The Challenge of Finding New Mineral ResourcesGlobal Metallogeny, Innovative Exploration, and New Discoveries

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Goldfarb ◽  
Erin E. Marsh ◽  
Thomas Monecke
1972 ◽  
Vol 186 (1) ◽  
pp. 527-545
Author(s):  
E. J. Manganiello

Since its creation in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has fostered new knowledge in virtually every field of science, shared the adventure of exploring the Moon with millions of people, and produced technology of lasting value here on Earth. Many new benefits will be harvested from space in the bold but balanced programme envisioned for the 1970s. From the vantage point of Earth orbit, satellites will further refine our knowledge of the Earth. Space physics spacecraft will study the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere, as well as the influence of solar activity, to provide an accurate model of our planet. New generations of weather satellites will move us toward global forecasts two weeks in advance, and eventually weather control. Earth resources technology satellites will provide a new capability for detecting blighted crops and forests, managing our waterways, and discovering new mineral resources. More advanced communications satellites will benefit the world community, including the illiterate of the developing nations. In this decade, unmanned spacecraft will be sent to the far reaches of the solar system. Probes will provide a first look at Mercury, the Asteroid Belt, Jupiter, and will orbit and softland on Mars to look for life. Activity in the manned spaceflight programme, while without the dramatic focus of a Moon landing of the last decade, will encompass several exciting new programmes such as Skylab, the first experimental space station; and the Space Shuttle, a re-usable booster and orbiter planned for a variety of uses.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Ashraf ◽  
Frederick Cawood

Purpose The fundamental purpose of this research is to compare Pakistan’s mineral policy instrument with that of leading developing minerals-based economies and to highlight the gaps. Mineral resources development can act as an engine for country growth and have the potential to transform economies and societies. The extent to which such transformation takes place varies depending upon the method of their use. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducts a gap analysis between Pakistan and leading developing minerals-based economies to identify key policy gaps. Two basic principles were kept in mind with the choice of countries: first, only developing countries were considered and, second, at least two countries had to be Islamic. Eight developing countries Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, India, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Turkey were selected. Findings The most important finding of the exercise is that Pakistan’s mineral sector is lacking an enabling institutional, fiscal and regulatory framework for the optimal development of its mineral resources. Practical implication Pakistan’s mineral resources have the potential to expand its economy and benefit its citizens. For this to happen, Pakistan must first establish what beneficiation is realistically expected from its mineral resources and, second, formulate a mineral policy based on leading practices to attract mining investment and aim for a sector contribution to gross domestic product of 5 per cent. Originality/value This paper presents original work on how Pakistan should formulate its mineral policy to extract maximum benefit from its mineral resources.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Ashraf ◽  
Frederick Cawood

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a mineral policy development framework for Pakistan based on seven key elements derived from the gap analysis of Pakistan’s current framework with leading developing minerals-based economies. Pakistan is gifted with significant mineral resources that have the potential to lift its economy and bring prosperity to its citizens. For this to happen, Pakistan must formulate a mineral policy based on leading practices to attract mining investment for economic growth. Design/methodology/approach This paper develops a new mineral policy framework from the lessons derived from the gap analysis conducted in the first paper of this research. These lessons are called the “elements of development” which, after evaluation with the existing framework, will provide the suggested strategic fit measures for the formulation of the new mineral policy framework for Pakistan. Findings A new mineral policy framework is proposed based on seven key enablers, namely, institutional framework, stable political economy, legal framework, regulatory framework, fiscal framework, stakeholder participation and sustainable development. A new organisational structure of the Ministry is also proposed based on the generally accepted organisational structure of tiers, implementation and regulatory bodies. Practical implications The key constraints for Pakistan’s mineral sector are as follows: the sector is lacking an enabling institutional framework for efficient access to mineral resources and lacks an enabling fiscal and regulatory framework including secure mineral rights system for mining to enhance the economic attractiveness of the sector. Originality/value This paper presents original work on the development of a new mineral policy framework for Pakistan to extract maximum benefit from its mineral resources.


