Mineral exploration is a multi-faceted endeavor that benefits from integrating different observational and analytical datasets, particularly those that pertain to known features, architecture and genetic models for the targeted deposit types. As explorationists contend with increasingly challenging targets—such as ones that are hidden and show only cryptic clues—it becomes increasingly important to develop new tools to extract insights that were previously inaccessible. Recent years have therefore witnessed major improvements in terms of higher spatial resolution, better detection limits, novel isotopic systems, and more. On top of that, novel computational approaches are providing new perspectives and richness to existing analytical datasets. These developments are enabling new ways to scrutinize and explore for mineral deposits. This session will showcase new developments in geochemical analyses, and case studies of their application to exploration. We welcome submissions that focus on laboratory techniques, interpretation of data, field applications, and combinations of these.

Structural geology plays a pivotal role in shaping the formation, distribution, and economic potential of ore deposits. It is fundamental to understanding ore deposit formation across a range of scales, from regional tectonic settings to deposit-specific structures. This session delves into the intricate relationship between tectonic processes, rock deformation, and mineralization pathways, highlighting how regional tectonic processes, fault systems, and localized deformation can influence ore-forming fluid pathways and metal concentration. Presentations will cover advanced modelling techniques, detailed case studies, and analytical methods that reveal how structural factors at each scale impact the location, shape, and economic viability of deposits. Topics may cover recent advances in understanding fault dynamics, fracture networks, and fluid flow as key drivers in concentrating ore-forming minerals. Presentations will showcase innovative modelling techniques, case studies from diverse geological settings, and novel analytical approaches that illustrate how structural geology informs exploration strategies and predictive models. Participants will gain insights into optimizing exploration efforts and assessing structural risk to maximize resource potential.

This session will deal with the environmental, societal and governance issues that play such a major role in mineral exploration and mining in the 21 st century. The session aims to look broadly at these important issues: from managing environmental impacts, remediation and mitigation, through mineral industry corporate governance and performance, to the interactions of economic geologists in industry, government and academia with wider society. We welcome talks on all aspects of ESG, including (but not limited to) life cycle assessment; net zero in mining; management and reuse of water, waste and tailings; societal engagement and perception of the mining industry; mining and minerals policy and governance. We encourage submissions from speakers working across academia, industry and
government, and from around the world, to highlight challenges and successful approaches from a variety of jurisdictions.

The tin and tungsten ore deposit spectrum traditionally ranges from pegmatites to stockwork/greisen/replacement to vein-style deposits and their erosive products (placers), mostly related to granitic magmatism. The session will focus on new results or discoveries of this spectrum, but also provide a forum for unconventional views. We invite innovative work from the deposit to the district to the provincial scale in the context of Earth evolution, as well as any experimental work which may help in the understanding of tin-tungsten mineral systems. 

Sedimentary basins are by far the largest global source of zinc and lead, contained primarily in MVT and CD (Clastic-Dominated) Pb-Zn deposits, and a significant source of copper. Our current knowledge of these deposits can be attributed in large part to the monumental contributions and seminal articles by David Leach, whose long-spanning career has involved fundamental research that has greatly refined genetic models and allowed more focused exploration. This session is designed to honor David’s career and contributions.

Topics of interest include those areas where he made significant early contributions and shaped current thinking, as well as recent advances of geochemical and geochronological methods as they apply to sediment-hosted deposits. Such topics could include factors that lead to continental-scale flow systems, chemical characterization and evolution of ore-forming fluids, the role of salt diapirs and evaporites in mineralization, new developments in isotopic dating of sulfides, carbonates and phosphates, trace element characterization of ore minerals, and parameters such as depositional setting, deposit age and secular variation, tectonic environment, and paleolatitude as they pertain to exploration.

TMetamorphic terranes, which comprise a significant part of the Earth’s crust, are host to numerous major and world-class precious, base, and critical metal deposits. Such terranes thus remain prime exploration targets for a wide spectrum of commodities. Metamorphic and late-stage (post-subduction) orogenic processes and associated magmatic events are responsible for the development of many different ore systems including orogenic gold (sensu lato), reduced and oxidized intrusion-related, and LCT pegmatite deposit-types. In other cases, metamorphism can be late relative to ore genesis, modifying the primary characteristics of affected deposits (e.g., deformation, recrystallization, and remobilization), hampering the understanding of primary controls on ore formation, and complicating exploration targeting. Deposits in metamorphic terranes commonly have complex characteristics and histories, and are often controversial, remaining a subject of advanced academic research. Better understanding the timing of mineralization relative to deformation, metamorphism, and associated hydrothermal (±magmatic) activity is essential to improve exploration strategies. 

We welcome contributions on, but not limited to: 

1) Mineralized systems/deposits resulting from regional metamorphism and late-stage (post-subduction) orogenic processes and related magmatic events, including controversial and “atypical” deposits, with a discussion of implications for exploration. 

2) The effects of metamorphic overprint on primary mineral deposits and the processes associated with modifications to the footprint and geometry of ore deposits, and what it implies for exploration. 

3) General considerations about the challenges of targeting mineral deposits in metamorphic terranes.

Shortly after general acceptance of plate tectonics as the paradigm describing geodynamic processes on Earth, economic geologists began to study and explore mineral systems within this context, beginning with porphyry-epithermal and volcanogenic massive sulfide systems in the late 1960s. As the paradigm of plate tectonics has evolved over the last half century, our knowledge of the secular distribution and evolution of mineral systems has also grown. The better understanding of the secular distribution of mineral systems in deep time can be used to decipher Earth’s evolution in general, with implications on climate and environment changes. This knowledge, in turn, improves our understanding of the controls on ore formation and aids mineral exploration. We invite those interested in the interplay between Earth evolution and ore formation to join us. We welcome presentations covering economic geology and metallogenesis, in the context of tectonic and environmental Earth evolution at the global and/or regional levels, to further improve our understanding of ore formation and to assist mineral exploration.

This joint SGA-SEG session on Geochemical Processes in Ore Deposition invites oral and poster submissions on studies related to mineralization in a wide range of ore-forming environments, including those related to magmatic intrusions, metamorphism and hydrothermal activity.  The aim is to document and understand the range of mineralization controls, from geologic and geodynamic influences to geochemical and biological processes, including causes of sulfide saturation and effects on mineral solubilities plus element partitioning and distribution. We encourage contributions that examine equilibrium and kinetic controls using chemical and isotopic information from a variety of geological, analytical, experimental, and modeling tools to interpret, predict and detect sites of metal deposition.

Mineral deposit exploration using geophysical, remote sensing, and hyperspectral techniques aims to map changes in rock mineralogy, structure, and physics that result from mineralizing processes. Such techniques can be deployed from satellites orbiting earth, low-flying aircraft (e.g., drones), instruments lowered in drillholes, and scanners in core sheds; thereby providing multi-scale approaches to mineral system characterization. They enable characterization of surficial and downhole alteration mineralogy, provide insights into structural controls and fluid pathways, and underpin petrophysically defined targeting  deep underground; all of which can be used to vector towards ore bodies. This session welcomes presentations that showcase successful case studies, novel applications, and recent advancements in the use of, and integration of geophysics, petrophysics, remote sensing, and hyperspectral techniques in the discovery of ore deposits.