Field geologists require a unique set of tools and skills in the search for mineralisation including Mineral and Rock recognition, Geological Mapping, Alteration/Mineralisation tools (niche sampling, staining), Structural Geology, Geophysics, Lithogeochemistry and 3D interrogation of data.

The economic geologist is not required to be a specialist in any of these, but rather a generalist who has a sufficient working knowledge of multiple techniques as they apply to ore systems where discovery has primacy.