We are thrilled to bring you the top entries from the 2024 SEG Student Chapter Podcast Challenge as a special set of three episodes. This episode pairs the 2024 Bronze winner with another that explored some of the political and environmental challenges in developing mineral deposits.

Chapter 1: The deposit that brought down a government

SEG STUDENT CHAPTER NAME: The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

Co-hosts: Rory Changleng, Alex Cerminaro

Producer: Rory Changleng

Chapter Notes

What mineral deposit became such a politicised commodity that it brought down a government? In this episode, two Penn State students, Rory and Alex, discuss what got them into geology and inspired them as budding economic geologists to begin a new SEG Student Chapter at Penn State. Alex reminisces about how trying to discover gold in his grandmother's garden in Pennsylvania led to his working with an Alaska exploration company to date gold mineralisation using a novel geochemical technique. Rory tells the story of the Ilimaussaq intrusion in Southern Greenland, home of the Kvanefjeld deposit. It was visiting this deposit during undergraduate fieldwork that opened his mind to the turbulent and consequential world of economic geology. Exploiting Kvanefjeld proved so divisive that it drove the collapse of the Greenlandic government. But as the second largest rare earth element deposit on Earth, surely it’s just a matter of time until mining begins?

Chapter 2: Should we Mine the Seafloor?

SEG STUDENT CHAPTER NAME: SEG of Athens

Host: Pavlos Zambras

Guests: Evi Dimou and Revekka Avoukatou

Chapter Notes

Exploring the depths of the ocean for valuable resources presents an alluring frontier in human endeavor: Deep Sea mining. This venture entails a journey into the unknown, facing both mysteries and challenges while uncovering the potential of extracting precious materials from the ocean floor.

The vast expanse of the deep sea, encompassing more than 65% of Earth's surface, harbors immense reservoirs of base metals, precious metals, and critical elements like nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese. These elements are indispensable for powering the transition towards clean green energy. Whether it's polymetallic nodules or seafloor massive sulfide found at hydrothermal vent fields, these resources offer the promise of driving technological progress and fostering economic development in the years ahead.

However, the pursuit of these underwater treasures is not devoid of controversy. Deep sea mining raises profound concerns regarding its environmental impact, sustainability, and the ethical utilization of Earth's resources. It's crucial to acknowledge that these deep-sea environments host unique life forms not found elsewhere on the planet, including highly complex prokaryotic communities and microbes with exceptional tolerance to acidity and antibiotics.

International regulations governing deep sea mining are still under development, adding to the uncertainty surrounding this practice. Many fear the potential ecological disruption it could bring to an area of our planet that remains largely unexplored. The question arises: Can we afford the environmental and ecological risks associated with deep sea mining? Or, put more simply, should we proceed with mining the seafloor?

What is needed to build geoscience skills for mining and exploration in Africa? This wide-ranging panel discussion highlights industry, academic and government perspectives on establishing enduring relationships with local communities, with a focus on building geoscience and technical capabilities. The discussion explored the development of local technical staff for exploration and mining operations, the role of geological surveys in skill development and the impact of research carried out without local collaboration (‘parachute science’).

Hosted by Anne Thompson, the panel included Kurt House, CEO KoBold Metals, Kombada Mhopjeni, National Program Officer for Natural Sciences (UNESCO Windhoek), Benjamin Mapani, Professor Namibia University of Science and Technology and Franck Twite, Chief Geologist, Kamoa Copper S.A.

The discussion was recorded live in front of the conference audience in the Windhoek, Namibia on the 27 September 2024. We covered

The panel started with introducing themselves and the challenges they face or approaches they take to capacity building (skills training) in their work. The discussion including the following questions:

· How do exploration and mining companies create real change with long lasting community benefit? What makes a difference to community and government relationships?

· What can research and geological survey scientists do to help build global geoscience capacity and support public education?

· What do you think is the most important area to focus on as we look to the future?

