This presentation was contributed as part of the AAPG Webinar: “Pivoting 2021: Energy Industry Supply Chains” Moderated by Susan Nash, Ph.D., Director, Innovation & Emerging Science and Technology, AAPG, Tulsa, OK

For the Webinar program, see: (Here)

The presentation: “Uranium & Rare Earth Supply Chains: A Brief Discussion” is available on the AAPG EMD YouTube Channel: (Here)
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For the PDF version of this presentation with hyperlinks, see: (Here)​

The rest of the Webinar presentations are now available on the AAPG EMD YouTube Channel playlist: (Here)

This Mini-Webinar explains the purpose, the function, and how to use the I2M Web Portal. It now contains a database of more than 10,500 records consisting of: enhanced hyperlinks in abstracts, comments and hyperlinks to industry and government reports, technical papers, and technical news releases, all involving geoscience topics selected by the I2M management team, and now made available to the geoscience community in industry, university, and government. Members of the general public might also find the I2M Web Portal contents of interest.

The I2M Web Portal reflects our client-research activities over the years and our research in support of the AAPG Energy Minerals Division’s Uranium (Nuclear & REE) Committee.

We now begin many of our projects by search-checking the Web Portal for what information is available in the Portal even before we check Google. The I2M Web Portal is uploaded weekly with new reports, technical papers, technical news items, which are summitted for review by the I2M editors that meet focused criteria in some 30 categories. These range in topical coverage from astrogeology (yes, even on UFOs) to uranium with an overall emphasis on matters related to offworld (Moon, Mars, Venus, etc.), energy resources (O&G, coal, nuclear power, hydroelectric, wind, solar, and other renewables), climate change (issues, data, reports, politics, etc.), critical minerals and mining (uranium, REE, battery components, precious and other metals, etc.), and hydrogeology (mining and associated environmental considerations), and health and safety.

See the Guide page for active hyperlinks: https://i2massociates.com/downloads/I2MWebPortalIntroduction2021.pdf

Henry Wise, President of the AIPG Texas Chapter, released this special note on the passing of four great Texas geologists due to Covid-19:

James Word Sansom Jr.

Jim Sansom died of Covid-19 on February 27, 2021 at the age of 82. He graduated from University of Texas (Austin), majoring in Geology. His professional career began in 1962 with the Texas Highway Department. In 1965, he joined the Texas Department of Water Resources (now the Texas Water Development Board). In 1980 he joined the Texas Railroad Commission’s Surface Mining and Reclamation Division, where he worked until retirement in 1989. Jim worked afterward as an independent consulting geologist providing professional geological services to Austin engineers, City and State agencies, and private individuals. He was also an active member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists, and the Association of Engineering Geologists. Jim was involved in the long, but ultimately successful campaign for licensure of Texas Professional Geoscientists, for which he was honored by both AIPG and AEG (more).

Robert William Rodgers

Bob Rodgers, retired University of Texas Pan American geology professor passed away Thursday due to Covid-19, January 28, 2021 at the age of 85. Born April 28, 1935 in Huntsville, Texas. A graduate of Baylor University, he taught geology at Pan American for 30 years where he influenced many future geologists and as well as many students who passed through his classroom. Following his retirement from teaching, he began a new career in consulting. A lifelong member of the Geological Society of America (GSA)  and of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), he was involved in promoting and researching geothermal energy and alternative fuel sources (more).

Dennis Trombatore

Dennis Trombatore was born on Aug. 26, 1952 in Killeen, Texas and died peacefully Sat., July 18th, 2020 after a long illness. Dennis grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he attended St. Aloysius School and soon-to-be-renamed Lee High, graduating in 1970.  He went to LSU, graduating with a BA in Philosophy in 1975 and an MLS in 1977.  He lived in New Orleans and worked at Loyola Library from 1977 to 1980. In 1980 he married Kathryn Dinstuhl; they divorced in 1994. He moved to Athens, GA in 1980 to work in the Science Library of the University of Georgia. In 1985 he accepted the position of Head of the Walter Geology Library at the University of Texas Libraries in Austin, where he was honored to receive several staff excellence awards through the years.  He made Austin his happy home and worked tirelessly for his second family in the Jackson School of Geosciences until his death on June 18th, 2020 from complications of recurrent prostate cancer.

