Diamonds are a multi-billion dollar business involving some of the world's largest mining companies, a million and a half artisanal diggers, more than a million cutters and polishers and a huge retail jewellery sector. But behind the sparkle of the diamond lies a murkier story, in which rebel armies in Angola, Sierra Leone and the Congo turned to diamonds to finance their wars. Completely unregulated, so-called blood diamonds became the perfect tool for money laundering, tax evasion, drug-running and weapons-trafficking. Diamonds brings together for the first time all aspects of the diamond industry. In it, Ian Smillie, former UN Security Council investigator and leading figure in the blood diamonds campaign, offers a comprehensive analysis of the history and structure of today's diamond trade, the struggle for effective regulation and the challenges ahead. There is, he argues, greater diversification and competition than ever before, but thanks to the success of the Kimberley Process, this coveted and prestigious gem now represents a fragile but renewed opportunity for development in some of the world's poorest nations. This part of the diamond story has rarely been told.

This book presents the essential principles and applications of seismic oil-exploration techniques. It concisely covers all stages in exploration activities (data field acquisition, data processing and interpretation), supplementing the main text with a wealth of (>350) illustrations and figures. The book concentrates on the physics of the applied principles, avoiding intricate mathematical treatment and lengthy theoretical reasoning. A further prominent feature is the inclusion of a separate chapter on 3D surveying techniques and another, equally important chapter on seismic digital signals and the aliasing problem, which is presented in an accessible form. The book is designed to meet the needs of both the academic and industrial worlds. University students and employees of oil-exploration companies alike will find the book to be a valuable resource.

This book examines and summarizes data on more than 40,000 diamonds from deposits in Russia's diamondiferous Arkhangelsk province. The geological data of diamond deposits includes the geological setting, ore body morphology and mineral composition. Investigation techniques employed include: Color Cathode Luminescence, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Raman Spectroscopy, and Carbon Isotopy. The book provides a full description of the diamond morphology. The problems of a potential (mantle) diamond grade for deposits are considered, depending on the physical and chemical conditions involved in the genesis and growth of diamond crystals. Further, there can be a significant impact on the productivity of bodies and the properties of diamonds during post-crystallization metasomatic processes. In this book, the authors propose a diamond crystallization model for changes in diamond crystals within mantle metasomatic transformations, and identify the factors affecting the growth and dissolution of diamonds in the mantle. In addition, they describe the complex evolution of kimberlite from the mantle up to the Earth's surface. All of these factors affect the quality and quantity of diamonds in a particular diamond deposit, providing the basis for identifying optimal technological mining processes.

This book examines existing mineral fiscal policies covering income taxation, royalties, free carried and participative (community and government) interests and also highlights the impacts of these policies on the feasibility of mineral projects as well as on revenue and other benefits to the State. While publications already exist on the subject matter, they have invariably approached the topic primarily from a Government standpoint rather than the mining industry. This book aims to provide a balance in this debate by comparing the financial outcomes gained or foregone by both Government and industry under different policy regimes. The discussions are supported by quantitative examples to more clearly articulate the potential outcomes and better inform future fiscal policy decisions.

This book introduces the concepts and methods of spatial statistics to geologists and engineers working with oil and gas data, and covers all of the most commonly encountered geostatistical methods for estimation and simulation. Topics include calculation and modeling of semivariograms, linear methods of kriging, cokriging, nonlinear methods such as indicator kriging and disjunctive kriging, and conditional simulation, including sequential indicator simulation, sequential Gaussian simulation, and simulated annealing. Semivariogram models range from very simple to complex. All of the fundamental semivariogram models are illustrated, along with anisotropic models, hole effects, geometric and zonal models, and the mechanics of fitting models. For each geostatistical method treated in detail, the author introduces necessary theory and background, describes how the method works, the steps a user must go through, and problems a user might encounter. The emphasis throughout is on what the practitioner needs to know, and the results that can be expected. The book is replete with examples in two and three dimensions, using real-world data such as porosity and permeability, gas production, structural elevation of a reservoir, and seismic information. Geostatistics and Petroleum Geology will be an invaluable advanced-level text for students on petroleum engineering and geosciences courses, as well as an important reference for petroleum geologists and petroleum engineers in oil companies worldwide.

