Professional Development Training
PD Courses for Geoscientists
| 2023 |
|---|
Ore Textures: Recognition Techniques |
QGIS for Mineral Exploration |
Exploration Geochemistry |
Strategic Planning for Mineral Exploration in a Changing World |
Management in Mineral Exploration |
Exploration Geophysics for Geologists |
| Hyperspectral Data in Mineral Exploration |
Field Training for Exploration and Mine Geologists |
- Confirmation Date - is the date the course will be confirmed as proceeding. The minimum registrations have to be achieved by this date.
- Course Fees - payment of the course fees is by credit card and is required on registering for any course.
- A place on a course is not secured unless the course fee is paid on registering for any course.
- Multiple Company Registrations and other payment issues - contact [email protected] to discuss payment options.
If you would like further information about the short course program, if you're interested in running a short course in-house, or would like to be added to our mailing list to stay informed about upcoming EGRU short courses, please email [email protected]
Online Courses
Introduction to QGIS, map creation, styling, drill holes, geochemistry, geophysics and satellite imagery.
| Lecturer | Grant Boxer (FAIG, MGSA) |
|---|---|
| Presentation: | Online |
| Module Dates: | |
| Module 1 | 14 February 2023 |
| Module 2 | 15 February 2023 |
| Module 3 | 21 February 2023 |
| Module 4 | 22 February 2023 |
| Session times for all Modules: Each module is a 4 hour session (plus a 30 min. break). |
|
| Fee per Module - $AU, incl. GST | |
| EGRU Member | $265 |
| Non EGRU Member | $365 |
| AIG Member | $310 |
| Student | $125 |
| Register for the Course | This course is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Professional Development Hours - 4hrs per module Participation in this event may contribute to meeting Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements of professional institutes. |
| Course Details |
|---|
Module 1: Introduction to QGIS Prerequisites: basic knowledge of QGIS only
|
Module 2: Prerequisites: Completion of Module 1 or previous knowledge of QGIS
|
Module 3: Prerequisites: Completion of Module 1 or previous knowledge of QGIS
|
Module 4: Prerequisites: Completion of Module 1 or previous knowledge of QGIS
|
Grant Boxer is a geologist with over 40 years’ experience in exploration and mining geology. He works as a consultant geologist based in Perth, Western Australia. From 1978 until 1997 Grant was employed by CRA Exploration, Argyle Diamonds and Rio Tinto Exploration undertaking exploration and evaluation activities for diamonds and other commodities. Since 1998, Grant has been undertaking project generation, primarily for diamonds in Australia and overseas, carrying out GIS data compilations, project reviews, field visits, project management, and drilling and sampling program supervision.
Grant has a keen interest in GIS and remote sensing and has been a user of GIS since the mid-1990’s. He has been running QGIS courses tailored for geoscientists around Australia for many years, usually in association with the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Grant also has a keen interest in meteorite impact structures.
Grant is a RPGeo and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, member of Geological Society of Australia, the Geological Remote Sensing Group, and the Meteoritical Association.
Scenario & Strategic Planning in Uncertain Times, Option Development, and Structured Decision Making
This course is cancelled - 16 March 2023
An online workshop for Leaders and Managers, and their Teams who will implement the plan.
This course is relevant to all those involved with mineral exploration in the current uncertain times, including senior executives (and directors), exploration managers, and any other individuals who are keen to develop an agile, strategic mindset.
| Lecturers | |
|---|---|
Presentation | Online |
Course Dates | 29-30 March 2023 |
Time - daily sessions 2 x half day workshops - 4.25hrs plus breaks each day |
|
| Course Fees - AUD incl. GST | |
| EGRU Member | $530 |
| Non EGRU Member | $730 |
| AIG / GSSA Member | $620 |
| Student | $250 |
| Register for the Course | Confirmation Date: 10 March 2023 |
|---|---|
 | Professional Development Hours - 8.5hrs for the full course Participation in this event may contribute to meeting Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements of professional institutes. |
| Course Description |
|---|
Learning Outcomes Crises create uncertainty - which may lead to temporary confusion and loss of competitiveness – but they can also lead to new opportunities. This workshop will teach you how to address uncertainty, embrace change, identify opportunities and grow more resilient – all in a structured framework which facilitates regular review. As well as learning how to develop your own strategic plan, this workshop will allow you to experience the actual process. Participants will engage with each other in two facilitated exploration-relevant exercises: for commodity selection and new country expansion. You will learn how:
|
This course comprises 3 stand-alone modules that cover the main geophysical techniques used in mineral exploration.
