The prediction theory and methodology of ore prospecting were developed from an in-depth study of 129 typical deposits in China. The prediction method was verified to be effective, especially for initial ore prospecting. Using this method, a geological model of ore prospecting can be established by combining the internal (geochemical characteristics of elements) and external (types of geological processes) control factors for mineralization. The main components of the prediction model include the metallogenic geological body, structure and structural plane and the characteristics of the metallogenic process. This paper takes the Lala copper deposit in the Huili area, Sichuan Province, as a typical example to illustrate in detail the application of this method in deep ore prospecting of hydrothermal deposits. The Huili area is located in the western margin of the Yangtze Plate, where the regional metallogenic geological conditions are superior and a series of unique Fe-Cu deposits were formed due to the superposition of multi-period tectonic events. In recent years, great prospecting breakthroughs and progress have been made in the deep and peripheral areas of the Lala copper deposit. In this paper, we determined that the early ore-forming geological body is the ore hosting volcanic rock (albitite of the Hekou Group), and the main metallogenic structural control is the interface between basic (intermediate) volcanic and sedimentary rocks and the possible volcanic vent. In the period of hydrothermal superposition, the metallogenic geological body was speculated to be a deep concealed intrusion, and the metallogenic structural controls are mainly folds, faults and fissures. On the basis of summarizing the mineralization characteristics, a geological model of ore prospecting in the Lala copper deposit was established. Together with the results of geological and geophysical explorations, the southern part of Hongnipo was delineated as the ore prospecting target area where a thick, large orebody was later found by drilling verification, which opened up the regional prospecting space. © 2021, Editorial Office of Earth Science Frontiers. All right reserved.