https://www.miningweekly.com

Mining ‘impossible without geologists’

10th February 2015

  

Font size: - +

This article has been supplied as a media statement and is not written by Creamer Media. It may be available only for a limited time on this website.

35th International Geology Congress  (0.13 MB)

Company Annpuncement -If we had no geologists, we would have no mining. This is the emphatic statement of Mike Teke, president of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa. Mr Teke is chairman of the board of the 35th International Geology Congress which will be held in Cape Town in August 2016, sixty four years after the last IUG on African soil. He is also an honorary fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa.

“We know that there are trillions of tons of mineral deposits in the earth, but without the geologists we don’t know where they are or what they are,” he says. “Mining starts with us having the confidence to invest in exploration. Mining starts with the answers that the geologists provide. They give us the surety we need to start operating.” ‘Geoscience in the economy’ is one of the major themes of the 35th IGC. Also in the spotlight are Geoscience for Society and Fundamental Geoscience. “This is like running the World Cup of geology,” says Greg Botha, Secretary General at the 35th International Geological Congress Foundation. “We are going to see geologists from all disciplines as well as exploration and supply companies coming together to focus the geoscience world’s attention on Africa. Under discussion will be the many advances in earth science research and geological mapping that have led to many amazing discoveries and fostered the mining boom across the continent.”

The 35th ICG is a Pan African event and the IGC Foundation has the support of the major African Geo-scientific Societies and other related organisations. The congress will showcase what we are doing in Africa, and also highlight the opportunities. As Mr Teke explains, a prestigious international congress like this one plays an important role in giving people the security that they need to invest in Africa and to start mining. It also gives investors and potential investors the confidence that they need in the results we have.

Mr Teke puts it into context: “If you tell me there is coal in Sandton, I won’t start drilling. But if a geologist confirms that it is there, I may have to start making plans to fetch the equipment and start drilling! “We know that the resources for the future lie predominantly in the developing world, and particularly in Africa. Geologists give us certainty and confidence in what we are doing,” he says.
“Geologists are core to the exploration, they are core in the drilling programmes and they are core when we talk about all aspects of a mining industry that creates jobs and makes money. Without them we would have no mining industry, and that is why I am excited about the 35th IGC.”

As part of the focus on economic geology, the 35th IGC will strive to provide solutions to some of the critical issues facing humanity across the globe. We know that we need mineral resources, but how do we extract these in an economically feasible, environmentally sound and socially responsible way? Given the lag between discovery and production of new resources, how can we accommodate the growing global population, as well as their right to improve their standard of living? The 35th IGC will be the biggest gathering of geologists ever seen on the African continent. Registrations have already started coming in and the organisers are confident of reaching their 6000-delegate target, with a high percentage of these expected to be from the African continent. Initial plans have shown that there will be 35 session rooms available to cater for 3150 oral presentations (three per hour) and 720 poster boards available each day with a total of 3600 poster presentations possible.

Large numbers of African delegates are expected to attend the 35th IGC and field trips are planned to all parts of the African continent. The GeoHost programme is a critical component of the 35th IGC. This programme will benefit young scientists from low income, developing countries by sponsoring their attendance and exposing them to technical short courses and the full scientific programme. Discussions have also been held with the YES Network. Sponsors are already signing up to make the most of the opportunity that the GeoHost programme offers for them to capitalise on their human capital development mandates. As with any conference, the Scientific Programme forms the heart of the 35th IGC event. Theme champions have been identified to lead the 48 themes that define the technical programme.  To date 86 symposia have been proposed and allocated to the appropriate themes. The themes have been advertised on the web site (www.35thIGC.org) and updates are posted regularly. As more symposia are submitted, the process of merging, splitting and re-naming will continue to reflect the sphere of delegate and sponsor interest. The web page is being modified to show each of the themes individually, along with the contact details of the champions. The cut-off date for submission of symposia has been extended to the end of May 2015. The call for abstracts will open on 1st July 2015 and end in January 2016.

Many international scientific societies are showing interest in attending and developing specific themes by sponsoring sessions and keynote speakers. It is likely that additional petroleum-related themes will also be included to attract scientists involved in the oil and gas fields on the East- and West African coasts. Workshop and short course proposals have been submitted with some linked to themes in the scientific programme. The second circular will emphasise the call for courses that will attract scientists and enhance the value of the GeoHost programme. Geologists from across the globe will also be taking advantage of the many geo-safaris that are planned, including a trip to the highest point in Africa – the peak of Kilimanjaro – and down into the deepest mine. The thematic field trips offered will ensure that almost every geoscience interest is catered for.  Multi –day excursions are currently being planned within South Africa. Ambitious field trips are also being offered in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Mozambique. The possibility of offering a post-congress field trip to Ghana is being investigated, subject to demand.

The exhibition hall floor plan and shell scheme have been communicated to prospective exhibitors through the interactive web page.
To broaden the exposure of the congress and draw upon a younger audience, the event is being communicated through a Facebook page www.facebook.com and Twitter twitter.com ; @35thIGC) addresses. If you ‘like’ or ‘follow’ the 35th IGC on social media you could be in line to win a free congress registration.

Sponsors will derive global exposure from this event. The sponsorship committee have been active in contacting major and mid-tier mining and exploration companies, allied service providers and government institutions. The congress offers tiered sponsorship opportunities which are described on the web site.

The legacy of the congress is being addressed by a Geoheritage programme that will publish a book comprising up to 60 papers that describe the geological superlatives across Africa. Another publication will describe the “Mineral Fields of Africa” with 29 papers covering precious-, base and industrial minerals, coal and other energy minerals and precious/semi-precious stones.
Go to www.35thIGC.org for more information or contact Lynne Smit at 021 556 8200 or email lynne@hippocommunications.com

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

Multotec
Multotec

Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
SMS group
SMS group

At SMS group, we have made it our mission to create a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
27th March 2024
Resources Watch
Resources Watch
27th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.171 0.206s - 91pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now