Measurement of the physical properties: Improving mineral exploration and mining at depth

矿产资源的可获得性支撑着我们社会的所有部门。新兴国家的持续发展和向清洁能源解决方案的过渡给关键矿物的储量带来了越来越大的压力。目前研究提案的目标是开发实验室和钻孔工具，以提高这些矿物的勘探和生产效率。这些工具还将改善工人和邻近人口的安全，并减少这些项目对环境的影响。 将开发的工具和方法将允许在采矿项目的整个生命周期内对物理特性进行常规测量。由于未来的储量可能会在很深的地方找到，我们把重点放在了物性现场测量的发展上。鉴于这些深部采矿项目的财务和物流风险增加，对岩体的全面描述将对这些努力的成功至关重要。物性和地球物理成像的结合是降低勘探和生产风险的关键。 这个研究项目利用了我在仪器设计方面的专业知识和我在拉瓦尔大学建立的研究基础设施。参与这些项目的高素质人员(HQP)将有机会进入设备齐全的研发实验室，以便开发电子和机械原型。他们还将获得新一代有线系统和位于校园内的测试井。这一基础设施将为他们提供适当的测试平台，以对我们的新工具进行基准测试，并针对该领域当前最先进的工具进行测试。他们还将有机会成为激励工作环境的一部分，包括与来自加拿大第一研究卓越基金资助的研究中心和金属地球的研究人员进行互动。 这一研究计划的结果将有助于塑造加拿大和海外未来的矿产勘探和生产。除了有助于将物理性质作为整个矿产勘探和生产的共同参照点之外，这项研究还将提供在世界上独一无二的培训机会。这些毕业生将能够设计未来的勘探战略，并应用这些工具来应对行业和社会面临的矿产勘探挑战。

Availability of mineral resources underpins all sectors of our society. Continued development of emerging countries and the transition to clean energy solutions are exerting ever increasing pressures on reserves of critical minerals. The objective of the current research proposal is to develop laboratory and borehole tools that will improve the efficiency of exploration and production of these minerals. These tools will also improve the safety of the workers and neighboring populations, as well as reduce the environmental impact of these projects. The tools and methods to be developed will allow routine measurement of physical properties throughout the life-cycle of mining projects. Since future reserves will likely be found at great depths we focus on the development of in-situ measurements of physical properties. Given the increased financial and logistical risks of these deep mining projects, a thorough description of the rock-mass will become of vital importance to the success of these endeavors. The integration of physical properties and geophysical imaging is key to reducing exploration and production risks. This research program leverages my expertise in instrumentation design and the research infrastructure that I have put in place at Université Laval. Highly qualified personnel (HQP) involved in these projects will have access to a well equipped research and development laboratory that allows the development of electronic and mechanical prototypes. They will also have access to a new generation wireline system and test wells that are located on campus. This infrastructure will provide them with an appropriate test bed to benchmark our new tools, and to test them against tools that are currently state of the art in this field. They will also have the opportunity to be part of a stimulating work environment that includes interacting with researchers from the 'Centre de recherche sur la géologie et l'ingénierie des ressources minérales' and Metal Earth which is funded by Canada first research excellence fund. The outcomes of this research program will help shape future mineral exploration and production in Canada and abroad. In addition to contributing to establish physical properties as a common reference point throughout mineral exploration and production this research will provide training opportunities that are unique in the world. These graduates will be able to engineer tomorrows exploration strategies and apply these tools to meet the mineral exploration challenges faced by the industry and our society.