· What makes you optimistic for the future of collaboration and our ability to build geoscience capacity?

We covered a lot, insights on the use of data science, how to get high school students interested in geoscience and even how cultural differences can impact our communication with each other.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds
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Namibia is a country of diverse geology and mineral deposits that is also embracing the green energy transition. The diversity of critical minerals and metals and the expansion of green energy sources for mining are all exciting for the future of Namibia.
Namibia is 'elephant country' in more than one way!

The Society of Economic Geologists is thrilled to collaborate with our partners the Geoscience Council of Namibia and the Geological Society of Namibia to host the SEG 2024 conference in Windhoek, September 27-30.

This episode explores the geology and mineral deposits, from the Proterozoic to the present and the mineral potential that exists throughout the country. We hope you will listen in and then join us in Windhoek in a few months!

Anna Nguno, Deputy Director at the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN), Ministry of Mines and Energy and co-chair of SEG 2024 introduces the episode with a conference teaser: what to expect at the conference, the main themes, technical sessions, field trips, and more.

Geological Mineral and Information System - Namibia (Geological Survey of Namibia)

Next Roy Miller, previous Director of the Geological Survey of Namibia, provides an overview of the regional geology and tectonic history of Namibia, including the mineral deposits and economic potential of the various belts.

• Paleoproterozoic basement rocks contain the 1.2 Haib porphyry deposit.
• Mesoproterozoic rocks in the country are divided into 3 complexes, none of which contain extensive mineralization.
• The Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Damara Supergroup is the most extensive succession in Namibia, contains a wealth of different types of ore deposits, and is found in three belts: 1) the Damara belt in central Namibia; 2) the Kaoko belt in the northwest; and 3) the Gariep in the southwest
• The Carboniferous to Jurassic Karoo Supergroup contains thin lenses of coal and sandstone aquifers.
• Cretaceous continental breakup resulted in Etendeka flood basalts.
• At the end of the Cretaceous the region became semi-arid and the Kalahari Desert began to form. In wetter periods, the Orange River flooded and deposited diamonds from inland to the coast, 90% of which are gem quality and mined today by De Beers.
• From 21 million years ago, sand began to accumulate in major dune fields.

Finally, Mary Barton, Principal Geoscientist at Odikwa Geoservices, talks about her introduction to the field of geology and what a day in the life of a Namibian greenfields exploration geologist looks like. She discusses above ground risks in the country (including lions and cheetahs!), the placer diamond mining industry, and what opportunities the green transition might bring to the country.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds

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Understanding the earth processes that control lithium is key to exploration and developing the resources needed for society and the energy transition. The lightest of the metals, lithium moves easily in fluids and is found in a variety of geologic environments from brines to pegmatites to clays.

Host Anne Thompson explores the geoscience of lithium, assessing what we know and what are the challenges in the quest to supply the lithium needed by human society. Our three guests provide insights into the variety of lithium sources that potentially allow for geographically distributed supply.

We talked first to Rebecca Paisley, a geochemist with WSP Canada, to consider the diversity of lithium bearing brines and the fundamental nature of the metal. Its natural affinity to partition into the liquid phase means that lithium occurs in salty salar brines, a variety of geothermal brines and oil field brines. The value of your brine, however, also depends on the end-product required and the steps needed to extract it from the solution. Rebecca connects the value of lithium in brines to the whole mining circle.

Bob Linnen, Chief Geologist – Lithium, KoBold Metals, spent his academic career studying pegmatites and now continues to develop his ideas through global exploration. The high grades in lithium pegmatites make them appealing targets for exploration, and better positioned to survive big fluctuations in commodity price. Not all pegmatites, however, are created equal and much is still being learned about this important host for lithium resources as the mineral system view evolves.
Koopmans et al., 2023

Lastly, we talked to Tom Benson, VP Global Exploration for Lithium Argentina. Tom thought he was going to be an academic after completing a PhD on Thacker Pass, Nevada, USA, but an opportunity to engage in research and exploration was too good to pass up. His work includes active collaboration with researchers around the world as well as exploration for new deposits. Tom frames the occurrence of lithium in clays at Thacker Pass within the context of volcano-sedimentary systems. The deposit has unique features, including the presence of higher grade illite in addition to lithium-bearing smectite.

