It is a common responsibility of all countries to protect the ecological environment and promote sustainable development. Eco-geology, which provides a basic guarantee for the rational utilization of natural resources, ecological protection and restoration, has gradually become a new hot spot of geological survey institutions in various countries. Eco-geological survey in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau plays an important role in regional ecological protection and global change research. Setting up workable budgets symbolizes the competence of geological survey organizations in fulfilling their responsibilities, and unreliable cost estimates can cause economic and political complications. The unclear scope definition and scarcity of project information available at early stages make it hard to generate reliable preliminary cost estimates. Hence, based on historical data and the practical experience of scientists who have been engaged in eco-geological survey in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau for a long time, this research aimed to develop a cost estimation model using statistical learning methods for geological survey organizations to forecast preliminary costs during the early stages of an eco-geological survey project to fulfill different cost control and managerial functions. This research makes full use of modern remote sensing technology and reasonably arranges the input of ground survey, drilling, geophysical exploration and other workloads, supplemented by the existing ecological monitoring station data. It comprehensively sorts out the work means and workload of field and office work needed to complete the map work, and it puts forward a consistent index system and preliminary cost calculation framework. On this basis, based on the principle of matching quantity and price, a reasonable budget standard or market price is selected to calculate the budget estimate of a single map sheet, and then, through the regional adjustment coefficient, the budget estimate of a map sheet covering the whole Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is extended and calculated. The budget estimate will provide effective support for the declaration of eco-geological survey projects in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the calculation of the scale of project funds so as to ensure the smooth development of eco-geological surveying in the region.

Geological hazards impede regional economy sustainability. To limit their destructive impacts on human life and property, the Chinese government has independently developed automated monitoring and early-warning equipment, which has been deployed in over 250,000 locations nationwide, yielding effective early warnings. The smooth operation of this equipment necessitates substantial human, material, and financial resources for its maintenance. To allocate funds rationally, the Ministry of Finance of China has mandated the urgent establishment of budget standards for the operation and maintenance of automated monitoring and early-warning systems for geological hazards. Addressing the research gap in this area, this study meticulously develops a cost model, subcategorizing operating costs, maintenance costs, and management costs. Addressing the intricate issue of maintenance expenditures, this study ingeniously breaks down routine operations and urgent repairs stipulated in technical standards into personnel, materials, and vehicular needs for each equipment type. Considering the total manpower involved in equipment maintenance, the per-unit maintenance cost is determined. This method allocates costs to individual pieces of equipment, thereby sidestepping the quantification hurdle created by varying types and quantities of monitoring equipment at each monitoring site due to various geological disaster types and magnitudes, and technical personnel’s maintenance responsibility for multiple equipment types in a single operation. Finally, incorporating regional adjustment coefficients, we have formulated theoretical costs for the operation and maintenance of automated monitoring and early-warning equipment for geological hazards. By contrasting theoretical costs with actual project budgets, the error margin is within 2%. Following nationwide consultation, these theoretical costs have been officially endorsed as the budget standard. These standards will lay the groundwork for project budgeting and review, facilitate efficient fund utilization, and ensure the financial sustainability of monitoring and warning systems for geological hazards. Concurrently, this paper bridges the global lack in budget norms for the operation and upkeep of automated geological disaster monitoring systems. The cost calculation model introduced serves as a pivotal reference globally for the evaluation of analogous system’s operations and maintenance expenses.

Strengthening fundamental, public welfare, and strategic oil and gas geological surveys is a national requirement for energy security and a guarantee for developing new oil and gas areas. With the continuous increase in investment in oil and gas geological exploration and the reform of the fiscal budget system, it is required to establish a budget quota system for oil and gas geological surveys as soon as possible, in order to reasonably match special fiscal funds. This article analyzes the technical parameters of the current main methods of oil and gas geological survey, including two-dimensional seismic and parameter wells, as well as the latest technical standards, and constructs a technical framework. Then, according to the basic quota (personnel allocation quota, material consumption quota, equipment allocation quota, production quota), technical and economic parameters, "quantity, price, cost" calculation and other steps, build an economic framework that includes direct costs, indirect costs, and unforeseeable costs. Finally, in order to adapt to financial budget management, simplify the expression of budget standards, and establish a concise and clear expression of budget standards that is different from the engineering quantity valuation list of oil companies. Finally, the method for formulating budget standards for oil and gas geological surveys was proposed and discussed, and it was suggested to clarify the similarities and differences in the degree and technical requirements of commercial and basic oil and gas geological survey work. Develop budget standards for oil and gas geological surveys in stages and steps based on the principle of "existing as the main focus, gradually improving" for units within the system; For oil companies outside the system, the main focus is on formulating rules, with the market as the driving force and auxiliary reference to their budget standards.