PGI-NRI employees presented the results of their research at the 18th SGA Biennial Meeting, which took place in Golden (Colorado, USA).

The Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA) is an international organisation founded in 1965 in Heidelberg (Germany), currently bringing together over 1,300 members from around the world, including researchers, professionals and students from universities, industry and government institutions interested in economic geology, mineral resources, metallogenesis and environmental aspects of mineral deposits.

The SGA organises regular biennial scientific meetings. The 18th anniversary meeting, marking the organisation's 60th anniversary, took place on 3–7 August 2025 at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, in Golden, Colorado (USA). This was the first time that an SGA conference was organised in the United States, which was possible thanks to the involvement of representatives of the SGA, CSM, USGS and the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). The event was hosted by the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), founded in 1874, one of the leading universities for mining and geology.

On 4 August 2025, the president of SGA, Prof. Stanisław Mikulski, welcomed the conference participants, thanking the CSM authorities for organising the event at an institution so distinguished in the field of geology and mining.

In his speech, Prof. Mikulski emphasised the SGA's experience in cooperation and knowledge transfer between the academic, scientific, exploration, mining and government institutions. He also drew attention to the challenges facing deposit geologists in the context of the exploration and recovery of critical raw materials necessary for the transition to modern, low-carbon technologies.

Over 550 people participated in the conference (including approximately 25% students). Over 200 lectures were given and over 100 posters were presented during the four days. A total of 310 extended abstracts were submitted, available on the SGA website and indexed in the Web of Science database.

The meeting provided a space for intensive knowledge exchange not only between scientists, but also with representatives of the exploration and mining industry, including BHP, Rio Tinto and Barrick, as well as companies providing geophysical, satellite and resource modelling services.

The conference also included an open meeting of the members and Council of the SGA, chaired by Prof. Stanisław Z. Mikulski, Deputy Director of the PGI-NRI for scientific affairs and scientific support for the state geological service.

The delegation of the Polish Geological Institute – NRI consisted of Prof. Stanisław Z. Mikulski, mgr inż. Anna Januszewska-Kacprzak, mgr Andrzej Chmielewski, dr inż. Tomasz Bieńko and dr Rafał Małek. They presented the results of their research in the form of three lectures and five posters on topics including Variscan Cu-Mo(-W) mineralisation in Poland, weathering mineralisation in the Breiner deposit (Romania), prospects for the exploration of Fe-Ti-V mineralisation in the Ślęża-Kunów zone (SEMACRET project), the content of critical metals in post-mining waste heaps in the Częstochowa region, the zoning of copper sulphides in the Radwanice-Gaworzyce Cu-Ag deposit, and bismuth mineralisation in the Stara Kamienica deposit in the Sudetes.

The Polish delegation also included representatives of the AGH University of Science and Technology, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Jagiellonian University and exploration companies, including Lumina Metals.

The SGA Biennial Meetings are among the largest international conferences devoted to metallic and critical raw material deposits. They facilitate the establishment of new contacts, the initiation of cooperation and the generation of research ideas. The next SGA meeting is scheduled for 2027 in Perth, Australia, a place with strong mining traditions and a rich history of geological exploration.

Text: Rafał Małek, Stanisław Mikulski
Photos: Anna Januszewska-Kacprzak, Tomasz Bieńko, Rafał Małek and Organizers 18th SGA BM in Golden