Benson et al., 2023

New research globally focused on lithium resources continues to push our understanding and highlight the importance of its volatile nature in the ways in which it is concentrated and trapped.

Next week is the last episode of Season 4 – we will head to Namibia, host to the SEG 2024 conference September 27-30, to explore the diverse geology and mineral deposits and hear about what the conference has in store.

Many thanks to our season 4 sponsor, Anglo American.

Our theme music is Confluence, by Eastwinds.

As our geo-toolkit expands, how can we equip ourselves to deal with these large volumes of highly diverse, dense data that are available and at higher speeds than ever before? This week’s episode is a companion to episode 47 (Core Sensing Technology) and host Britt Bluemel (Global Business Development Manager, ALS GoldSpot Discoveries) is joined by experts in the field of big data wrangling. They discuss considerations when dealing with data from core sensing systems, with the aim of empowering geologists with better decision-making tools throughout the mining value chain.

New out this week is also a great paper in the SEG Discovery Magazine by Anthony Harris and co-authors - Empowering Geologists in the Exploration Process - Maximizing Data Use from Enabling Scanning Technologies. Check it out for diagrams and case studies that demonstrate the use of core scanning technology.

In this week's episode, our first guest, Dr. McLean Trott (Director, Ore Body Knowledge at ALS GoldSpot Discoveries) just completed his PhD on the topic of tackling big data and integration of various data streams, and how to extract the most value from datasets, including image data. Mac also discusses the utility of point measurement compared to line scanning or full core imaging, with an emphasis on fit-for-purpose data, while considering bottom line factors like speed and cost of data acquisition.

Next, we’re joined by Dr. Jack Milton, VP Geology at Fireweed Metals, and he provides the ‘end user’ perspective. Fireweed Metals has used XRF core scanning technology for several years and Jack describes some of the key benefits and real time decision making that is enabled by this technology. Jack also discusses good connectivity for transferring these huge data files (their on-site scanner has its own dedicated Starlink system) and the necessity of high quality calibrations when collecting XRF data in the field.

Our final guest, Brenton Crawford (Datarock’s Chief Geoscientist) cautions us not just to choose the coolest machine, but to select the sensor that’s right for the job. He discusses utilizing scanning data to create geometallurgical domains, and how project success can be increased by including your IT team in the early stages of the conversation.

Next week, Anne Thompson will be back with three exceptional guests, to discuss the geology of lithium and explore three different host environments, brines, clays and pegmatites.

Our theme music is Confluence, by Eastwinds.

Drill core scanning technology is rapidly developing for use in exploration and mining. The future holds great promise if we can leverage all the data sets available from multiple sensors, but critical for success is understanding how the sensors and scanning systems work. What are the right questions to ask when picking our tools? Host Britt Bluemel, Global Business Development Manager for ALS Goldspot Discoveries, discusses three different types of sensors: hyperspectral for mineralogy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for elements and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for data at the level of atoms.

Setting the scene in the first segment is Cari Deyell, Principal Spectral Geologist, Veracio. Cari takes us through the fundamentals of reflectance spectroscopy and builds out the case for mapping mineralogy from exploration through to mine development and ore body knowledge. The mineralogical data set provided by #spectroscopy can be enhanced when integrated with XRF and RGB photography. This integration will lead to fundamental advances in how we understand and mine ore bodies.

Our next story focuses on the benefits of using XRF scanners on drill core with Michelle Legat, Vice President at GeologicAI. Scanning up to 650m per day, they are able to map the elements present and correlate with grades and minerals. Good data from any system is important and Michelle addresses key parts of the data collection process, to ensure that you get the best possible result. Acquiring XRF data also means a better understanding of mobile and immobile elements, supporting lithogeochemistry and produces some exciting results for exploration programs.

