Economic Geology
We apply fundamental geological knowledge and research to help tackle major problems in the exploration and development of mineral and hydrocarbon resources.
The Economic Geology Research Group brings together scientists with diverse expertise in the geology of natural resources.
Geological resources are critical in meeting the challenge that global climate change poses to society. We use our expertise in geochemistry, structural geology, and geophysics to address some of the most pressing scientific questions around natural resources and the consequences of their exploitation.
Aims
We aim to understand the processes that lead to the accumulation of economic resources in the Earth’s crust. Such understanding is an essential first step in the sustainable and responsible use of those natural resources that will enable the transition to a green economy.
We are also interested in the downstream interactions between the exploration and mining industry and society, at scales from artisanal to industrial mining, which will facilitate a low carbon future for the Earth.
Research
Mineral deposits
We employ our state-of-the-art analytical facilities to investigate the magmatic, tectonic, and hydrothermal processes that have led to the formation of ore deposits in different geodynamic environments and throughout Earth history. We use this knowledge to enable responsible mining, including amelioration of the environmental consequences of exploration and mining.
Collaborative working with industry is key to delivering impact from our research. We work with mining and exploration companies to improve the exploration, mining, and processing of metals such as the Platinum-Group Elements (PGE), rare earth elements, selenium, tellurium, cobalt and lithium that are essential for renewable power generation and storage. We also apply geochemical and structural geology exploration methods, including prospectivity analysis, to precious metal, base metal, rare metal, and gemstone deposits.
Hydrocarbon systems
We investigate mass wasting, fault mechanics and salt tectonics and their relationship to flow and trapping of oil and gas in sedimentary basins. Our research also addresses the environmental impacts of hydrocarbon exploration and production, including the development of CO2 capture, oil spill modelling and mitigation.
Application of three dimensional (3D) seismic technology to our large archive of data donated through collaboration with the petroleum industry and governments allows us to analyse depositional and deformational processes.
Funding
(PI = Principal Investigator, Co-I = Co-Investigator)
McDonald, I. (PI) Northern Limb 4 Dimension (NL4D. Anglo American funded research project 516560, £364,164.
McDonald, I. (PI) and Lissenberg, J. (Co-I) FAMOS (From Arc Magma to Ore System). NERC Research Highlight Topic award. NE/P017312/1, £187,538
McDonald, I. (PI) Isotope record of the Great Oxidation Event recorded in South Africa and implications for contamination and mineralisation in the Bushveld Complex. NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Support award IP‐1677‐1116, £22,030
McDonald, I. (PI) TeaSe (Tellurium and Selenium Cycling and Supply). NERC Security of Supply of Minerals Programme. NE/M011615/1, £446,868 (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/explore/find-a-project/view/202684-te-and-se-cycling-and-supply-tease)
McDonald, I. (PI) The Platreef magma event at the world-class Turfspruit PGE deposit: Implications for mineralization processes and Bushveld Complex stratigraphy. PhD studentship award, Ivanhoe Mines Ltd, £68,409
McDonald, I. (PI) Link between magmatism and the volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) hydrothermal system; evidence from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Support award IP-1766-1117, £28,000
Alves, T. (PI) HUSKY-Newfoundland Basins, comprising the analysis of the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of outer shelf-upper slope basins offshore the Grand Banks, £74,500
Alves, T. (PI) PETROBRAS Atlantic Margins course, with emphasis on offshore Brazil, £7,500
Alves, T. (PI) Sea4All project (Erasmus+) for the study and modelling of marine pollution in the European Seas, £36,000 (https://www.sea4all-project.eu/)
Alves, T. (PI) Husky-North Atlantic basins, aiming at understanding the evolution of North Atlantic Basins, £397,000
Alves, T. (Co-PI) PETROBRAS Santos Basin, focused on the study of structural features in pre-salt reservoirs in SE Brazil, £97,000
Alves, T. (PI) RAFTs Consortium (Total plus 5 other companies) – Raft and pre-salt geology offshore West Africa, £301,781
Alves, T. (PI) HUSKY-Paleostructural indicators of North Atlantic rifting, in which seismic and outcrop data were reviewed for this same purpose, £53,324
Alves, T. (PI) NEREIDs project (European Commission) for the study and modelling of oil spills in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, £46,000 (www.nereids.eu)
Alves, T. (PI) HUSKY-Newfoundland Basins, comprising the analysis of the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of outer shelf-upper slope basins offshore the Grand Banks, £74,500
Alves, T. (PI) PETROBRAS Equatorial Margins, focused on the study of the Pará-Maranhão Basin offshore North Brazil, £25,000
Maier, W. (PI) Geochronology of Monchepluton. NERC Isotope Geosciences Facilities Support award IP-1644-0516, £76,000
Alves, T. (PI) Husky – North Atlantic Evolution, reviewing the evolution of breakup sequences in the Mesozoic North Atlantic Ocean, £397,500
Alves, T. (PI) ERASMUS+ Sea4All project, in which education software is being developed to educate school children on how to tackle marine pollution, £43,680
Blenkinsop, T. G. Gold Prospectivity in Eastern Russia, Kupol and Dvoinoye Mines, Kinross, £10 000
Blenkinsop T.G. (PI) Structural Geology in Drill core, Newmont, £2452
Blenkinsop, T,.G. (PI) Mining Governance Project, World Bank, Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining, Malawi
Blenkinsop, T.G. (PI) Formation of the world class copper deposit at Mount Isa, Australia MOUNT ISA MINES, NERC PhD CASE award, £71,878
Blenkinsop T. G. (PI) Mapping and prospectivity analysis of the Tommy Creek Block, Mount Isa, and short courses. MOUNT ISA MINES, £30659
Blenkinsop T. G. (PI) Prospectivity analysis of the Eastern Fold Belt, Mount Isa. NEWMONT ASIA PACIFIC, £11,000
Blenkinsop T. G. (PI) Prospectivity analysis of Geita gold mine tenements, Tanzania. ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI Ltd, £10585
Blenkinsop T. G. (PI) Structural Geology of Ngezi Platinum Mine. ZIMPLATS, £9,742.
