GEOMIN Exchange

Fulfilling environmental and social obligations in order to secure funding and obtain the social licence to operate (SLO – Social Licence to Operate) is only the first step; maintaining a mining operation within a social context conducive to its activities requires the project’s ongoing integration into the local context, rigorous risk management and genuine acceptance by local communities.

This one-day short course provides a strategic and practical roadmap for navigating the E&S lifecycle of a project. Through four structured modules and concrete case studies, we will explore how to align international standards with local realities. The course will highlight critical milestones, common pitfalls, and practical strategies to avoid them—balancing stakeholder expectations, realistic timelines, and project developer constraints.

By the end of this course, participants have learnt the basic principles for:

• Navigating the bridge between national regulatory compliance and international E&S standards (such as IFC Performance Standards) to secure project financing.
• Translating baseline social studies and contextual intelligence into actionable mine design and project planning.
• Anticipating and managing high-risk social impacts, specifically around land access, compensation, and Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs).
• Designing and implementing effective stakeholder engagement strategies and Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) to mitigate operational risks and maintain the SLO.

E&S as a prerequisite for project approval and financing

International standards vs. local regulatory requirements

Case Study: The cost of E&S failure

From ESIA compliance to contextual intelligence

Social baseline studies and mine design integration

Cultural heritage and local identity management

Land access, compensation, and resettlement principles

Developing effective Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs)

Livelihood restoration and relocation challenges

Stakeholder mapping and engagement strategies

Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRMs) as risk management tools

Case Study: E&S success and community support

Held as part of GEOMIN 2026, the GEOMIN AI Labs is hosted by the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of the Republic of Uzbekistan and organized by SLB in partnership with SEG. This exclusive program is open to invited students and young professionals.

The Hackathon applies AI to real-world challenges in geosciences, driving a smarter, more efficient, and sustainable approach to natural resources. This initiative equips participants with industry datasets and problem-solving frameworks to bridge earth science, data, and digital transformation across the mining and energy sectors.

Participants will translate raw data into predictive models, evaluate economic impacts, and convert machine learning metrics into actionable business decisions.

This stream challenges participants to apply machine learning to optimize exploration, evaluate resources, and manage environmental risks. Missions will be assigned randomly.

Exploration (C1): Find Zinc Before Drilling. Drilling is highly capital-intensive. Build a binary classification model to automate early-stage screening, identifying high-potential zinc targets using only low-cost surface geochemical and magnetic data.

Resources (C2): Estimate Gold Without Direct Assay. Gold is a high-value byproduct. Develop a regression model to estimate gold grades based on depth and multi-element assays, enabling accurate valuation of intervals where direct measurements are missing or delayed.

Energy (C3): Map Subsurface Heat for the Future. Geothermal baseload power requires expensive deep thermal measurement wells. Train a regression model on complete well logs to predict subsurface temperatures in unmeasured wells, reducing capital expenditure and de-risking completion decisions.

ESG (C4): Prevent Acid Mine Drainage. Ecosystem protection is a strict regulatory priority. Build a binary classification model using multi-element assays to proactively identify acid-generating waste rock, routing material to secure storage without relying on costly direct sulfur measurements.

The Geological Survey Round Table serves as a strategic forum for leaders of national geological surveys to exchange perspectives on emerging priorities in mineral exploration, critical minerals, geological data management, and cross-border collaboration across the Africa-Middle East-Central Asia Super Region. Participation is by invitation only.