EAGE London: Critical minerals exploration: Copper and Nickel Mapping

The talk will have a hybrid form: in-person at Imperial College, London and broadcasted ONLINE.

Link to the webinar will be provided via e-mails to registered attendees: first e-mail will be sent two days before the event and the second one just 2 hours before the event. Do not register too late!

Lecture Room G38

18:30-18:35 Introduction and Announcements

18:35-19:20 Integrating Hydrocarbon and Mineral System Thinking for Copper and Nickel Prospectivity Mapping

19:20-19:35 Q&A

from 19:35 Networking

Dr Graeme Nicoll is Principal Geoscience Advisor - Critical Minerals, at Halliburton. He has over 15 years of industry experience and a Ph.D. in Volcanic Structure and Geochemistry. He spends his time collaborating with exploration groups within major mining companies that are Halliburton clients, thinking holistically about mineral systems and making subsurface mineral prospectivity maps that help our clients reduce exploration search space (by using our Neftex® global Earth Model for geological context).

Dr Paul Helps is a Principal Geoscientist at Halliburton, where he has been working for the last 12 years on the Neftex solution. Initially focussed on building and managing various hard-rock datasets (e.g. geochronology, thermochronology, whole-rock geochemistry) and their application to geodynamic, earth-systems and sequence stratigraphic frameworks to support hydrocarbon exploration, he is currently responsible for the development of global prospectivity mapping workflows and data products for mineral exploration, including lithium, copper, nickel and rare earth elements.

Copper and nickel are two of the commodities considered foundational to the Energy Transition, the drive to help mitigate climate change through a progressive global switch to lower carbon energy sources. Along with the likes of lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, these ‘critical minerals’ will be needed in ever greater abundance to support electrification and infrastructure upgrades, as well as provide the raw components for electric vehicles, renewable energy generation, data centres and battery storage.

Over the past few years, we have been applying our experience in developing and employing hydrocarbon exploration workflows to aid subsurface mineral exploration, allowing for predictions to be made into the unknown – both deeper into the subsurface and in locations away from data control. These predictions are based upon robust geological frameworks, built on diverse datasets, regional knowledge, and data-driven models.

In this talk, we describe how, working with our clients in the mining industry, we have integrated a holistic exploration mindset, common place in hydrocarbon exploration, with comparable mineral system approaches to globally screen for areas potentially prospective for porphyry and sedimentary-hosted copper, and magmatic nickel mineral systems.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Royal School of Mines, Royal School of Mines, London, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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