Mineral Exploration as a Career
Michael B. Ward ‘72
Exploration Manager, Yukon- Nevada Gold Corporation
For a number of years job opportunities in mineral exploration were unavailable and unattractive to young geologists coming out school. Three years ago mineral exploration around the world, took off, buoyed by rising commodity prices and the realization that there were only so many metal mining properties and companies to buy.
Mining and exploration have always been subject to boom and bust cycles, in part because metal producers don’t control the prices of the commodities that they sell.
The current boom in base metal prices has been largely due to the expanding economies of China and India.
Mineral exploration calls on all of a geologist’s education; structure, mineralogy, field camp, geomorphology, geochemistry and even paleontology and auto mechanics on occasion. The exploration geologist uses known deposit types as models and explores for rocks with similar characteristics. Structural, chemical, tectonic and political environments all need to be factored into the favorability of a region for exploration.
Despite using many different sciences to explore, the goals of exploration and science are different. The geoscientist seeks to understand and the exploration geologist seeks to discover. The understanding of the ore systems however, does make discovery easier.
In 2007 job opportunities in mineral exploration and mining in the western US and in many other parts of the world are abundant. We are in one of the biggest boom cycles ever. How long will it last? Not many care to speculate. The world is changing. When will China enter into a recession? Will congress change the mining law? What new commodities will be in demand? These sorts of things can have a major impact on the need for exploration geologists.
Despite inherent uncertainties, for the next few years this field offers great opportunities for geologists who like to be outside, are computer literate, and want to use their education to unravel the puzzles of the natural environment.