NIGK21011U Mineral Resources

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience

Content

This course gives an introduction to economic geology with an emphasis on the geological processes and the specific mechanisms that lead to the formation of metal and mineral deposits. The course presents an overview of various types of ore deposits and their relation to magmatic, metamorphic, hydrothermal and sedimentary processes. The course involves excercises about the identification of ore minerals and hydrothermal alteration products using reflected light microscopy, as well as micro-XRF and powder-XRD analysis. Finally, an introduction is given to environmental, economic and geopolitical issues concerning mineral exploration and mining, where we treat the concepts of critical metals, bottlenecks in mineral production, value chains, issues with the recyclability of green energy technologies, circular economy, and the importance of sustainability in the mining sector.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

-An overview of the petrogenesis of various types of mineral deposits.

-Classification and identification of economic minerals.

-Ore deposit formation in different geological settings.

-An introduction to mineral exploration tools, methods, and strategies.

-The importance of critical metals, sustainability in the mining sector, and circular economy for green energy technologies.

-Innovation and business development within minerals exploration and mining will be introduced by industry professionals.

-Digital portals and platforms for mineral exploration and data acquisition will be presented, as well as the potential application of machine learning to guide exploration models using e.g. hyperspectral satellite data.

 

Skills

-Identification of selected economic minerals and rocks in hand sample.

-The ability to evaluate where certain types of mineral deposits may occur.

-Understanding relevant methods used in mineral exploration and evaluation of the mineral potential at a province scale.

-Basic knowledge about the economic aspects related to the mining sector.

-Introduction to the use of reflected light microscopy for identification of oxide and sulfide minerals.

-Introduction to the use of micro-XRF and powder-XRD analysis for the identification of ore minerals and hydrothermal alteration products.

 

Competences

-Knowledge about the specific formation mechanism of various types of mineral deposits.

-Ability to describe and characterise ore minerals and hydrothemal alteration products.

-Knowledge about the principles and methods used in mineral exploration.

-Written and oral presentation of models for the formation of ore deposits based on independent literature studies.

Literature

See Absalon.

The teaching uses a combination of lectures and practical exercises. The study plan is listed on Absalon.
Students who have passed NGEB10004U Grundlæggende mineralogi og metamorf petrologi are not recommended to follow this course as the courses have identical content.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Preparation
  • 171
  • Exercises
  • 35
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, 2 weeks
Oral examination, 20 minutes
Type of assessment details
A written assignment is handed out three weeks before the exam week and has to be handed in one week before the exam week. The oral exam uses the written assignment as the starting point, but also includes pratical exmination of hand samples during the exam. A combined grade is given after the oral exam. The oral exam is without preparation. At the exam the written part is weighted by 50% and the oral part is weighted by 50%. The course is passed if the combined grade is passed.
Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

The same as the ordinary exam. A new assignment topic is handed out three weeks before the re-exam week and has to be handed in two weeks after the handout. The oral exam uses the written assignment as the starting point, but also includes pratical exmination of hand samples during the exam. A combined grade is given after the oral exam. The oral exam is without preparation. At the exam the written part is weighted by 50% and the oral part is weighted by 50%. The course is passed if the combined grade is passed.

Criteria for exam assesment

See learning outcome.