Each module is presented over consecutive days.
| Lecturer | James Daniell Senior Geophysicist, Fender Geophysics Kim Cook Manager Geoscience Research & Technology, South32 Kate Hine Principal Geophysicist, Mitre Geophysics |
|---|---|
| Location | Online |
| Dates | |
| Module 1 | 22 - 24 May 2023 |
| Module 2 | 30 May - 01 June 2023 |
| Module 3 | 13 - 16 June 2023 |
| Daily session times (Including breaks) | |
| Module 1 |
|
| Module 2 |
|
| Module 3 |
|
| Fees per Module AUD incl GST | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| EGRU Member | $795 | $530 | $795 |
| Non-EGRU Member | $1095 | $730 | $1095 |
| AIG Member/GSSA Member | $930 | $620 | $930 |
| Student | $375 | $250 | $375 |
| Register for the Course | Confirmation Dates: 08 May - Module 1 17 May - Module 2 31 May - Module 3 | ||
|
CPD hours per Module Participation in this course may contribute to meeting Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements of professional institutes.. | |||
 Modules 1 & 3
|  Module 2
| ||
| Course Details |
|---|
Module 1: Introduction to Exploration Geophysics James Daniell, Fender Geophysics A 1.5 day course presented over 3 days
|
Module 2: Aeromagnetics in Mineral Exploration Kim Cook, Manager Geoscience Research & Technology, South32 A 1 day course presented over 3 days
|
Module 3: Electromagnetics and Induced Polarisation in Mineral Exploration Kate Hine, Mitre Geophysics A 1.5 course presented over 4 days. Daily sessions includes presentations and time for questions, discussion and review.
|
This course is primarily aimed at geologists who have recently been appointed as an Exploration Manager, or anyone who aspires to become an Exploration Manager within the next few years. It will also serve as a useful introduction to the business of mineral exploration for any non-technical professionals who track the activities of mineral explorers in the market, or others who work in the industry.
The course is an abridged version of the one-week Management in Mineral Exploration course previously offered by EGRU. It is offered as three stand-alone modules of two half days each per week, over a three week period, to allow participants to attend with minimal interruption to their work day.
| Lecturer | Nick Franey, NJF Consulting |
|---|---|
| Location | Online |
| Course Dates | |
Module 1 | 05-06 April 2023 |
Module 2 | 12-13 April 2023 |
Module 3 | 19-20 April 2023 |
Times - daily 2 x 4 hr daily sessions per module (includes a break) |
|
| Fees per Module - $AU incl. GST | |
| EGRU Member | $530 |
| Non EGRU Member | $730 |
| AIG Member | $620 |
| Register for the Course | Confirmation Date: 17 March 2023 |
|---|---|
| Professional Development Hours - 7hrs per module Participation in this event may contribute to meeting Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements of professional institutes. |
Course Description | |
|---|---|
Module 1: Managing for Exploration Success
Day-to-Day Exploration Management
| |
Module 2: Data Management and Advanced Projects
Managing the Non-Technical Aspects of the Business
| |
Module 3: Mineral Economics and the Economic Evaluation of Projects
The Financial Analysis of Companies
| |
| Nick Franey is an exploration geologist with a broad range of experience, from grassroots to advanced project (feasibility study) and near-mine operations. He has explored for most types of gold and base metal deposits in a variety of geological terranes, in more than 20 countries, on three continents |
This comprehensive 3-module course is designed for geology graduate students and mineral exploration professionals looking for continuing professional development in exploration and applied geochemistry.
Module 1 of the course would also be suitable for database professionals wishing to know more about the collection of geochemical data and the assessment of its quality, as well as for more seasoned geologists wishing to review recent advances in the collection, analysis, QA/QC and management of data.
| Lecturer | Dr Dennis Arne, Telemark Geoscience |
|---|---|
| Presentation | Online |
| Module Dates | |
| Module 1 | 01-02 March 2023 |
| Module 2 | 07-08 March 2023 |
| Module 3 | 21-22 March 2023 |
| Session times for all Modules Each module consists of 2 daily sessions of 4 hours each (including breaks). |
|
| Fee per Module - $AU, incl. GST | |
| EGRU Member | $530 |
| Non EGRU Member | $730 |
| AIG Member | $620 |
| Student | $250 |
| Register for the Course | This course is confirmed |
|---|---|
| Professional Development Hours - 7hrs per module Participation in this event may contribute to meeting Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements of professional institutes. |
| Course Description |
|---|
The course involves Powerpoint lectures to introduce concepts but will be interspersed with short practical exercises to reinforce some of the strategies and methods. Examples will be drawn from publicly available data sources from Canada, Australia and Sudan, with detailed data sets from the central Victorian goldfields used for data integration exercises. The aim of the complete 3-day short course series is to equip the participants to confidently design, implement and interpret diverse data sets from geochemical exploration programs while ensuring “fit for purpose” data quality and data management. |
Module 1: Data Acquisition, Quality Assessment and Management
|
Module 2: Exploratory Data Analysis using ioGAS
The first part of this module, will be immediately preceded by an optional one-hour session - Introduction to ioGAS - for those unfamiliar with the software. |
Module 3: Integration of Geochemical, Mineralogical and Geological Data
|
Dennis Arne has nearly 40 years' experience in geology and applied geochemistry globally. He has overseen regional geochemical exploration programs in the Yukon, Nunavut and northern Quebec in Canada, the USA, eastern Australia, Suriname, Sudan and Laos.
