or the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects, the basis and the rights enjoyed by the parties according to law. Geological exploration units that have objections to being included in the abnormal list or the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects may, within 20 days from the date of publication, appeal through the regulatory platform to the competent department of natural resources that makes the decision. It is clear that within 3 years from the date of the geological exploration unit being included in the abnormal list, if the rectification has been in place as required or the relevant obligations have been fulfilled, an application for verification can be submitted to the competent department of natural resources to make a decision, and after verification by the competent department of natural resources, a decision on whether to move it out of the abnormal list will be made public on the supervision platform; Those who still fail to rectify or fulfill relevant obligations according to regulations shall be included in the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects after verification by the competent department of natural resources and publicized through the supervision platform. Geological exploration units that have objections to being included in the abnormal list or the list of seriously untrustworthy subjects may, within 20 days from the date of publication, appeal through the regulatory platform to the competent department of natural resources that makes the decision.

According to the Measures, the Ministry of Natural Resources can guide the construction of technical appraisal and market service mechanisms for national geological exploration activities according to local practice. Provincial departments in charge of natural resources should rely on industry associations or public welfare geological exploration units, integrate expert resources, guide the construction of technical appraisal and market service mechanisms for geological exploration activities in the administrative region, and strengthen business guidance, and relevant appraisal results can be incorporated into the regulatory platform for management.