A decade ago no one except geologists had heard of tantalum or 'coltan' - an obscure mineral that is an essential ingredient in mobile phones and laptops. Then, in 2000, reports began to leak out of Congo: of mines deep in the jungle where coltan was extracted in brutal conditions watched over by warlords. The United Nations sent a team to investigate, and its expose of the relationship between violence and the exploitation of coltan and other natural resources contributed to a re-examination of scholarship on the motivations and strategies of armed groups.

The politics of coltan encompass rebel militias, transnational corporations, determined activists, Hollywood celebrities, the rise of China, and the latest iGadget. Drawing on Congolese and activist voices, Nest analyses the two issues that define coltan politics: the relationship between coltan and violence in the Congo, and contestation between activists and corporations to reshape the global tantalum supply chain. The way production and trade of coltan is organised creates opportunities for armed groups, but the Congo wars are not solely, or even primarily, about coltan or minerals generally. Nest argues the political significance of coltan lies not in its causal link to violence, but in activists' skillful use of mobile phones as a symbol of how ordinary people and transnational corporations far from Africa are implicated in Congo's coltan industry and therefore its conflict. Nest examines the challenges coltan initiatives face in an activist 'marketplace' crowded with competing justice issues, and identifies lessons from coltan initiatives for the geopolitics of global resources more generally.

The application of surface geochemical methods to finding petroleum is based on the detection of hydrocarbons in the soil that have leaked from a petroleum reservoir at depth. While the "seal" over the deposit was once considered impermeable, surface geochemistry data now show that such leakage is a common occurrence. Despite its simplicity and low costs, surface geochemistry remains controversial because, until now, there was no objective and in-depth treatment of the various methods of surface geochemistry for oil exploration. Written by a successful oil finder, this practical guide: surveys a broad array of surface geochemistry techniques, from soil gases to microbiology, and provides clear strategies for applying them to the high-stakes art of petroleum exploration; offers numerous case studies, both successes and failures, to show the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches; examines statistical and spatial variation, surveys, and models in surface geochemistry, demonstrating how each analytical tool can be used to optimize accuracy; integrates surface geochemistry data interpretation with data from conventional methods of oil exploration, and considers the economics of surface geochemical approaches; and discusses key topics that have been neglected in the literature, such as grid design and the effects of soils. Geologists, geophysicists, geological engineers, and exploration managers involved in petroleum exploration will gain valuable insights from this volume. By presenting and evaluating each method of surface geochemistry in a neutral tone, this volume enables the reader to select and employ these methods with greater confidence.

This volume presents an exhaustive overview of major orebodies and mineral deposits of North Africa. It is intended both for academic researchers and especially for exploration geologists interested in mineral exploration in the northern part of the African continent. Recent changes in the mining laws of most countries in this region have encouraged international mining companies to invest in local mineral industries. Accordingly, this volume will be very useful for these professionals, as well as for researchers in the field of economic geology.

This volume concentrates on research information on the beneficial effects of nitrates and their fate in the environment. Adopting an integrated approach it covers the agricultural, environmental and medical aspects of this emotive topic. In addition, there is an extensive description of the biochemistry of nitrates in plants, animals and humans including the positive aspects as well as the hazards.

Permo-Triassic Salt Provinces of Europe, North Africa and the Atlantic Margins: Tectonics and Hydrocarbon Potential deals with the evolution and tectonic significance of the Triassic evaporite rocks in the Alpine orogenic system and the Neogene basins in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa, and the western Mediterranean. As the nature of the Triassic evaporite sequences, the varied diapiric structures they feed, and the occurrence of hydrocarbons suggest that the Triassic evaporites represent an efficient system to trap hydrocarbons, this book explores the topic with a wide swath, also devoting content to a relatively unexplored topic, the mobilization and deformation of the Triassic salt in the western and northern Tethys (from Iberia and North Africa, Pyrenees and Alps, Adriatic and Ionian) during the subsequent Alpine orogenic processes. The book includes chapters updating varied topics, like the Permian and Triassic chronostratigraphic scales, palaeogeographic reconstructions of the western Tethys since the Late Permian, the petroleum systems associated with Permo-Triassic salt, allochthonous salt tectonics, and a latest revision of salt tectonic processes in the Permian Zechstein Basin, the Atlantic Margins (from Barents Sea, Scotia, Portugal, Morocco, and Mauritania), the Alpine folded belts in Europe, and the various Triassic salt provinces in North Africa. The book is the go-to guide for salt tectonic researchers and those working in the hydrocarbon exploration industry.