He was Managing Director and Principal Consultant - Geochemistry of CSA Global Canada until late 2017, General Manager and Principal Consultant – Geochemistry for Revelation Geoscience (purchased by CSA Global in 2012), Principal Consulting Geochemist with ioGlobal (now Reflex Geochemistry) and formerly Senior Geochemist with Geoscience Victoria (now Geological Survey of Victoria, Australia).
Dennis is currently director and principal consulting geochemist at Telemark Geosciences. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, a Fellow and President of the Association of Applied Geochemists, is a Registered Professional Geoscientist (Geochemistry) in Australia and a registered Professional Geoscientist in British Columbia.
This course is for geoscientists who are incorporating hyperspectral data into their exploration programs and would like to get more out of their data. It is also for geoscientists who are interested in how hyperspectral data could be integrated into their programs and provide valuable mineralogical input into the exploration and characterisation of mineralised systems.
9 CPD Hours
| Lecturers | Dr Carsten Laukamp, CSIRO Dr Scott Halley, Mineral Mapping |
|---|---|
| Presentation | Online over two days |
Course Dates 2 x 5 hour sessions | Tuesday 25 July 2023 Wednesday 26 July 2023 |
Session times (including breaks) | 11:30 - 16:30 AEST 9:30 - 14:30 AWST |
| Fee - $AU, incl. GST | |
| EGRU Member | $530 |
| Non EGRU Member | $730 |
| AIG Member | $620 |
| Student | $250 |
| Register for the Course | Confirmation Date 07 July 2023 |
|---|
Course Details
This course will cover topics relevant to the collection and use of hyperspectral data in the exploration and characterisation of mineralisation. The course will include the following:
- Basics of spectroscopy - including EM regions and their importance in mineral identification and characterisation
- Instrumentation - portable, core scanners, airborne and satellite
- Data collection – including sample type, sample preparation, effect of sample properties on spectral results
- Interpretation of spectra – including software, mineral ID, mineral groupings and assemblages, output
- Applications – including an interactive case study demonstrating the integration of hyperspectral and geochemical data
Day 1: Fundamentals
Dr Carsten Laukamp, CSIRO
This session aims to cover the fundamentals of spectral sensing solutions for mineral exploration challenges. Spectral signatures of major rock forming minerals as well as ore minerals across the visible to thermal infrared wavelength regions will be introduced in context of mineral exploration and ore body characterisation. Commonly used spectral sensing technologies – from field spectrometers to spaceborne sensors - will be discussed and example workflows for best practice data collection presented. Furthermore, examples for interpreting hyperspectral data will be provided, using a range of software packages, such as The Spectral Geologist software (https://research.csiro.au/thespectralgeologist/).
Day 2: Applications
Dr Scott Halley, Mineral Mapping
This session will involve an interactive case study incorporating 15,000 analyses from drill core from a porphyry Cu prospect. The sample data includes 4 acid digest ICP chemical analyses of drill core samples and spectra collected using a TerraSpec instrument. The practical exercise will involve the creation of alteration mineralogy diagrams from the geochemical data and attributing the diagrams using mineralogy identified from the SWIR spectra using TSG software. The data will be plotted and correlated using ioGAS software.
The practical exercise will demonstrate the relative strengths and weaknesses of predicting mineralogy from chemistry and from SWIR, and also show the benefits of merging the two data sets to derive a more robust alteration model.
Field Training Courses
The course will include learning how to map and recognise structures, rocks and alteration in the field and how to integrate field data and geophysical datasets into map areas of prospective mineralisation.
This course is not available as individual modules - participants will be required to attend the online and field components to obtain a certificate of attendance.