Lambert-Smith J. S. (PI) Characterising the mineralization, alteration and temporal evolution of the auriferous Neoarchean Gokona deposit, Tanzania. SEG Student Research Grant Award, £3,965.
Lambert-Smith J. S. (PI) Petrographic study of the Dandoko Au Project, Mali, West Africa (consultancy), OKLO RESOURCES LTD., £8,252.
Lambert-Smith J. S. (PI) Petrographic study of the Diamba Sud Au project, Senegal. CHESSER RESOURCES, £4,999.
Maier W. D. (PI) Establishing the Battery Mineral Potential of Wales, KESS studentship of Welsh government, £80,000.
Maier W. D. (PI) Geochronology of Flatreef, NERC Isotope Geoscience Facility, £35,000.
Meet the team
Academic staff
Postgraduate students
Publications
- Alves, T. et al. 2021. Scientific, societal and pedagogical approaches to tackle the impact of climate change on marine pollution. Scientific Reports 11 2927. (10.1038/s41598-021-82421-y)
- Kumar, P. C. , Alves, T. M. and Sain, K. 2021. Forced folding in the Kora Volcanic Complex, New Zealand: A case study with relevance to the production of hydrocarbons and geothermal energy. Geothermics 89 101965. (10.1016/j.geothermics.2020.101965)
- Maier, W. D. et al. 2021. Formation of Bushveld anorthosite by reactive porous flow. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 176 (1) 3. (10.1007/s00410-020-01760-7)
- Maia de Almeida, N. et al., 2020. A three-dimensional (3D) structural model for an oil-producing basin of the Brazilian Equatorial margin. Marine and Petroleum Geology 122 (10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104599)
- Blenkinsop, T. G. et al. 2020. Structural geology applied to the evaluation of hydrothermal gold deposits. Reviews in Economic Geology 21 , pp.1-23. (10.5382/rev.21.01)
- Lambert-Smith, J. S. et al. 2020. Stable C, O, and S isotope record of magmatic-hydrothermal interactions between the Falémé Fe Skarn and the Loulo Au systems in Western Mali. Economic Geology 115 (7)(10.5382/econgeo.4759)
- Alves, T. et al. 2020. A tectono-stratigraphic review of continental breakup on intraplate continental margins and its impact on resultant hydrocarbon systems. Marine and Petroleum Geology 117 104341. (10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2020.104341)
- Lei, C. et al., 2020. Rift structure and sediment infill of hyperextended continental crust: insights from 3D seismic and well data (Xisha Trough, South China Sea). Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth 125 (5) e2019JB018610. (10.1029/2019JB018610)
- Martin, A. J. et al. 2020. Low-temperature silica-rich gold mineralization in mafic VMS systems: evidence from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Mineralium Deposita , pp.805-822. (10.1007/s00126-020-01007-2)
- Martin, A. J. et al. 2020. Effects of magmatic volatile influx in mafic VMS hydrothermal systems: evidence from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Chemical Geology 531 119325. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2019.119325)
- Tripp, G. et al., 2020. Neoarchean eastern goldfields of Western Australia. In: Sillitoe, R. H. et al., Geology of the World’s Major Gold Deposits and Provinces. Vol. 23, Society of Economic Geologists(10.5382/SP.23.33)
- Blenkinsop, T. G. , Rowland, J. and Baker, T. 2020. Mechanical regimes of hydrothermal gold mineralization. Economic Geology 21 , pp.205-214.
