Mineral resources

Duration

30h Th, 1d FW, 30h Labo., 32h Proj.

Number of credits

Lecturer

Eric Pirard

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

• General overview of the mineral resources sector.
• Definitions of ore, resource, reserve (JORC Code).
• Mineral production and consumption statistics.
• General concepts of metallogeny
• Economic Geology of:

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

• Understand the diversity and complexity of the geological contexts of the main metallic ore deposits.
• Be able to imagine the best exploration tools criteria for each kind of mineral resource
• Be able to establish a clear link between the ore deposit type (nature) and the most appropriate excavation technique (engineering) to optimize resources
• Understand the geopolitical context prevailing for each metallic resource and suggest possible actions to mitigate EU and regional critical dependency.
• Plan a resource exploitation strategy to lower the impact of geological and mineralogical characteristics on the downstream mineral processing
• Be able to gather information and communicate to the wider society the challenges of extracting resources in complex natural environments
• Have the right background in economic geology to be a creative partner in an environmental remediation team

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

General Geology

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Lectures are delivered in a classroom allowing for spontaneous interaction between professor and students. These lessons use PPT enriched with video presentations and remote sensing images to introduce the environmental and social issues faced by the mining sector.
 
Every (2h) lecture is complemented by a (2h) practical session, inviting students to manipulate and observe real samples, to question researchers and to search for professional literature. Students are initiated to ore microscopy to apprehend the complex texture and mineralogy of natural resources.
A collection of more than 5000 samples from all over the world is available for browsing through the variety of world deposits.
 
Groups of two students with different backgrounds/culture are formed. Each group is asked to gather and synthesize scientific and commercial literature referring to a given world class deposit currently being exploited. A poster session is organized at the end of the course to allow for interaction and peer-evaluation among students.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Frontal instruction (2h) to explain the geological context of each deposit
Hands-on learning (2h) to manipulate samples and observe them under the microscope
Face-to-face discussions and interaction with young researchers in the field
Cooperative learning including team work, realization and presentation (pitch) of a poster in front of peers

Recommended or required readings

Required:
Power Point presentations available through the student portal (MyULg)
ARNDT N., GANINO Cl, KESLER St. - Metals and Society - An Introduction to Economic Geology, Springer, 2012
Recommended:
IIED, Breaking New Ground: Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (final report of the International Institute for Environment and Development).
ROBB L. - Introduction to ore-forming processes - Blackwell, 2009

Assessment methods and criteria

Written examination (75%): One major question relating to the mechanism of ore deposit formation and insisting on the features (size, grade, geometry, host rocks, etc.) that will impact the exploitation technique and the environment.
A series of more specific questions related to the terminology, the mineralogy and grades of various elements, the main producing regions of the world, etc.
The scientific rigor, clear structure and illustration as well as care taken in the presentation are essential criteria in the evaluation
Oral examination (15%): Identification of ore samples using both microscopic and macroscopic techniques. Interactive discussion on mineralogy, deposit type and main features of the mineralisation.
Poster and pitch presentation (10%): Overall quality of the poster (structure, illustration, sources,...) and clarity of the oral presentation

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

Mrs Rosalia FIORENTINO
Tél. : 04/366.95.27, e-mail : emerald@ulg.ac.be