Unconventional Petroleum Geology, Second Edition presents the latest research results of global conventional and unconventional petroleum exploration and production. The first part covers the basics of unconventional petroleum geology, its introduction, concept of unconventional petroleum geology, unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, and the origin and distribution of unconventional oil and gas. The second part is focused on unconventional petroleum development technologies, including a series of technologies on resource assessment, lab analysis, geophysical interpretation, and drilling and completion. The third and final section features case studies of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, including tight oil and gas, shale oil and gas, coal bed methane, heavy oil, gas hydrates, and oil and gas in volcanic and metamorphic rocks.

Originally published in 1976, this study was undertaken to fill a gap in knowledge about non-fuel resources and the advantages and disadvantages of specific methodologies of analysing material modelling. Mineral Materials Modeling examines the influence of factors such as raw material price and availability, technological aspects and related environmental questions in relation to both economic and mathematical models. The results are particularly helpful in terms of forecasting, policy development and decision-making about mineral materials as well as assessing the usefulness of different types of model. This title will be of interest to students of Environmental Studies as well as policy makers and professionals.

Education and Training for the Oil and Gas Industry: Localising Oil and Gas Operations, Volume Four in the Getenergy series will set out the case for localising the oil and gas operations within hydrocarbon-producing countries. The focus of this final Volume in the series will be to explore the value of engaging with local suppliers, local talent and other local stakeholders in the exploration and production of oil and gas resources. Specifically, we will set out an agenda around which operators and service companies can coalesce and that highlights the ways in which smart, targeted investments in education, training and local infrastructure can create a new way of doing business, particularly in developing or emerging energy economies. Getenergy Intelligence have developed a unique tool to evaluate the potential cost benefits of localisation for any given project. This volume lays out the rationale, methodology and processes we have developed to successfully map out localisation and implement strategic capacity development for oil and gas operations. The significant cost benefits of localisation have been recognised by a number of major oil and gas companies, but localisation is still an aspect of doing business that is poorly understood by much of the global industry. In the first section of this book, the authors provide the rationale for localisation and layout the core reasons for developing the tool. In the second section, the tool is described and the exact methodology is explained. In the final section the authors provide three case studies, demonstrating the tool in action and showing how we are able to measure the cost effectiveness and wider value of a coherent approach to localisation.

This book gathers selected papers presented at the 8th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics (ICEG), held on October 28 - November 1, 2018 in Hangzhou, China. The theme of the congress is "Towards a Sustainable Geoenvironment", which means meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Under this theme, the congress covers a broad range of topics and provides an excellent opportunity for academics, engineers, scientists, government officials, regulators, and planners to present, discuss and exchange notes on the latest advances and developments in the research and application of environmental geotechnics.

In this text, attention is focused mainly on those literature is accessible, however, it is to be expected countries in western Africa lying south of the Sahara, that teachers and lecturers will know of it and will be that is, between about SON and 15 DegreesN, and westward able to acquaint their students with it, where neces of about 15 DegreesE. Parts of the region as far north as sary. about 200N are considered from time to time, for A glossary of terms is provided at the end of the purposes of correlation and cQntinuity. The map on volume, and there is a summary at the beginning of p. xiii indicates the approximate extent of the cover each chapter. age. This book is dedicated to the many colleagues and The principal aim is to provide a broad view of students with whom we have worked in West Africa West African geology as a whole, for undergraduates and who have stimulated and encouraged our teach who are studying for honours degrees in geology and ing and research in various ways. We hope also that it may help the work of international organizations who already have an understanding of basic geologi cal principles. It is increasingly important that such as AGID, CIFEG and UNESCO to encourage the growing trend towards geological co-operation geologists working in this region should see it as made up of geological 'provinces' which transcend and correlation between different countries in West national boundaries. Africa.

