by: Mary Clare D. Fajiculay
Published: March 22, 2022
Designed by: Jaztine Danielle Linato
On the 11th of March 2022, the Philippine Association of Geology Students – Society of Economic Geologists Student Chapter (PAGS-SEGSC) conducted a webinar entitled: "Uncharted: The Road Not Taken Yet." Therein, Mr. Douglas J. Kirwin was the guest speaker. Professionally, Mr. Kirwin specializes in front-end exploration and project generation with more than 45 years of experience. Additionally, he served as the President of the Society of Economic Geologists during 2019. At present, he serves as chairman of Chakana Copper Corp. In line with his expertise, Mr. Kirwin discussed possible careers in Economic Geology with geology students from schools and universities in the Philippines. The webinar was held from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. (PST) via Zoom.
Mr. Kirwin opened the discussion with the different tasks and responsibilities in Economic Geology. Notably, he discussed the Mining Value Chain, which serves as the overview of the field. The Mining Value Chain encompasses the following: acquisition, exploration, resource estimation, reserve estimation, mine planning, mine operation, and ore processing. He mentioned that economic geology is a field where the backbone process goes as discovery → shareholders → society. However, he emphasized that this field is challenging because there are several odds along the journey. This field is high-risk and costly by nature. Exploration alone is a 10-year business, requiring strategy and tactics to be successful.
Moreover, it is risky because not all discoveries are considered 'successful.' After all, the odds that such discoveries can result in a profitable mine are extremely low. For example, the odds of a greenfield mineral target becoming a profitable mine are 1:1,000. Additionally, the probability of a greenfield mineral target becoming a "world-class" mine is 1:3,333.
Content by: Marichris Ebrada
Designed by: Ella Joyce Virayo
Knowing that the nature of Economic Geology is risky and costly, mentorship and teamwork are the two main ingredients to overcome these challenges. As per Mr. Kirwin, both the younger and older generations should be proactive. While strategy and tactics are essential, it is still the culture and teamwork that hold the core of this field to be successful. Mr. Kirwin shared his experience in discovering the high-grade porphyry at Ntina, Northeast Mindanao, Philippines, with his Filipino co-workers. Before the presentation ended, he also recommended several websites, journals, and other references that may help the audience in their journey.
At the end of the webinar, Mr. Kirwin answered questions from the audience. One of the main questions was the lack of encouragement from mining companies about how important mining is to the country's progress. He answered it genuinely by acknowledging that the mining companies have been bad at selling themselves. This issue could be attributed to irresponsible practices, hazards, and disasters associated with mining companies. Mr. Kirwin added that these companies must provide profits to the country and cooperate in creating a healthier environment that yields sustainable benefits to affected communities.