Mining Institute of Scotland (MIS)

Synopsis: Mineral exploration and mine discovery & development is a long, complex process dependent on many variables – technical, economic, political and social. Many of these have recently changed, causing increased demand for “critical metals” used in modern technological equipment, electrification etc. At present, the majority of the UK’s critical metals needs are met from overseas sources, normally from countries with lax environmental controls which use cheap power (i.e. coal). Whilst the UK turned its back on coal, recent developments in UK mining, such as the re-opening of South Crofty tin mine in Cornwall may give some pointers to the future.

The talk will discuss critical metals and their exploration, focussing in on the Ordovician basic magmatic rocks of NE Scotland for nickel-copper-cobalt “battery metals”. These rocks were explored by some major mining companies in the “nickel boom” of the 1960s and 1970s but have received scant attention since then. Following modern exploration efforts over the last few years it is clear that, despite the various economic and other hurdles, NE Scotland could supply responsibly-sourced and low environmental impact battery metals.


Speaker Biography: Chris MacKenzie is an economic geologist who has spent the last 35+ years working globally. In 1988 he graduated in Geology from Portsmouth Polytechnic. His early career focussed on Ni-Cu-Co-PGE mining and exploration on the major mines in Botswana, before stints of aid work in the Middle East & Africa then back to geology in South America. He gained his M.Sc. in Exploration Geology at Rhodes University, South Africa in 2001. He has been involved in forming and running junior exploration companies working throughout the world, but mainly in Africa, resulting in the discovery of a number of mines and resources.

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