This book presents the results of the major EU project Promine. For the first time there is now a European database available on mineral deposits, as well as 3D, 4D and predictive models of major mineral belts in Europe: Fennoscandia (Skelleftea and Vihanti-Pyhasalmi), the Fore-Sudetic basin (Kupferschiefer deposits in Poland and Germany), the Hellenic belt in northern Greece, and the Iberian Pyrite belt and Ossa Morena zone in Spain and Portugal. The book also describes the modelling techniques applied and how different types of software are used for three- and four-dimensional modelling. Furthermore, fundamental descriptions of how to build the database structure of three-dimensional geological data are provided and both 2D and 3D predictive models are presented for the main mineral belts of Europe.

The Metallogeny of Lode Gold Deposits: A Syngenetic Perspective is a synthesis of lode gold vein forming processes, addressing the commonality in similar worldwide deposits. The book's empirical model incorporates widely known and accepted principles of ore deposition and shows how it applies in the volcanic-sedimentary greenstone belt environment. Several chapters detail outcrop maps and photos of field occurrences and textures. The interpretations flow directly from the authors' field work, and are coupled with analyses of underlying physical processes. Utilizing detailed geological mapping, field work, and chemical analyses as the basis of a syngenetic formation mode, the text arms readers with the tools necessary to accurately analyze and interpret new data on the subject. This includes information on decoding the significance of asymmetry in vein formation, as well as the role of lamprophyres in gold camps, how Archean geology requires integration into a lode vein formation model, and how to develop an understanding of the worldwide applicability of gold cycles to lode vein formation and exploration and how it can be applied to deposits of all ages.

How has exploration for minerals evolved in recent years? Is it as productive an activity as it once was? Why have changes occurred? Roderick G. Eggert explores these and other questions about the complex set of circumstances surrounding metallic mineral exploration. Originally published in 1987, Eggert documents trends in the level and the distribution of expenditures by mining companies for metallic mineral exploration and examines a number of factors that may be responsible for these trends. This significant study serves as a handy introduction to the subject for students interested in environmental studies, natural resources, and economics.

"This book is fast becoming the standard text in its field," wrote a reviewer in the Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology soon after the first appearance of Dake's book. This prediction quickly came true: it has become the standard text and has been reprinted many times. The author's
aim - to provide students and teachers with a coherent account of the basic physics of reservoir engineering - has been most successfully achieved. No prior knowledge of reservoir engineering is necessary. The material is dealt with in a concise, unified and applied manner, and only the simplest and most straightforward mathematical techniques are used. This low-priced paperback edition will continue to be an invaluable teaching aid for years to come.

Is Gaia becoming Thanatia, a resource exhausted planet? For how long can our high-tech society be sustained in the light of declining mineral ore grades, heavy dependence on un-recycled critical metals and accelerated material dispersion? These are all root causes of future disruptions that need to be addressed today.This book presents a cradle-to-cradle view of the Earth's abiotic resources through a novel and rigorous approach based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics: heat dissipates and materials deteriorate and disperse. Quality is irreversibly lost. This allows for the assessment of such depletion and can be used to estimate the year where production of the main mineral commodities could reach its zenith. By postulating Thanatia, one acquires a sense of destiny and a concern for a unified global management of the planet's abiotic resource endowment.The book covers the core aspects of geology, geochemistry, mining, metallurgy, economics, the environment, thermodynamics and thermochemistry. It is supported by comprehensive databases related to mineral resources, including detailed compositions of the Earth's layers, thermochemical properties of over 300 substances, historical energy and mineral resource inventories, energy consumption and environmental impacts in the mining and metallurgical sector and world recycling rates of commodities.

