1.  Development.  "Development" means all of the methods used in the preparation of a known and presumed economically extractable ore deposit for mining.  

2.  Director of the survey.  "Director of the survey" means the executive head of the survey under section 543, subsection 1.  

3.  Exploration.  "Exploration" means an examination of an area for the purpose of discovering the presence of minerals with techniques which include all of the manual, mechanical, electronic or chemical methods of determining the presence, size and quality of a mineral deposit.  

4.  Explosives.  "Explosives" means explosive materials which are used to explore, develop or mine a mineral deposit.  

5.  Machinery.  "Machinery" means equipment or machinery, exclusive of vehicles, which is used to explore, develop or mine a mineral deposit.  

6.  Minerals.  "Minerals" means all naturally occurring mineral deposits, including hydrocarbons and peat, but excluding sand, gravel and water.  

7.  Mining.  "Mining" means all of the extractive and beneficiative processes necessary to remove and prepare a mineral deposit for market.  

8.  Ore.  "Ore" means any mineral or an aggregate of minerals which can be extracted from the earth economically.  

9.  Person.  "Person" means individuals, partnerships, corporations and other entities.  

10.  Royalty.  "Royalty" means the amount paid to the State for the right to remove minerals from state land, including minimum and preproduction payments.  

11.  State lands.  "State lands" means all lands owned or held in trust by the State or in which the State holds an interest, including inland and tidal submerged lands and waters.