Workshop Details
WS01 - Lithium and Rare Earth Element Mineral Deposits
Date: Sunday, August 21
Time: 7:00am - 4:30pm (MDT)
Location: Virtual (Zoom and Hubilo). All registrants will have access to on-demand streaming of the recording.
Presenters: Adam Simon, Steve Kesler, Chris Emproto (University of Michigan)
Increasing production of lithium and rare earth elements is critical for the continued development of renewable energy infrastructure and the diffusion of technology in less developed countries. Some of the uses for lithium are in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones. Rare earth elements are equally essential in the modern world, as metals used in the production of permanent magnets in wind turbines, jet aircrafts, hybrid and battery electric vehicles, and smart phones.
In this workshop we will introduce participants to the following:
- An overview of the geology and mineralogy of lithium-bearing mineral deposits and their formation.
- A comparison of mining lithium brines versus hard rock lithium and the impacts of mineralogy on recovery.
- An overview of lithium clay deposits and their potential.
- Current and forecasted demand for lithium, including economic considerations.
- An overview of the geology and mineralogy of rare earth element mineral deposits and their formation.
- Case studies of the Bayan Obo and Mountain Pass deposits.
- Current and forecasted demand for rare earth elements, including economic considerations.
Attendee Maximum: 150
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WS02 - Modern Tools of Applied Structural Geology for Exploration and Development
Date: Thursday, August 25 - Friday, August 26
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm (MDT), 9:00am - 2:00pm (MDT)
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Presenters: Geoff Burtner (Senior Structural Geologist, Oriented Targeting Solutions), Chris Brown
Mineral exploration and development are about finding resources and understanding them in 3D. However, the toolkit for understanding rock geometry (a.k.a. structure) is commonly thought to be "too academic" for exploration. Bridging the gap between a semester of structural geology and the professional world, this 2-day workshop covers applied structural geology for exploration and development. The workshop will focus on downhole structural geology using oriented core and will highlight a complete workflow using modern tools and software.
Day 1 will cover set-up and management of a core orientation program, proper handling of large datasets, QA/QC and process management for structural data, practical advice for structural logging of drill core in multiple deposit styles, and integration of surface structural geology with downhole data.
Day 2 will build on the data acquisition techniques of Day 1 with hands-on practice analyzing structural data with modern software tools in ioGAS and Leapfrog and case studies of structural geology applied to exploration decision-making, resource modelling and geometallurgy/process optimization.
Participants will need to provide their own laptops to follow along with the exercises. All are also encouraged to bring their own downhole structure datasets to experiment with.
Attendee Maximum: 25
20% of spaces are reserved for students and offered at a discounted rate.
CANCELLED
WS03 - Discovery to Recovery: The Life Cycle from Exploration through Mining to Reclamation
Date: Thursday, August 25
Time: 8:30am - 5:00pm (MDT)
Location: Virtual (Zoom and Hubilo). All registrants will have access to on-demand streaming of the recording.
Presenters: Claire Chamberlain (Anglo American), Anita Parbhakar-Fox (Sustainable Minerals Institute), Angela Roach (Freeport-McMoRan)
Economic geologists have a wide range of career opportunities available to them, but it is rare for one geologist to work in every stage of the extensive mining life cycle. Nevertheless, each stage of the cycle has an important role in getting metal from the mine to the market. This workshop aims to clarify this life cycle for students and early career professionals in helping them decide on the best career path.
Part 1 of the workshop will go over the typical stages of mineral exploration and what opportunities are available to the economic geologist. Exploration includes initial work, from regional reconnaissance to prospect-scale surveys to trenching and drilling. Once a project is considered economic, more advanced exploration may include environmental and metallurgical work, feasibility studies, community engagement, permits and agreements, and finally, mine development.
Part 2 will review the mining process, including the differences between underground and open pit mining. Once the ore has been removed from the ground, it gets sent for separation, processing, and shipping. Different types of processing and the importance of geometallurgy will also be discussed in this session.
Part 3 will cover what is required after the active mine life comes to an end, and what opportunities there are for geologists to become involved in reclamation and mine waste management practices, including possibilities for characterizing mine waste materials and their economic potential.
Attendee Maximum: 75
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WS04 - Critical Minerals in Ore Deposits: A Holistic Mineral Systems Approach
Date: Friday, August 26
Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm (MDT)
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Presenters: Douglas Kreiner, Albert Hofstra (USGS) with others TBA
This one day workshop will focus on the integration of tectonic and geologic settings of ore deposits into a holistic mineral systems approach for data interpretation, exploration, and research on the formation of critical mineral resources. Attention will be given to the role tectonic settings play on determining the types of fluids and metals, the sources of critical minerals, and how critical minerals move through the crust from source to sink.
