Scratching the surface at Subsurface 20

Over two days, attendees heard from keynotes Lucy Macgregor, Edinburgh Geoscience and Cognitive Geology and Malcolm Sambridge, Australian National University and experts with extensive experience in energy, minerals and inference and discussed challenges on imaging, conceptualisation and prediction of mineral, water and energy resources.

Subsurface 20 also gave attendees the opportunity to identify synergies and gain awareness of methodologies and workflows that are routinely used in one domain but largely unknown or receive limited application in another.

The consensus view in industry, government and academia, highlights the need for advanced geophysical, mathematical and computational tools, along with new geochemical and geological approaches and understanding to more precisely image the subsurface, to direct our exploration efforts and predict processes that form these resources.

An additional challenge and opportunity for those working in the sector is a recognition that social and environmental performance must also be met. All stakeholders should work together to develop and secure our resource base in a sustainable way.