b'FeatureMore than oreMore than ore: The future of mining geophysicsboth passion and purpose, building a blueprint for a future that is about more than ore, about more than the dollar value we can create for any one company, rather about our role in creating a sustainable future for us all, enabled by geophysics.More than oreI was excited to get the opportunity to share this blueprint at this years AEGC in Brisbane, and to see all the excellent technical talks that give me confidence that we will rise to the challenges ahead. As I said then, this really is an amazing time to Michelle Thomasbe part of the mining industry. Our roles as geoscientists have Global Practice Lead Geophysicsnever been more important for securing our future. We have an ambition as a global community to limit global warming BHPto 1.5 o C. Not only is geoscience going to continue to be key Michelle.Thomas@bhp.com to understanding the earth systems that underpin our future actions, but we are also realising that a low carbon world is one Passion with purpose that has a lot more metals in it. In the next 30 years, we believe that the world will need more than double the amount of My path into mining geophysics is a little unconventional. Incopper produced in the last 30 years, four times the nickel and applying to university 30 years ago I had a clear idea that Itwice the steel. As mining geoscientists this means that we must wanted to study planetary physics. What I hadnt fully realiseddiscover and deliver more ore and do it faster than ever before. was that it was the geology of those planets, the similaritiesThis is no small feat! At the same time, we have a responsibility and differences with our own and the interaction of theto deliver these new resources in a way that leaves a positive lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere over billions of years,legacy for the environment, for our host communities and that fascinated me. Fast forward a few years and I graduatedfor the future users of the land we mine. As they say in the from the University of Cambridge, UK, with a degree in Earthinnovation world, we have a massive burning platform. To Sciences rather than physics and a true passion for geoscience.achieve our goals we will need to not only do what we already A chance field trip encounter with the exploration director ofdo well, but find new innovative solutions to do our work Hess corporation, a petroleum company, landed me a summerbetter and faster. We will need to bring in new people, new internship and subsequent sponsorship of my masters degreethinking, and new partners. We must build a diverse geophysics in petroleum geology at the Institut Francais du Petrole in Paris.ecosystem to tackle our burning platform with a burning Sponsorship came with a one-year commitment to work forambition that fuels innovation in geophysical technology and in Hess, my first job as a technical assistant to their explorationour approaches to our work.leadership team, and a crash course in the business of petroleum exploration. I never forgot my interest in geophysics though. In reviewing hundreds of leads and prospects, I sawCreating our futurethe power of seismic and downhole geophysical techniques in helping us to unravel the story of the Earth to drive businessAt first glance predicting the future direction of geophysics decisions. A year later, I transferred to the US to train insounds like an incredibly grandiose aim but the truth is, as Peter geophysics and spent the next eight years of my career as aDrucker famously said, the best way to predict the future, is specialist in rock physics and quantitative seismic analysis into create it, and we, as a mining geophysics community, are various exploration, development, and production teams. Theultimately the people who will create the future of our discipline.ability to link across technical disciplines and into businessWhen we look to create that future it is as important to have a decisions eventually led to me leading exploration projects insound strategy as it is to create the technologies that will get five countries, across South America and West Africa at Hess,us there. If we can see where we are headed and importantly, and the role of Head of Gulf of Mexico exploration at BHP.why, we can focus our efforts in the right direction, and set out Between these roles I continued my deep fascination withwith the passion and conviction that will not only allow us to geophysics, working as a technical subject matter expert andovercome any obstacles on our path but also motivate others to coach, as well as leading functional teams of geophysics SMEscome along on the journey.for both companies over the course of my 24-year career. It was my last role as Head of Innovation for Petroleum at BHP thatIn my role in the BHP RCoE, I have been fortunate enough really opened my eyes to the opportunities that exist withinto work with an amazing geophysics team, travel to many the mining sector. Working alongside our mining innovationof our sites and exploration tenements and to connect team, I began to see the potential, not only to pursue a newacross disciplines and across the value chain. Ive seen some and exciting geoscience adventure, but to align my passion forincredible things. Ive also had some genuinely bucket-list type geoscience and innovation with purpose - an opportunity toadventures; traveling deep underground in our nickel and change the world a little for the better. Two years ago, my familycopper mines and driving for days across the Australian desert and I made the decision to move to Perth, in the middle of thewith our exploration team. As much fun as this is, connecting COVID pandemic, to join BHPs Resource Centre of Excellencewith our stakeholders is the most important thing that I do, (RCoE), a decision none of us regret! I am fortunate that in mylooking for ways to connect geophysics into the business current role as global practice lead for geophysics, I can pursuedecisions that will move us forward.APRIL 2023 PREVIEW 54'