- McFall, K. et al. 2019. Rhenium enrichment in the Muratdere Cu-Mo (Au-Re) porphyry deposit, Turkey: evidence from stable isotope analyses (δ34S, δ18O, δD) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry analysis of sulfides. Economic Geology 114 (7), pp.1443-1466. (10.5382/econgeo.4638)
- Holwell, D. A. et al., 2019. A metasomatized lithospheric mantle control on the metallogenic signature of post-subduction magmatism. Nature Communications 10 (1) 3511. (10.1038/s41467-019-11065-4)
- Tao, Z. and Alves, T. M. 2019. Impacts of data sampling on the interpretation of normal fault propagation and segment linkage. Tectonophysics 762 , pp.79-96. (10.1016/j.tecto.2019.03.013)
- McFall, K. et al. 2019. The mineralogy and mineral associations of platinum-group elements and precious metals in the Aurora Cu-Ni-Au-PGE deposit, Northern Limb, Bushveld Complex. Ore Geology Reviews 106 , pp.403-422. (10.1016/j.oregeorev.2019.02.008)
- Yang, S. et al., 2019. Parental magma composition of the main zone of the Bushveld complex: evidence from in situ LA-ICP-MS trace element analysis of silicate minerals in the cumulate rocks. Journal of Petrology 60 (2), pp.359-392. (10.1093/petrology/egy115)
- Tanner, D. et al. 2019. A record of assimilation preserved by exotic minerals in the lowermost platinum-group element deposit of the Bushveld Complex: The Volspruit Sulphide Zone. Lithos 324-32 , pp.584-608. (10.1016/j.lithos.2018.10.032)
- Maier, W. D. et al. 2018. The Penikat Intrusion, Finland: Geochemistry, Geochronology, and Origin of Platinum–Palladium Reefs. Journal of Petrology 59 (5), pp.967-1006. (10.1093/petrology/egy051)
- Alves, T. M. and Abreu Cunha, T. 2018. A phase of transient subsidence, sediment bypass and deposition of regressive-transgressive cycles during the breakup of Iberia and Newfoundland. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 484 , pp.168-183. (10.1016/j.epsl.2017.11.054)
- Huthmann, F. et al., 2018. Geochemistry and PGE of the lower mineralized zone of the Waterberg Project, South Africa. Ore Geology Reviews 92 , pp.161-185. (10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.10.023)
- Maier, W. and Hanski, E. J. 2017. Layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions of Fennoscandia: Europe's treasure chest of magmatic metal deposits. Elements 13 (6), pp.415-420. (10.2138/gselements.13.6.415)
- Alves, T. M. et al. 2017. An incomplete correlation between pre-salt topography, top reservoir erosion, and salt deformation in deep-water Santos Basin (SE Brazil). Marine and Petroleum Geology 79 , pp.300-320. (10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2016.10.015)
- McDonald, I. et al. 2017. Cu-Ni-PGE mineralisation at the Aurora Project and potential for a new PGE province in the Northern Bushveld Main Zone. Ore Geology Reviews 80 , pp.1135-1159. (10.1016/j.oregeorev.2016.09.016)
- Lambert-Smith, J. S. et al. 2016. The Gounkoto Au deposit, West Africa: Constraints on ore genesis and volatile sources from petrological, fluid inclusion and stable isotope data. Ore Geology Reviews 78 , pp.606-622. (10.1016/j.oregeorev.2015.10.025)
- Ward, N. , Alves, T. M. and Blenkinsop, T. G. 2016. Reservoir leakage along concentric faults in the Southern North Sea: implications for the deployment of CCS and EOR techniques. Tectonophysics 690 (A), pp.97-116. (10.1016/j.tecto.2016.07.027)
- Maier, W. D. et al. 2016. Petrogenesis and Ni–Cu sulphide potential of mafic–ultramafic rocks in the Mesoproterozoic Fraser Zone within the Albany–Fraser Orogen, Western Australia. Precambrian Research 281 , pp.27-46. (10.1016/j.precamres.2016.05.004)
- Holwell, D. A. et al., 2015. Extreme enrichment of Se, Te, PGE and Au in Cu-sulfide microdroplets: evidence from LA-ICP-MS analysis of sulfides in the Skaergaard Intrusion, east Greenland. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 170 53. (10.1007/s00410-015-1203-y)
- Hayes, B. et al. 2015. Sulfide immiscibility induced by wall-rock assimilation in a fault-guided basaltic feeder system, Franklin Large Igneous Province, Victoria Island (Arctic Canada). Economic Geology 110 (7), pp.1697-1717. (10.2113/econgeo.110.7.1697)
- Blenkinsop, T. G. 2015. Scaling laws for the distribution of gold, geothermal, and gas resources. Pure and Applied Geophysics 172 (7), pp.2045-2056. (10.1007/s00024-014-0909-5)
- Blenkinsop, T. G. , Doyle, M. and Nugus, M. 2014. A unified approach to measuring structures in orientated drill core. In: Richardson, N. ed. Industrial Structural Geology: Principles, Techniques and Integration. Special Publications London: Geological Society of London. , pp.99-108.
Schools
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Research that matters
Our research makes a difference to people’s lives as we work across disciplines to tackle major challenges facing society, the economy and our environment.
Postgraduate research
Our research degrees give the opportunity to investigate a specific topic in depth among field-leading researchers.
Our research impact
Our research case studies highlight some of the areas where we deliver positive research impact.