François Doucet founder and CEO of Elemission, joins Britt for the last conversation and takes us through the background of LIBS and how it relates to other well-known geochemical analysis. Francois tells the story of the ground breaking moment of Curiosity landing on Mars in 1999 to the founding of Elemission, applying LIBS to the mapping of drill core. Scanning rates are dependent on the grain size of the minerals, with adjustments to higher speeds for pegmatites and coarse-grained rock. A breakthrough technology that takes the mapping of core down to the level of atoms.

Next week Britt will be back to explore how to handle the volumes of data generated by core scanning systems for use in all parts of the mining value chain.

Our theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds.

Reducing the environmental impact of mineral exploration can reap benefits beyond the immediate obvious reduction of harm on the local flora and fauna. Perhaps unexpected for some are the savings in carbon and water, the positive impact on data collection, the response from local communities and the cost savings. Add to that an ability to recruit outstanding employees and you have a compelling argument for rethinking mineral exploration.

To find out what ideas a random sample of folks involved in mineral exploration had, we toured the exhibit hall of the recent AME Roundup 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. What did they think would reduce the environmental impact of mineral exploration? The ideas are wide ranging but hit on the critical point - take better data, be smart and be efficient.

Careful program planning, building new camp systems and continuing to innovate as they grow their business is built into the fundamental framework of Anomalous Exploration. Join us as we explore with Ellen Hunter-Perkins, CEO, how they approach small scale programs and the perhaps unexpected benefits of more time on the ground, in the field, to collect high quality data and the response they have had from potential employees.

Anomalous Exploration

Innovation is a core part of how Hy-tech operates, based out of Smithers, British Columbia. We talked to Brian Butterworth, President Hy-Tech Group about how they continue to adapt their systems and also build their international operations. For several years now, they have been operating centrifuges on their diamond drills, resulting in most of the water needed in diamond drilling being recycled. Several of their innovations result in lower fuel consumption and reduced equipment transportation. Paying attention to how we drill diamond holes can significantly reduce our environmental footprint.

Hy-tech Drilling

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds.

How can we balance the demands of careers in exploration with family life? How has the industry at large dealt with this in the past versus how companies handle it today? Filling the expected gaps in the exploration and mining workforce requires us to look internally at how we support employees to start families, care for parents or manage other personal circumstances. Communication with our managers, colleagues, spouses, and families are all equally important. Managing it collaboratively and with flexibility can make the difference, determining who stays and who leaves the industry.

Anne Thompson introduces the episode with some stories from her own early career as a field exploration geologist and while starting a family in the late 1980s. Anne’s early work in Utah, where she took her young daughter into the field was recently featured by the Utah Geological Survey.

Next, a husband-and-wife pair, Duncan and Catherine Proctor, discuss their own career paths and how they changed when they started a family. They tell the listeners how they balance their careers and their family and make sure both can be fulfilling for them. They also discuss the importance of being versatile when circumstances inevitably change in both their personal and professional lives.
Find out more about their story at ndp40 .

Barbara Romero, Superintendent Exploration at BHP in Santiago, then discusses the challenges and opportunities of being a single mother in a job that requires significant travel. She talks about her experiences working for a major company raising a young daughter, from her first time away from home when her daughter was 6 months old to what life with her daughter is like now in a modern, post-pandemic world where flexible work schedules are the norm. She also discusses her challenges and her goals for the future.

Duncan, Catherine, and Barbara all discuss how they stay connected to their families while they are away, and give the listeners advice on how they can advocate for themselves in the workplace.

Tune in to get some stories and words of wisdom from these fantastic guests! Next episode we will switch gears and learn about the environmental impacts of exploration with host Anne Thompson.

Theme music is Confluence by Eastwinds .