JORC Table 1: sections, criteria, and the "if not, why not" rule
JORC Table 1 is the disclosure checklist behind every ASX exploration results or mineral resource announcement. It doesn't ask you to hit a bar of "good" — it asks you to address every relevant criterion, one way or another. This guide covers what triggers it, how it's structured, and what each section actually asks.
This is general information, not geological or legal advice. Table 1 must be completed and signed off by a qualified Competent Person as defined by the JORC Code — see the JORC Code, 2012 Edition for the full text.
When it applies
Table 1 isn't a routine part of every quarterly filing. It's required whenever a company makes a public report — a drilling update, a resource upgrade, an ASX announcement — that discloses new Exploration Results or a Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve estimate. A quarter with no new results to announce doesn't trigger it.
The rule that makes it non-optional is "if not, why not." For every criterion that applies to what's being reported, the Competent Person has to either address it or explicitly explain why it isn't relevant. A criterion left blank, with no explanation, doesn't meet the Code.
The five sections
Table 1's criteria are cumulative — Section 1 applies to every report that discloses exploration data, and each later section adds criteria on top of it as the report goes further (from raw sampling, to exploration results, to a resource or reserve estimate):
| Section | Applies when you report |
|---|---|
| 1. Sampling Techniques and Data | Always — the baseline for any exploration data disclosure |
| 2. Reporting of Exploration Results | Drill results, assay results, or other exploration findings |
| 3. Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources | A Mineral Resource estimate (new or updated) |
| 4. Estimation and Reporting of Ore Reserves | An Ore Reserve estimate — typically post-Pre-Feasibility Study, later than most junior explorers report |
| 5. Estimation and Reporting of Diamonds and Other Gemstones | Diamond or other gemstone projects specifically |
For most junior explorers reporting drill results, Sections 1 and 2 are what get exercised every time. Section 3 comes into play once there's a resource to report; Sections 4 and 5 are edge cases for most early-stage companies.
Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data
These 12 criteria apply to every report and cover how the underlying data was collected and can be trusted:
| Criterion | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Sampling techniques | What method was used to take samples and how representative they are |
| Drilling techniques | Drill type and specifications (core, RC, auger, etc) |
| Drill sample recovery | How much of the sample was recovered, and whether that biases the result |
| Logging | Whether core/chip samples were logged in enough detail to support later estimation |
| Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation | How samples were split, prepared and quality-controlled |
| Quality of assay data and laboratory tests | Whether the assay method and lab QA/QC are appropriate |
| Verification of sampling and assaying | Independent checks on significant results (twinned holes, second opinions) |
| Location of data points | Accuracy of the survey used to locate drill holes and samples |
| Data spacing and distribution | Whether sample spacing supports the confidence level being claimed |
| Orientation of data in relation to geological structure | Whether sampling orientation could have introduced bias |
| Sample security | Chain-of-custody measures from collection to lab |
| Audits or reviews | Any independent audits of the sampling program |
Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results
On top of Section 1, these 10 criteria apply whenever drill or assay results are reported:
| Criterion | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Mineral tenement and land tenure status | Tenement details, ownership, and any third-party interests or encumbrances |
| Exploration done by other parties | Prior exploration history on the ground, and how much it can be relied on |
| Geology | Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation |
| Drill hole information | A tabulation of collar location, dip/azimuth, and depth for material drill holes |
| Data aggregation methods | Any averaging, grade cutting or cut-off grades used in reporting intercepts |
| Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths | Whether reported widths are true widths or down-hole lengths |
| Diagrams | Maps and sections showing drill hole collar locations |
| Balanced reporting | Whether both high and low results are represented, not just the highlights |
| Other substantive exploration data | Other material data — geophysics, geochemistry, metallurgy, etc |
| Further work | The nature and scale of planned follow-up exploration |
Section 3: Mineral Resource estimation
Once a company reports a Mineral Resource, 14 further criteria apply — covering database integrity, site visits, geological interpretation, estimation methodology, cut-off grades, mining/metallurgical/environmental assumptions, bulk density, classification into confidence categories, and a discussion of relative accuracy. This is the section where a qualified geologist's judgment matters most, and it's squarely Competent Person territory — a compliance tool has no role in the estimate itself, only in organising the disclosure once it's made.
Sections 4 and 5
Section 4 (Ore Reserves) applies once a Mineral Resource has been converted to a Reserve through at least a Pre-Feasibility Study — later in a project's life than most junior explorers report. Section 5 (Diamonds and Other Gemstones) is a commodity-specific addition for diamond and gemstone projects. Both exist in the Code for completeness but are edge cases for a typical early-stage ASX explorer.
Where Tenement Track fits
The JORC checklist wizard walks you through the applicable criteria so nothing gets silently skipped, and keeps the attachments — assay certificates, drill logs, maps — linked to the disclosure they support. It doesn't author or generate any of the geological content itself; that judgment call, and the sign-off, stays with your Competent Person.