Definition of prospect drill panner

In metal mining, a person who, with a cable drill rig, drills down through gravel to bedrock along a present or an old creek bed that usually has been prospected by a hand-dug hole. The panner saves the drillings and pans them to discover the possible presence of paydirt (gold-bearing gravel), and weighs gold particles recovered. In the event of the discovery of gold in quantities sufficient for profitable removal, the panner moves drill and continues operations to determine the boundaries of the gold-bearing strata.

Ref: DOT