Author(s):  
Xiang Wu ◽  
Jingqi Gao ◽  
Yuanlong Li ◽  
Chunlin Wu

The geological prospecting industry has developed rapidly in China over the past few years. It has made outstanding contributions to the discovery of new mineral resources, new energy sources, and the excavation and utilization of resources. However, geological prospecting projects do not have effective safety management measures at present. Moreover, the geological prospecting project has its own traits and features that differ from other industries, leading to the fact that safety management measures in other industries cannot be used in geological prospecting projects. Therefore, development of an effective safety management measuring tool is urgent and necessary. In recent years, safety climate has drawn great attention from scholars, and research results have been successfully applied in construction, coal mining and other industries. Based on the extensive literature review on safety climate as well as its organizational structure and employees’ individual behavior characteristics, this paper first extracted the factor structure of the safety climate and then developed a safety climate scale for geological prospecting projects. This paper used the methods of exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis to ensure the developed safety climate scale was valid and reliable. The safety climate scale developed has four dimensions, i.e., project leader’s safety commitment, safety institutions, risk response, and employee’s safety attitude, containing a total of 17 measurable items. This study contributes to the current literature by exploring the factor structure of the safety climate for geological prospecting projects, and further provides a scientific basis for improvements in the geological prospecting industry. Meanwhile, the findings not only provide technical support for investigating and analyzing the safety management levels of the geological prospecting industry, but also contribute to the benchmarking standards among different enterprises and projects.


Geophysics ◽  
1947 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-283
Author(s):  

A laboratory of applied geophysics and geochemistry has recently been established at the Pennsylvania State College under the direction of Dr. Sylvain J. Pirson. The program of work includes both resident instruction and fundamental as well as practical researches in the development of new mineral resources.


Author(s):  
S. H. U. Bowie ◽  
J. E. T. Horne

A Green mineral akin to monazite, derived from the State of Travancore in southern India, was investigated chemically during the first world war by the Imperial Institute, London, and was found to be exceptionally rich in thorium and uranium. No description of this unusual 'monazite' has hitherto been published.The high content of radioactive elements in this mineral led the State Geologist, Mr. Venkitarama Mahadevan, to have a deposit opened up in 1945, in readiness for an assessment of the radioactive mineral resources of Travancore. At the invitation of the former Dewan, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar, K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E., this assessment was carried out by Dr. C. F. Davidson early in 1946.


Author(s):  
VALERY A. KRYUKOV ◽  
◽  
VIKTOR A. YATSENKO ◽  
YAKOV V. KRYUKOV ◽  
◽  
...  

The article analyzes the organization of a new mineral resource center in the Arctic, which can be formed on the territory of the regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The creation of the center will have a positive impact on the spatial and socio-economic development of the Arctic territories of Russia and will expand interregional cooperation in the directions “north-south” and “westeast” within the framework of building value chains. The connection between the mineral resource center and the industrial regions of the country will be ensured. However, there are limitations that hinder the establishment of the center. The main constraints include infrastructural (transport, energy, telecommunications and others), personnel (access to skilled labor), intraregional and interregional differences. The most important condition for the implementation of the project is the possibility of obtaining a synergy effect from the placement of projects for the development of mineral resources within the framework of a single infrastructure. This effect can be obtained both for companies participating in the creation of a mineral resource center and for the state (both at the federal and regional levels).


Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Reid

The Olympic Cu-Au Province is a metallogenic province in South Australia that contains one of the world’s most significant Cu-Au-U resources in the Olympic Dam deposit. The Olympic Cu-Au Province also hosts a range of other iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits including Prominent Hill and Carrapateena. This paper reviews the geology of the Olympic Cu-Au Province by investigating the lithospheric architecture, geodynamic setting and alteration systematics. In addition, since the province is almost entirely buried by post-mineral cover, the sedimentary cover sequences are also reviewed. The Olympic Cu-Au Province formed during the early Mesoproterozoic, ca. 1.6 Ga and is co-located with a fundamental lithospheric boundary in the eastern Gawler Craton. This metallogenic event was driven in part by melting of a fertile, metasomatized sub-continental lithospheric mantle during a major regional tectonothermal event. Fluid evolution and multiple fluid mixing resulted in alteration assemblages that range from albite, magnetite and other higher temperature minerals to lower temperature assemblages such as hematite, sericite and chlorite. IOCG mineralisation is associated with both high and low temperature assemblages, however, hematite-rich IOCGs are the most economically significant. Burial by Mesoproterzoic and Neoproterozoic-Cambrian sedimentary successions preserved the Olympic Cu-Au Province from erosion, while also providing a challenge for mineral exploration in the region. Mineral potential modelling identifies regions within the Olympic Cu-Au Province and adjacent Curnamona Province that have high prospects for future IOCG discoveries. Exploration success will rely on improvements in existing potential field and geochemical data, and be bolstered by new 3D magnetotelluric surveys. However, drilling remains the final method for discovery of new mineral resources.


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