Arizona Geological Society: Understanding the Impact and Value of Publicly Available Precompetitive Geoscience Data for Mineral Exploration; Lessons to be Learned for the U. S.

Publicly available (also known as precompetitive) geoscience data is vital not just to further our understanding of surface and subsurface geology and for other crucial areas of research such as natural hazards, environmental research, and agriculture but is especially crucial to support and derisk mineral exploration and to enable efficient and effective resource discovery and extraction. The geological, geophysical, geochemical and other data types generated by precompetitive data acquisition programs can be used by industry to identify areas that are highly prospective for different mineral systems, acting to stimulate mineral exploration and to reduce the expense and risk associated with this activity. This also acts to increase the attractiveness of areas with good quality precompetitive geoscience data to the minerals industry, resulting in increased exploration spend and investment. Research into the return on investment in precompetitive data in jurisdictions like Australia and Canada has demonstrated significant positive outcomes in terms of employment, improved security of supply of mineral and metal supply chains, and contributions to the domestic economy. Increasing the amount of support for programs like the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) will likely result in similar returns on investment, with the longevity of use of precompetitive geoscientific data meaning that the information generated by these programs will likely be used, and will likely have significant impact, for decades to come.

Presented by

Dr. Simon M. Jowitt

Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology,

Nevada State Geologist & Arthur Brant Chair of

Exploration Geology at the University of Nevada Reno