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Paul Lusty

Paul Lusty

Ore deposits and commodities senior economic geologist
BGS Keyworth
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Summary

As BGS Team Leader for Ore Deposits and Commodities, Paul is responsible for a programme of international research spanning two areas, both emphasising the security of supply of raw materials for decarbonisation of the economy and resource management: i) ore deposit formation, particularly of ‘critical’ metal deposits; and ii) mineral statistics and data analysis, to understand the supply-demand dynamics of metals and material lifecycles to inform assessment of supply risk. Paul’s own research interests have evolved from land-based mineral exploration, focussed on orogenic gold, to volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation and rare metal pegmatites, to modern seafloor hydrothermal systems and extinct seafloor massive sulphide deposits. His latest work focuses on the formation and critical metal potential of deep-ocean ferromanganese crusts. Paul is a Chartered Geologist and has worked extensively in the developing world, mainly on issues related to capacity building for resource management. He is a representative of the Geological Society of London on the Pan-European Reserves & Resources Reporting Committee, an Operational Group Member of the European EIP on Raw Materials, and was a member of the Royal Society Working Group that published ‘Future Ocean Resources: Metal-rich Minerals and Genetics’ in 2017.

Paul Lusty’s Biography

  •  2012 – ongoing : BGS Team Leader – Ore Deposits and Commodities
  •  2005 – 2012 : Economic Geologist, British Geological Survey
  •  2004 – 2005 : Exploration Geologist, Minmet plc
  •  2001 – 2004 : Exploration Geophysicist, WesternGeco Ltd
  •  1999 – 2000 : MSc University of Leicester, Mineral Exploration
  •  1996 – 1999 : BSc (Hons) University of Southampton, Geology

Research interests

  • Mineral resources in ‘frontier’ regions and technically challenging environments, particularly the deep-ocean
  • Volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits
  • Modern seafloor hydrothermal systems, and the alteration and preservation potential of seafloor massive sulphide deposits
  • Deep-ocean ferromanganese crust formation, geochemistry, dating and paleoceanographic reconstruction, critical metal potential, and resource assessment
  • Mineral exploration including spatial data analysis as a tool for exploration targeting
  • Security of supply of supply of mineral resources, particularly those required for ‘decarbonisation’, and criticality assessment
  • Mineral economics, management and stewardship of primary and secondary raw mineral raw materials, and reducing the environmental impacts of metal recovery
  • Minerals investment promotion and capacity building for resource management in developing countries

Current projects and collaborations

  • NERC Research Grant: MarineE-tech (Marine ferromanganese deposits – a major resource of E-tech element); BGS, NOC, HR Wallingford and Bath, Leicester and São Paulo universities
  • FP7 Grant: Blue Mining (providing breakthrough solutions for a sustainable deep sea mining value chain)
  • H2020 Grant: CHPM2030 (Combined, Heat, Power and Metal Extraction);
  • NERC NC-science: the hydrothermal system of the Central Jebilet (Variscan Belt, Morocco); collaboration with Cadi Ayyad University and Managem Group
  • NERC NC-science: REE mineralisation associated with Precambrian igenous rocks in Botswana; collaboration with Department of Geological Survey – Republic of Botswana
  • NERC NC-science: advanced geoscience modelling of South West England using Tellus high resolution multivariate data; collaboration with the University of Exeter

Publications

  • Lusty, P A J, and Murton, B J. 2018. Deep-ocean Mineral Deposits: Metal Resources and Windows into Earth Processes. Elements 14, 301–306; doi: 10.2138/gselements.14.5.301
  • Lusty, P A J, Hein, J R, and Josso, P. 2018. Formation and Occurrence of Ferromanganese Crusts: Earth’s Storehouse for Critical Metals. Elements 14, 313–318; doi: 10.2138/gselements.14.5.313
  • Lehrmann, B, Stobbs, I J, Lusty, P A J, and Murton, B J. 2018. Insights into Extinct Seafloor Massive Sulfide Mounds at the TAG, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Minerals, 302; doi:10.3390/min8070302
  • Gunn, A G, Dorbor, J K, Mankelow, J M, Lusty, P A J, Deady, E A, Shaw, R A, and Goodenough, K M. 2018. A Review of the mineral potential of Liberia. Ore Geology Reviews 101, 413–431; doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2018.07.021
  • Zukov, M V, Plucinski, P K, Dartiguelongue, A C Y, and Lusty, P A J. 2018. Metal Extraction from Deep Ocean Mineral Deposits. Elements 14, 319–324. doi: 10.2138/gselements.14.5.319
  • Yeo, I A, Dobson, K, Josso, P, Pearce, R, Howarth, S, Lusty, P A J, and Murton, B J. 2018. Assessment of the mineral resource potential of Atlantic ferromanganese crusts based on their growth history, micro-structure and texture. Minerals, 327; doi: 10.3390/min8080327
  • Lusty, P A J, Lacinska, A M, Millar, I L, Barrie, C D, and Boyce, A J. 2017. Volcanological and environmental controls on the Snowdon mineralization, North Wales, UK: a failed volcanogenic massive sulfide system in the Avalon Zone of the British Caledonides. Ore Geology Reviews 89, 557–586; doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.06.031 2017
  • Lusty, P A J. 2016. Critical metals for high-technology applications: mineral exploration potential in the north of Ireland. In: Young, M E. (ed) Unearthed: impacts of the Tellus surveys of the north of Ireland, Royal Irish Academy, 101–117; doi:10.3318/978-1-908996-88-6.ch8
  • Lusty, P A J, and Gunn, A G. 2015. Challenges to global mineral resource security and options for future supply. In: Jenkin, G R T, Lusty, P A J, McDonald, I, Smith, M P, Boyce, A J, and Wilkinson, J J. (eds.) Ore Deposits in an Evolving Earth. Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, No. 393, 265–276; doi.org/10.1144/SP393.13
  • Goodenough, K M, Lusty, P A J, Roberts, N, Key, R M, and Garba, A. 2014. Post-collisional Pan-African granitoids and rare metal pegmatites in western Nigeria: Age, petrogenesis and the ‘pegmatite conundrum’. Lithos 200, 22–34; doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos. 2014.04.006
  • Lusty, P A J, Scheib, C, Gunn, A G, and Walker, A S D. 2012. Reconnaissance-Scale Prospectivity Analysis for Gold Mineralisation in the Southern Uplands-Down-Longford Terrane, Northern Ireland. Natural Resources Research 21, 359–382; doi.org/10.1007/s11053-012-9183-3
  • Lusty, P A J, Naden, J, Bouch, J E, McKervey, J A, and McFarlane, J A S. 2011. Atypical Gold Mineralization in an Orogenic Setting – The Bohaun Deposit, western Irish Caledonides. Economic Geology 106, 359–380; doi.org/10.2113/econgeo.106.3.359

Professional associations

  • Chartered Geologist and Fellow of The Geological Society of London and
  • Journal Editorial Board — MDPI Minerals
  • Mineral Deposits Study Group

Boards and committees

  • Member: Cross Government/National Science Capability Deep Seabed Mining Environmental Working Group
  • Working Group Member: Royal Society ‘Future ocean resources’
  • Operational Group Member: European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials
  • Geological Society of London Representative: Pan-European Reserves & Resources Reporting Committee (PERC)
  • Member: EuroGeoSurveys Mineral Resources Expert Group

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