Developing Effective Mineral Exploration Management Skills

August 26, 2019

Geologists and project managers transitioning into leadership roles in exploration management are not often prepared for the broad range of technical and business issues that they typically face. Standard geology courses and field-work do not include exposure to business skills such as effective people management, negotiation skills, nontechnical project risks, economics and the social licenses needed to operate exploration projects at a strategic scale.

Western Mining Services, in partnership with SEG, will host a 4-day training course that combines lecture and small team groups to stress interactive thinking and problem-solving needed for successful upper-level management. The small groups utilize the information presented during the lectures to design solutions for exploration challenges faced in the mineral industry. Each group then collaborates and provides a final presentation that is scored on key attributes, including the merits of the proposed solution, time management, and presentation quality.

Real-time feedback from instructors and networking events with fellow, future managers provide rare opportunities to build not only skills for advancement but also an expanded system of colleagues.

Regional and country exploration managers, senior project managers, and geoscientists looking to take the next step in their career will benefit from the course. Sign up by November 15 and receive a discounted rate for early registration.

Successful Course on the Geology of Mineral Deposits in Latin America

June 1, 2019

The 2019 SEG-SGA-UNESCO Latin American Course on Metallogeny was once again a success. Seventy enthusiastic participants from Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the USA attended the course May 23-29, 2019, in Lima, Peru, following the proEXPLO 2019.

Three days of theoretical-practical sessions covered fluids, porphyry systems, and the interconnected future of exploration, mining, and sustainability. Talks were followed by poster presentations. An optional four-day field trip followed, with visits to the ore deposits in Central Peru.

Travel costs for 23 students were subsidized directly through competitive scholarships, with many qualifying for a strongly subsidized registration fee. Through cost-effective management and dedicated leadership, this is one of many ways the Society supports individuals beginning a career in economic geology.