IGS attends EXPO 2017 in Astana
IGS recently attended a series of meetings in Astana with senior members of KazGeology and the Ministry for Investments and Development as part of our ongoing discussions to help develop the Kazakh minerals industry. Meetings were also attended by our partners, including the Natural History Museum and Geosoft, as well as the Department of International Trade, who helped organise the event. The events were hosted by the UK pavilion at EXPO 2017.
Continue ReadingIGS attends National Mining Summit in Nigeria
IGS recently attended the National Mining Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, speaking in a panel discussion on the importance of acquiring and managing geodata to aid in mineral exploration. The event was well attended by government and private companies and was opened by the Acting President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and closed by the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bawa Bwari.
Continue ReadingIGS welcomes new starters
IGS is pleased to announce the arrival of two new members of staff to our team.
Duncan Hall has been appointed as a Mapping Geologist and will initially be working on our project in DR Congo. Duncan completed his undergraduate BSc in Geology as well as a PhD from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, with his thesis titled “Structural controls on granitic magma migration in the Damara Belt, Nambia”.
Zahid Anwar has been appointed as a Software Engineer and will work on our Xplore Prospectivity Analysis tool to help further develop Xplore with its functionality and capability. Zahid has a background in developing apps for mobile phones and tablets.
IGS chairs session at MINEX Asia 2017
IGS chaired a session on ‘Improving Investment Returns in Exploration’ at the MINEX Asia conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, between 19-20th April.
MINEX Asia is the most important mining-related event in central Asia which brings together experts to discuss current events, trends, and policies throughout the region.
IGS is partnering with the Natural History Museum (NHM) in a proposal in Kazakhstan, and Prof. Reimar Seltmann from the NMH delivered a presentation at the conference which discussed using prospectivity maps developed by IGS Xplore to find new mineral deposits in Kazakhstan.
We look forward to continuing our discussions with our colleagues and supporters at the UK’s Department for International Trade, the NHM, and our Kazakh co-partners.
Public-private partnership to open Geodata access for Africa
Delegates attending African Geodata Workshop in Uganda
IGS is pleased to announce its participation in a pilot project aimed at improving the availability, accessibility and usability of geoscientific data (geodata) to guide resource investment in the Eastern African Region. The pilot project, and launch of a geodata portal hosted by Uganda, will be conducted under the auspices of the African Union Commission (AUC), and is a collaborative partnership between the British Geological Survey (BGS), Geosoft Inc., IGS Ltd., the Uganda Geological Survey and the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum.
IGS was represented by Dr Frik Hartzer, whilst Dr Peter K. Zawada, Managing Director of IGS stated “IGS was honoured to have been involved in developing the workshop agenda, and we’re pleased to be part of the committee implementing the pilot geodata project for Uganda. Public-private partnerships are a vitally important way of ensuring the availability and accessibility of geodata, and creating added value to that data, to attract inward investment in the mineral exploration sector for Africa. Exciting time lies ahead where geodata is used to create wealth and to improve the quality of life of Africa’s people.”
The workshop and pilot project are guided by the aspirations and principles of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and Agenda 2063, which recognizes geodata as an imperative for future development of Africa’s extractives, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, infrastructure and tourism sectors.
The initiative will be based on a public-private partnership business model for the generation, management and ownership of geodata by participating countries and it is expected to be piloted in other African countries.
New laboratory at AGS officially opened
H.E. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Dominic Jermey, and Deputy Minister Sadaat from the MoMP about to cut a ribbon to inaugurate the laboratory.
The Ambassador being interviewed by journalists at the lab inauguration.
In April 2017, a new Construction Materials Testing Laboratory was officially opened during an inauguration ceremony at the Afghan Geological Survey (AGS) attended by the UK’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, H.E. Dominic Jermey, and Deputy Minister Sadaat from the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP).
The opening the laboratory, together with training AGS staff, is the culmination of one of three projects undertaken by BGSI (IGS) as part of the DFID-funded Extractive Sector Support Programme (ESSP).
The laboratory has been supplied with the very latest equipment capable of undertaking more than 30 different tests on different types of construction material, making this facility the most modern and most capable raw material testing laboratory in Afghanistan.
