The JORC Code — formally titled the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves — is the internationally recognised professional standard governing the public reporting of mineral exploration results, mineral resource estimates, and ore reserve declarations by companies operating under Australian, New Zealand, and other adopting jurisdictions' regulatory frameworks. Developed and maintained by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), the Minerals Council of Australia, and the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG), the JORC Code was first published in 1989 and has undergone several revisions, with the current edition dating from 2012.
The Code is built around the concept of a Competent Person (CP) — a qualified and experienced professional responsible for the public report — who must exercise professional judgment and apply the principle of transparency, materiality, and competence. Mineral Resources are classified under the JORC framework into Inferred, Indicated, and Measured categories, reflecting ascending levels of geological confidence, while Ore Reserves are classified as Probable or Proved, reflecting the additional assessment of modifying factors including mining, metallurgical, economic, legal, and environmental considerations. In gold, iron ore, bauxite, and diamond mining projects, JORC-compliant resource and reserve statements are mandatory for ASX-listed companies and are relied upon by investors, financiers, and regulators to make informed decisions about mineral asset value and project viability.