New head Geo pushes the critical minerals barrow

Critical minerals is the focus for the new head of minerals geoscience at the Geological Survey of Queensland. Dr Janelle Simpson did her PhD at the University of Adelaide studying how to use geophysics to image the deep crust to better understand minerals systems with a bias for copper systems. Dr Simpson enters the GSQ managing big scale geoscience programs saying under her watch she’d like to help cement in place the state’s new critical minerals strategy. “We have plans to create a research alliance with the University of Queensland," she said. "We are also looking to form up more large-scale geoscience projects, and more national and international collaborations so that we can really join together as a community to find the minerals we need for decarbonization,” she said. “We've got 60 projects going on at the moment with international collaborators, national collaborators, companies, other state governments and the federal government. “The projects range from geoscience data acquisition and characterisation of mine waste to circular economy and minerals processing. Working across so much of the resources cycles is a wonderful opportunity generate as much value for the Queensland people as possible from that investment. I think it’s a reflection of the way our future efforts will need to be more coordinated to generate success. “It's different every week and we work with a huge range of stakeholders and First Nations People. There's always something new to learn or a new voice to hear from. I believe the more people we have in the conversation, the better the outcomes for our projects.” Dr Simpson admits to having a soft spot for one mineral system. Copper, she said, is standing up for recognition with predictions that as much copper will be used in the run up to the 2050 carbon zero deadline, as was used in the last 125 years. “I have to say I'm very unfairly biased,” she said. “I've been working in trying to understand copper systems for a long time. It's obviously something that we've produced a lot of, but it's something that we’ll need an astronomical quantity of going forward.” “So I love copper. I think as I learn more about other production like vanadium, I'll grow to love that too, but at the moment it's copper for me.” Dr Simpson replaces Dr Helen Degeling who has taken up a business development role at Cobalt Blue. The Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) is the state's custodian of geoscience knowledge and data. GSQ collects and provides geoscience data, information and advice about Queensland's mineral and energy resources and resource potential. This is done through a range of geoscience projects and initiatives, updates and data for these programs are found on the GSQ’s Open Data Portal.

New head Geo pushes the critical minerals barrow

Industry Queensland

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