SEG 2022 Themes
As SEG begins our second century, the world is experiencing an unprecedented acceleration in demand for the vast majority of the metals and minerals that we discover, assess, and are mining at production levels already close to the highest in history. We are currently exploiting some 60% of the periodic table as primary and secondary minerals for perhaps the first time in history – and many secondary minerals are becoming primary in demand. Worldwide increasing per capita use means the minerals industry is more important to humanity than ever before. The metals and minerals we use include the precious metals, base industrial / infrastructure metals, and the rare earth elements and other critical minerals, all of which are crucial to support the accelerating energy transition. Increased demand for new energy storage; transmission and transportation technologies; the burgeoning electronics sector; and improvements to infrastructure are already driving up demand for the raw materials that we as economic geologists are responsible for discovering and providing. The future of economic geology revolves around retooling our skill sets, our prospects, and our mines to answer the call. We cordially invite you to become part of SEG 2022, which will be remembered in the coming decade as a pivotal collection of economic geology research that will form the basis of our industry going forward.
Themes
Vital metals for the next century: from exploration and discovery through production
Chairs: Meghan Chesal (BHP), Stephanie Mills (Utah Geological Survey)
Rising demand for vital metals brings a renewed global focus on mining and economic geology. Sessions on exploration for base metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe and Al), precious metals (Au, Ag and PGM), and the REE (Sc, Y, and the Lanthanides) will include geologic descriptions, ore deposit models, geochemistry, and mining case studies.
Critical minerals for our energy future: geology and ore deposit models
Chairs: Lucy Crane (Cornish Lithium Ltd), Joel Hrominchuk (BHP)
As demand accelerates for key commodities to build energy storage for transportation and utility delivery, SEG 2022 will provide a unique venue for discussion of exploration models, descriptive geology, and mining case studies for Li, Co, Ni, graphite, and other critical energy minerals.
New frontiers, innovative technologies, and emerging opportunities in economic geology
Chairs: Scott Briscoe (Newmont Corp), Kurt House (KoBold Metals)
The next century brings opportunities to meet challenges with growth, including embracing a more diverse workforce of economic geologists, focusing on sustainable mining practices, and developing - not only a license to operate - but a real force for positive change in our global communities.
Exploring the full value chain from mine to market
Chairs: Steven Fortier (United States Geological Survey), Lingli Zhou (iCRAG)
Electronics and renewable energy products demand fully integrated supply chains, and this is true especially for vital metals and critical minerals for energy storage. As economic geologists, our role can extend beyond exploration and mining to processing of critical energy minerals for advanced battery materials as well as repurposing, reusing, and recycling materials at every step. This theme will include topics such as mineralogy, geometallurgy, and nanotechnology.
Social and environmental impacts of resource development driven by the global economy
Chairs: Murray Hitzman (iCRAG), Borden Putnam (Mione Capital)
Additional resources are needed to fuel the emerging economy. Expansion of exploration projects to identify and extract resources has resulted in social and environmental impacts that could put developing regions at greater risk for social, political, and environmental harm during this period of high resource demand. Many considerations must be addressed to ensure that sustainable and equitable development takes place.
Recent innovations, integrated methods, and case studies
Chairs: Anita Parbhakar-Fox (University of Queensland), Rebecca Sproule (Rio Tinto)
Keeping abreast of what’s new in boots-on-the-ground exploration and current trends in mine development is increasingly important when in-person networking presents challenges on a global scale. Here, we provide an avenue for researchers and explorationists to showcase current ideas and projects that keep the science moving forward.