Prospector (noun)

1. A person who searches for valuable minerals, such as gold or silver, often in remote or rugged areas.
2. A person who explores for natural resources, such as oil, gas or minerals.

Origin:

From prospect + -or, modeled on words such as inventor, collector, etc.

Examples:

1. The prospector found a rich vein of gold in the mountains.
2. He became a prospector in the hope of striking it rich.
3. The prospector's job is to search for natural resources.
4. The prospector was searching for oil on the land.
5. Many prospectors came to California during the gold rush.