A particular focus of the workshop will be on the diversity of critical mineral enrichments in magmatic-hydrothermal and basin-hosted mineral environments. We will also provide examples of how to apply a mineral systems approach to advance geologic mapping and focus mineral exploration for major commodities and critical minerals.
Attendee Maximum: 30
20% of spaces are reserved for students and offered at a discounted rate.
CANCELLED
WS05 - Introduction to Machine Learning and its Application Across the Mine Project Life Cycle
Date: Friday, August 26
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm (MDT)
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Presenters: Tom Meuzelaar, D. Morgan Warren, and Alice Alex (Life Cycle Geo LLC), Juan Carlos Ordóñez Calderón (Kinross Gold), Pim van Geffen (CSA Global)
This one-day introductory machine learning workshop is designed for professionals working in all stages of the mine project life cycle, ending with a roundtable discussion with the presenters. The participants will be introduced to case studies applied to exploration, mine to mill optimization, and closure planning. Practical demonstrations using python and/or Orange will be performed using mostly geochemical datasets.
Attendee Maximum: 75
20% of spaces are reserved for students and offered at a discounted rate.
CANCELLED
WS06 - Environment, Social, and Governance in Exploration and Mining
Date: Wednesday, August 31
Time: 8:00am - 3:00pm (MDT)
Location: Virtual (Zoom and Hubilo). All registrants will have access to on-demand streaming of the recording.
Presenters: Sarah Gordon and Rose Clarke (Satarla)
Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) - also known as "sustainability", "license to operate", and occasionally "corporate social responsibility" - is rapidly increasing in importance regarding the whole mining value chain. Customers, investors, regulators, operators, service providers, academics, potential employees, as well as all others in society are now paying more attention to how and from where raw materials are obtained. Truly sustainable mining requires that ESG factors are thoroughly considered from the very beginning. As "the first boots on the ground," geos involved in exploration have the responsibility to ensure that this is the case.
In this workshop we examine the importance of ESG within the mining industry, specifically during mineral exploration. We discuss the role and responsibilities of geoscientists and exploration / mining companies, as well as professional bodies, non-governmental organizations, investors, procurement specialists, and society. The workshop will focus on where improvements have, can, and should be made to ensure ESG is thoroughly addressed during exploration.
Attendee Maximum: 15
20% of spaces are reserved for students and offered at a discounted rate.
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WS07 - Gold Deposits and New Exploration Concepts
Date: Wednesday, August 31
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm (MDT)
Location: Silver Room | Sheraton Hotel Tower Building
Presenters: Richard Goldfarb (Goldfarb Global Gold LLC), Karen Kelley (Emeritus USGS), Eric Anderson (USGS), Shawn Hood (Goldspot Discoveries)
Global gold exploration and present resources are dominated by orogenic gold deposits in metamorphic terranes of all ages and intrusion-related deposits (porphyry, epithermal) in young Phanerozoic arcs, with also Carlin-type gold ores being locally significant in the USA. An overview of the present-day understanding of the tectonic setting, geology, structure, and genesis of these deposit types will provide a framework for detailed presentations on important geochemical, geophysical, and machine-learning tools and advances now being successfully used by explorationists locating new gold ores.
The application of exploration geochemistry has been utilized for more than a century, but new technological applications have allowed additional advantages. Among examples of major Au-bearing deposits that were discovered based heavily on geochemistry surveys are the La Colosa deposit in Columbia and the Batu Hijau deposit in Indonesia. Case histories of these and other discoveries will be included in the workshop.
Exploration geophysics also plays an important role in mineral discovery and will continue to do so as the search for ore deposits moves deeper beneath cover material. An overview of commonly used geophysical methods including magnetics, gravimetrics, electromagnetics, resistivity, and radiometrics will provide the necessary framework for understanding the geologic environments in which these methods are more effective. Case histories highlighting the successful application of these geophysical methods in the search for gold will demonstrate their utility in a variety of geologic settings.
Attendee Maximum: 80
20% of spaces are reserved for students and offered at a discounted rate.
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WS08 - Practical Mineral Resource Estimation
Date: Wednesday, August 31 - Thursday, September 1
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm (MDT), 9:00am - 5:00pm (MDT)
Location: Denver, Colorado, United States
Presenters: Matthew Hastings (SRK) and Jeff McKeon (Seequent)
This two-day, on-site course is designed for professionals with some exposure to Leapfrog to learn principles of geological domaining for the purposes of mineral resource estimation. Attendees will use real-world examples of evaluating and modeling complex geologic problems using a variety of geologic and analytical data inputs. Attendees will generate a geological model, assess domains, and estimate tonnage and grade for reporting.
Attendee Maximum: 20
20% of spaces are reserved for students and offered at a discounted rate.
CANCELLED