Transcript The value of geodata in economic development – training module

The value of geodata in
economic development
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Introduction
Many countries with weak economies are potentially rich in
natural resources but lack the ability to attract the inward
investment to effectively develop this sector.
Principal factors needed to stimulate resource exploitation:
• geological information (“geodata”)
• stable and responsible governance
• legal systems and good infrastructure (human and
physical capital such as ports and railroads)
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AREA
Geological
Survey
Pre-competitive - geoscience infrastructure
[data, systems, expertise etc]
Junior exploration
Company
Major mining house
Grassroots
Advanced
Brownfields
Exploration department of
operating mine
MINE
Geoscience Public Information (GPI) is the start of the extractive industry value chain
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Data released
Typical geodata investment / return profile
1
3
5
7
spend on data
Exploration licences issued
Mining licences issued
9
11
13
Years >>>>>>
15
17
19
21
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Exploration
targets
Priority
areas
Prospective
terrain
Investment
promotion
Pre competitive
public
geoscience
data
The “hand-over”
point from public to
private varies by
sector and location
Expenditure $$
Exploration area km2
Time >>>
Geol Survey / public sector
(developing economies)
Geol. Survey
(US, Can, Aus)
Oil Ministry
feasible
deposit
Mining Industry / private sector
Mining Industry / private sector
Oil and Gas Companies / private sector
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The type and quality of geodata, their density of coverage,
ease of accessibility and price are all critically important in the
process. This is because:• costs are a function of the quality, quantity and type of data
collected;
• certain types of geodata are more relevant for the discovery or
evaluation of particular commodities and therefore may vary by
geological province;
• some areas may be explored by the private sector giving the state
the opportunity of leveraging on those investments;
• the type and level of coverage required may vary depending on its
intended use; and
• geodata that are not well maintained and easily made available in
suitable formats and at a reasonable price have limited efficacy.
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Prioritisation against cost-benefit
Cost
approx. $/km2 from recent World Bank and other contracts
excluding capacity building and data management
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Types of (GPI) geodata required by the extractive industry (from questionnaire results)
Rank
order
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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14
15
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Type of geodata
Regional / country-wide processed airborne geophysical data (mag, radiometric, e-m) at
~400m line spacing or closer
Regional scale mineral occurrence maps
Geological maps in vector digital (suitable for a GIS) covering most or all the country at a
scale of 1:200,000 or larger
Topographic data / maps
Supporting reports / memoirs / published papers
Geological maps (copies or scans of printed maps) covering most or all the country at a scale
of 1:200,000 or larger
Cadastral maps / data
Mineral prospectivity summary brochures / booklets
Interpretations of airborne geophysical survey data
Regional scale metallogenic maps
Regional scale tectonic maps
Regional scale geochemical survey results at density of ~1 sample per 10 sq km
Interpreted satellite imagery
Hydrogeological maps
Geological maps (copies or scans of printed maps) covering most or all the country at a scale
of 1:1million or smaller
Geological maps in vector digital (suitable for a GIS) covering most or all the country at a
scale of 1:1m or smaller
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Existing geodata:• There is considerable variation between countries in terms of the types,
quality and resolutions of which data exist.
• In the majority of cases it is difficult and time consuming to discover which
data exist and how to make contact with their custodians.
• That many of the indicators of data availability or access paths that are
shown on public websites are out of date or unavailable.
• Many data are still located in the archives of Africa’s former colonial
countries, principally at BGS, BRGM and the Musée royal de l'Afrique
centrale, Tervuren, and that for various reasons, these are generally only
made available for inspection on personal visit.
• Many of the most easily available sources of information are of low
resolution and difficult to use, such as the “pdf” images on the EU-ACP
web site
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Maps showing the currently known major metallogenic
zones and petroleum basins of Africa
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5
Map suggesting priority areas for
new or improved GPI based on the
geological belts and provinces
(mineral prospectivity) against
current paucity of geodata
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Problems with warehousing and dissemination of geodata in geological survey
organisations (GSOs) – the cycle of decline
Weak institutional
base
Reduced
functionality
Better staff leave
for private sector
GSO collector,
keeper and
disseminator of
GPI
Poorly paid civil
service staff
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Solutions to these problems
• NGO funded capacity building programmes should
require geodata to be web enabled and include
financial provision for post-project sustainability
• Economies of scale and efficiency from multinational
approach
• Retain key GSO staff through as parastatals or publicprivate partnership to enable market-rate salaries
• (… funded by) revenue from internet sales of value
added geodata (freemium model)
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New geodata
 Five zones priority areas for the next stage investments in geodata acquisition.
 Geodata to comprise small scale compilations and re-interpretations of existing information followed by
large scale geological maps and high resolution airborne geophysical magnetic and radiometric surveys,
for early stage mineral exploration (or magnetic and gravity for oil and gas exploration).
 New geodata to be produced in digital, open format suitable for further interpretation by the companies.
Heterogeneity and adherence to standards is less important than the data being released without delay.
 As a condition of the development loan or grant, all new geodata should be web enabled and freely
available to everybody – at minimal charge commensurate with covering the costs of dissemination.
 A business model to be established whereby the long term costs of data maintenance and dissemination
may be sustained, post-project.
 New projects to focus on relevant geodata acquisition and management using minimal expatriate
expertise to build local skills. Trans-national regional approaches to knowledge and skills pooling should
be encouraged and facilitated. Wider stakeholder involvement in project design so that private sector
interests are incorporated.
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Existing geodata
 Large scale holders of African geodata such as the BGS, BRGM and MRAC should
be encouraged to scan and make freely available on their web sites, and
elsewhere, as much as possible of their relevant geodata assets, addressing issues
of copyright in pragmatic ways. Priority should be given to scanning and making
available existing data “as is” without waiting for agreements on standards, interoperability etc.
 Negotiations should begin with African countries, at Ministry levels, with a view to
those countries scanning and making freely available for web access existing
geodata, including but not limited to maps, open-file reports, borehole logs,
geochemistry and geophysical surveys. A business model should be developed to
compensate countries for any minor loss of income from current sales of data and
financial assistance sought to fund the costs of scanning.
 Where geodata have been lost, every effort should be made to recover them, at
cost if necessary, from archived copies that may be held by the original contractors
or consultants involved.
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