Published in 2002, the first edition of Geostatistical Reservoir Modeling brought the practice of petroleum geostatistics into a coherent framework, focusing on tools, techniques, examples, and guidance. It emphasized the interaction between geophysicists, geologists, and engineers, and was received well by professionals, academics, and both graduate and undergraduate students. In this revised second edition, Deutsch collaborates with co-author Michael Pyrcz to provide a full update on the latest tools, methods, practice, and research in the field of petroleum Geostatistics. Key geostatistical concepts such as integration of production data, scale-up, and cosimulation receive greater attention, and new topics like model checking, multiple point simulation, and production data integration are included in detail. Geostatistical methods are extensively illustrated through enhanced schematics, work flows and examples. A greater number of examples also are included, such as the integration of a single geostatistical study developed from data analysis and cleaning to post-processing, ranking and flow simulation. New methods, which have developed in the field since the publication of the first edition, are discussed, such as models for integration of diverse data sources, surface-based, advanced object-based, event-based and multiple point-based simulation, and spatial boot-strap.

Geochemical reaction modeling plays an increasingly vital role in several areas of geoscience ranging from groundwater and surface water hydrology to environmental preservation and remediation to economic and petroleum geology. This book provides an up-to-date overview and a large number of fully worked examples of the use of numerical methods to model reaction processes in the Earth's crust and on its surface. Special attention is given to integrating surface complexation, kinetic rate laws, and isotope fractionation into quantitative process models. Earth science professionals and students in a variety of specialties will benefit from the wealth of information and practical advice this book has to offer.

Balanced, broad-based, and up to date, this comprehensive text explores the nature and critical issues of earth resources and the impacts that resource usage has on the earth environment. The authors offer full coverage of all major types of earth resources-energy, metallic, nonmetallic, water, soil. A minimal scientific background is assumed.

The book reveals the changing dynamics of the helium industry on both the supply-side and the demand-side. The helium industry has a long-term future and this important gas will have a role to play for many decades to come. Major new users of helium are expected to enter the market, especially in nuclear energy (both fission and fusion). Prices and volumes supplied and expected to rise and this will prompt greater efforts towards the development of new helium sources and helium conservation and recycling.

This book presents operational modal analysis (OMA), employing a coherent and comprehensive Bayesian framework for modal identification and covering stochastic modeling, theoretical formulations, computational algorithms, and practical applications. Mathematical similarities and philosophical differences between Bayesian and classical statistical approaches to system identification are discussed, allowing their mathematical tools to be shared and their results correctly interpreted. The authors provide their data freely in the web at https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/7EVTXG Many chapters can be used as lecture notes for the general topic they cover beyond the OMA context. After an introductory chapter (1), Chapters 2-7 present the general theory of stochastic modeling and analysis of ambient vibrations. Readers are first introduced to the spectral analysis of deterministic time series (2) and structural dynamics (3), which do not require the use of probability concepts. The concepts and techniques in these chapters are subsequently extended to a probabilistic context in Chapter 4 (on stochastic processes) and in Chapter 5 (on stochastic structural dynamics). In turn, Chapter 6 introduces the basics of ambient vibration instrumentation and data characteristics, while Chapter 7 discusses the analysis and simulation of OMA data, covering different types of data encountered in practice. Bayesian and classical statistical approaches to system identification are introduced in a general context in Chapters 8 and 9, respectively. Chapter 10 provides an overview of different Bayesian OMA formulations, followed by a general discussion of computational issues in Chapter 11. Efficient algorithms for different contexts are discussed in Chapters 12-14 (single mode, multi-mode, and multi-setup). Intended for readers with a minimal background in mathematics, Chapter 15 presents the 'uncertainty laws' in OMA, one of the latest advances that establish the achievable precision limit of OMA and provide a scientific basis for planning ambient vibration tests. Lastly Chapter 16 discusses the mathematical theory behind the results in Chapter 15, addressing the needs of researchers interested in learning the techniques for further development. Three appendix chapters round out the coverage. This book is primarily intended for graduate/senior undergraduate students and researchers, although practitioners will also find the book a useful reference guide. It covers materials from introductory to advanced level, which are classified accordingly to ensure easy access. Readers with an undergraduate-level background in probability and statistics will find the book an invaluable resource, regardless of whether they are Bayesian or non-Bayesian.