| Lecturer | Dr Ioan Sanislav, James Cook University |
|---|---|
| Dates | |
| Online Module | 05-07 September 2023 |
| Times | TBA - 3 - 4 hrs each day |
| Field Work | 11-15 September 2023 |
| Times | Full day x 5 days |
| Travel Date - to arrive in Mount Isa by | 10 September 2023 |
| Fee - AUD incl. GST | |
| EGRU Member | $3300 |
| Non EGRU Member | $4600 |
| Register for the Course | MAX Number of Registrations: 12 - If this course is over subscribed you will automatically be waitlisted. |
| Fees Include: |
|
| Fees do not Include |
|
| Participants Must Supply |
|
| Course Details |
|---|
This course is aimed at exploration geologists but it is equally useful for mining geologists. The course covers the basics of geological mapping with some advanced features available for more experienced geologists. The mapping is done in the world-class metallogenic province of Mount Isa and consists of mapping the geology, structure, and alteration around an undeveloped Cu-Au deposit. Although the course is divided into 2 modules, they are not standalone sessions. Attendance at both modules is required. |
Module 1: Online Three days of online teaching prior to heading to the field and putting things into practice
Requirements: access to QGIS, basic skills using QGIS |
Module 2: Field Mapping Prerequisite - completion of module 1 Five days of field mapping in the Mount Isa region. This will involve mapping a complexly deformed, metamorphosed, and altered area that contains developed and undeveloped Cu-Au±REE and U-REE mineralisation. At the end of this course, you should be able to produce a geological map showing lithology, structure, and alteration which you can use to identify exploration targets and plan drilling. |
Face-to-Face Courses
This three-day course* covers the fundamentals of textural observation and interpretation in mineralised hydrothermal systems. The techniques used are simple, highly effective and require no specialised equipment for their implementation. The techniques are also extremely practical in that they generate numerous questions concerning the mineralisation being studied and commonly provide vectors toward mineralisation for drill testing. Critical evaluation factors considered during the course include:
| Leader | Dr Gavin Clarke, James Cook University |
|---|---|
| Date | 30 January - 01 February 2023 |
| Location | Room TBC - James Cook University Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus |
| Delivery | Face-to-face (not available online) |
| Times | 9am - 5.30pm daily |
| Course Fee | |
| EGRU Member | $990 |
| Non-EGRU Member | $1650 |
| AIG Member | $1400 |
| Student | $330 |
| Register Here | |
| Course Description |
|---|
This three-day course* covers the fundamentals of textural observation and interpretation in mineralised hydrothermal systems. The techniques used are simple, highly effective and require no specialised equipment for their implementation. The techniques are also extremely practical in that they generate numerous questions concerning the mineralisation being studied and commonly provide vectors toward mineralisation for drill testing. Critical evaluation factors considered during the course include:
*This is a Level 4 course (Honours) suitable for early career geologists. Participants will be working alongside JCU geoscience honours students. The course includes a 2 part assessment. |
| Leader | TBA |
|---|---|
| Date | Dates for 2023 TBA |
| Location | James Cook University Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus |
| Delivery | Face-to-face (not available online) |
| Fee | |
| EGRU Member | |
| Non EGRU Member | |
| AIG Member | |
| Student | |
This two-day course* introduces the basic skills and methodology required to review and log geological core. Emphasis is placed on the recognition, description and acquisition of oriented data (bedding planes, faults, fractures, shear zones), and how this data relates to field observations. The course aims to familiarise participants with the key requirements of core logging, and how to interpret and integrate drill logs with geological models. The course will comprise short morning lectures introducing the principles of core logging on day one and, the integration of core logs into structural sections and geological models on day two, with substantive time each day spent undertaking practical group exercises. Day 1 - Logging at suitable scales to capture the required degree of information for a successful interpretation, and, importantly, present that data and interpretation to their peers. Day 2 - Construct cross sections from existing core logs, orientation data and geological maps. This will require careful consideration of how to connect critical markers to best reflect the geology of the area. Results will be discussed within the group at the end of the practical sessions. Core Logging Information *This is a Level 4 course (Honours) suitable for early career geologists. Participants will be working alongside JCU geoscience honours students. The course also includes exercises for assessment. | |
This course is designed for geologists who wish to advance their core geological skills and maximise the information they gather from fundamental geological data sets. The course will help participants enhance their understanding, interpretation, and modelling of geological systems.
| Leader | Dr Helen McCoy-West |
|---|---|
| Date | Dates for 2023 TBA |
| Location | Room TBC - James Cook University Townsville, Bebegu Yumba campus |
| Delivery | Face to Face (Not available online) |
| Course Fee | |
| EGRU Member | |
| Non EGRU Member | |
| AIG Member | |
| Students | |
| REGISTER HERE |
| Course Description | |
|---|---|
This 5-day practical course will develop skills in:
*This is a Level 4 course (Honours) suitable for early career geologists. Participants will be working alongside JCU geoscience honours students. |
Cancellation Policy
EGRU reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a course if:
- minimum numbers are not registered by the confirmation date.
- due to unforeseen circumstances the course cannot be presented
Course fees will be fully refunded if:
- Minimum numbers are not achieved and the course does not proceed
- EGRU cancels a course
- If a registrant chooses not to attend on the rescheduled dates.
If a registrant cancels their place on the course before the confirmation date, the registration fees will be fully refunded.
Requests for cancellations received on or after the confirmation date, will not be refunded BUT a registration place can be transferred to another person.
Cancellations will only be accepted by email to [email protected]