The equipment in this laboratory will enable the AGS and the MoMP to undertake qualitative testing on a range of different construction materials, e.g. limestone, granite, and marble, to understand their properties, including strength, porosity, and resistance to abrasion.
Project Leader Dr Waqas Ahmed with the group of five AGS counterparts trained to use the laboratory equipment
One of the AGS staff members demonstrating use of equipment in the laboratory during the inauguration.
The laboratory will also help the Afghan small-scale mining industry, since it will be able to assist quarry operators to assess the quality of their resources. For example, marble quarry operators will be able to bring in samples of their products for testing and use the test results to attract higher fees for their products, whilst ensuring they are used for the most appropriate specifications. If Afghan marble producers are better able to understand the potential value of their product, they are less likely to want to sell their quarry material at a lower price and can demand higher prices for their product.
Additionally, this laboratory will enable the Afghan government, through the MoMP, to make informed decisions regarding the choice of materials used in infrastructure and construction projects. This will help to ensure the longevity of buildings and roads, and will ultimately save the Afghan government time and resources.
After the inauguration, the Ambassador and Deputy Minister were interviewed by journalists from national and international organisations, including the BBC.
New IGS Xplore Data Products Released
IGS Xplore is excited to launch a collection of our latest GIS data pack’s including potential mapping results using the Xplore Prospectivity Analysis system.
These analysis cover the Guiana Shield in South America, Thailand and Myanmar for Orogenic Gold, Ni-Cu-PGE, REE, Pb-Zn and Cu-Au Porphyry styles of mineralisation. Both Permissive and Favourable areas have been identified, with target areas down to <25 km².
Each product includes a prospectivity layer for the target mineral deposit type, the enriched geological/geochemical source data and country boundaries, (in ArcGIS format, shape files and map package – other formats available on request), also includes a detailed report on the regional geology, metallogeny, input data and prospectivity analysis methods applied. Prices range from £1,000 to £5,000.
To order or for more information please contact us – enquiries@igsint.com
Example outputs from Guiana Shield shown below:
IGS exhibits at PDAC 2017
IGS and IGS Xplore successfully exhibited at the PDAC event in Toronto from 5th – 8th March. IGS staff were also exhibiting on the Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) stand, where Kathy Kavanagh, Project Leader for the Investment Promotion Project, represented the MoMP.
The Honourable Ms Nazifa Langaryan, Consul General, Toronto, (2nd right) with Kathy Kavanagh and other Afghan representatives on the Afghan stand at PDAC
The event was another opportunity to discuss Xplore, our mineral prospectivity tool, and to demonstrate its capabilities to potential clients. IGS gave a presentation on Xplore at a well attended Geosoft-hosted event aimed at governmental organisations, and we held meetings with many junior exploration companies, state geological surveys, and consulting groups during the event.
IGS exhibits at Mining Indaba 2017
Standing room only at the World Bank-hosted session on Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining
The IGS and IGS Xplore stand at Indaba
IGS and IGS Xplore successfully exhibited at the Mining Indaba event in Cape Town from 6-9th February. Our booth was part of the larger UK Department for International Trade’s (DIT) pavilion, and IGS is proud to have been associated with the DIT stand for the third consecutive year. Our booth, and the larger DIT stand, attracted considerable interest, especially during a whisky tasting event on one of the afternoons! We met many existing and potential future clients and collaborative partners, and are now following up these contacts over the next few weeks.
Visit by Sudanese delegation to the IGS stand
Piper and whisky tasting at the DIT pavillion
Our next event is at PDAC in Canada in March, we hope this event will be just as successful.
IGS attends MINEX Eurasia 2016 and hosts Mongolian visit
IGS attended the MINEX Eurasia conference in London on November 28th and gave a joint presentation with the Natural History Museum titled ‘Metallogenic analysis to unlock Central Eurasia’s hidden mineral resource potential’.
The event was focused predominantly on Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and was attended by senior representatives from several governments, including the Mongolian Ambassador to the UK, Tulga Narkhuu, and the British Ambassador to Mongolia, Catherine Arnold.
Following this event, IGS also attended an event celebrating 25 years of Kazakhstan’s independence, and then on 30th November IGS hosted a visit by representatives of the Mongolian Government, Mongolian mining companies, and the Department for International Trade.
