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Can anyone tell me what's in the day of an exploration geologist?

In my mind ( No experience or clear picture) it consists of camping, hiking, exploring. Perhaps using such equipment as trucks, quads, helicopters to get to remote sights. Setting up a camp and using drills, computers, seismic technology and other survey equipment to be able to make a geological map of the area, finding abnormalities in the sediments to find minerals or oil.

To me it seems like quiet an adventerous and `fun` Job. A I wrong?

Can anyone speak from experience what it is like in the day of an exploration geologist?

Depends mainly if you are a Petroleum Geologist (looking for oil) or into Mining. This forum points more toward Petroleum Geology, but from your question I suppose you would like info about mineral exploration (mining)...

It certainly can be those things, and I've done a lot of them and have known others that have done the rest.

It can also involve some things that are fairly tedious or not particularly pleasant, such as logging thousands of feet of drill core/chips, doing massive amounts of data entry, splitting core, crushing core, digging trenches, etc. The hiking isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes either, with insane vegetation and extreme topography such as in SE Alaska.

Petroleum Geologists are more office workers as oil typically resides deep below the ground and no one can see the geology with their own eyes anyways. Most data is collected via sophisticated equipment and then displayed on computer screens. It's not less challenging though...

hope this helped,

-Bill

Thanks Bill,
I'm an Australian geology student wondering whether to focus on oil or mining. I have been studying petroleum geology for the last few weeks and find it really interesting. But it is also helpful to hear some of the practical skills required. (eg digging trenches)

Daniel

Daniel,

Welcome to the forums! There is something to say for both disciplines and I even know some people that switch (and actually keep switching) between the two. Several years of mining, than back to petroleum. Principles are quite different and exploration activities usually also. Mining relies much on aerial surveys and a lot of core and sample analysis. The accumulation of minerals is largely governed by fluidflow through and certain pressure and temperature regimes. Exploration activities are usually cheaper and in some areas grid drilling and plain luck is still the prefered method.

Oil exploration and especially drilling is much more expensive (goin up into the tens of millions of dollars) and therefore chances to hit a target need to be high. It generally involves a lot more study prior to drilling. And I feel petroleum geology is much more like solving a complex puzzle in which all geological ellements must be fit exactly together to find oil. But you're probably learning about that stuff now...

Anyways, mining is booming in Australia now as you are probably aware of... Petroleum along the westcoast is also picking up... Both have excelent opportunities and I believe BHP Billiton needs both. Get into contact with them and show that you are not certain yet and the might be able to rotate you trough both disciplines.

Good luck!

Bill,

thanks very much for your thoughtful answer and your advice. As you would imagine there are many things we are already told about employment, it is sometimes hard to know what to believe. I am glad for advice from somebody who does not have a vested interest in advising me either way and has some experience in industry.
Thanks for your suggestion, I will try to contact them.

Daniel

In the end I don't really think it matters which particular geology specialization you do. Most oil and mining companies provide their graduates significant training anyways!

thanks Connels, that's good to know

The job of a geologist often starts outdoors in the field with the specific recognition of rock kinds, their characteristics & structure. The field geologist will also make findings about the nearby landscape. I think this type of job is adventurous.