Throughout his life, Dennis had a great love for geology and for handcrafts, particularly pottery, which he discovered in college.  He was never happier than when in the studio or on a field trip.  He belonged to the Austin Geological Society, the Geoscience Information Society, and the National Council of Educators in the Ceramic Arts for many years.  He was a stalwart contributor to the Austin Empty Bowl Project (well over two thousand of his bowls are in use around the city), and a life-long supporter of arts education and higher education (more).

Edmund Gerald (Jerry) Wermund

Edmund Gerald Wermund Jr. Ph.D, “Jerry” was born on April 15, 1926 and passed away on July 15, 2020 at age 94 in Austin, Texas after a short illness from complications of Covid-19. After graduating from Port Chester High School – during World War II – he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. As part of his Naval training, and after his tour of duty, he was enrolled at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., receiving his Bachelor’s degree in geology in 1948. Jerry was attending Graduate School at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. when he was called to another tour of duty during the Korean War. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Va. where he helped develop training manuals for Army engineers in principles of geology. After being discharged from the Army, Jerry enrolled in the graduate geology program at L.S.U in Baton Rouge, La. where he began his chief professional focus on the geology of the Gulf Coast Region. He obtained his Ph.D in geology in 1961.

Dr. Wermund was employed from 1957-1970 by Mobil Research and Development Corp. in Dallas, Tx., where he researched petroleum and mineral exploration in the Gulf. From 1970-1971 he worked as technical manager at Remote Sensing Incorporated in Houston, Tx., where he was the consultant to the United Nations Transport Saharan Highway Project. In 1971, Jerry accepted a position at the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin where he worked for 27 years. He became the Bureau’s Associate Director and Director of the Bureau’s Land Resource Laboratory. He specialized in remote sensing and surface/ subsurface geological mapping to assess petroleum resources both onshore and offshore. Jerry served on many geological panels and commissions for The University of Texas, as well as Texas State agencies and several programs for the U.S. Department of Interior. Jerry received several lifetime achievement awards for dedication and service including a resolution from the Texas Mapping Advisory Committee. For two decades Jerry served the Gulf Coast professional community through his work with Austin Geological Society, where he served as President and Vice President and received a distinguished service award (more).

The Texas geological profession has lost four of it’s best in 2020
Our condolences go out to their families.

Henry Wise
President
March 21, 20121

President Wise announced today that two scholarships will be offered this coming spring of 2021, one undergraduate: Foss Undergraduate Scholarship, and one graduate scholarship: Shoemaker Graduate Scholarship..  For more information go to Scholarships | AIPG-TX. 

Due Date for Applications: May 1, 2021. Send to: Henry Wise, President

A Virtual Student webpage is now available for Texas student use. For Q&A, see: Christian Martinez, the Senior Student Councilor of the Texas Statewide AIPG Student Chapter.

Henry Wise, President of the AIPG Texas Chapter, and the AIPG-TX Board announced today that social media accounts are now available on the AIPG Texas Chapter website, such as:

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AipgTx

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AIPGTexas

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-institute-of-professional-geologists/

It’s now up to all of us to use them and to encourage others to do so as well.

Be sure to review the list of YouTube videos made available by the Houston Geological Society:

https://www.youtube.com/user/HGSGeoEducation/videos

Also see the First Virtual AAPG ACE Conference presentations by the Energy Minerals Division and Astrogeology Committee:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI3dyuNS2IhDZA7qjdwte3Q

________________

For the full versions of the Uranium (Nuclear & REE) Committee presentations:

“Uranium and Nuclear Power are on the Move … Again”
See YouTube video and reference PDF with active links in comments below:
https://i2massociates.com/downloads/UCOM-Issues2020ShortSlides.pdf

and

“Sources of Rare Earth Elements in the U.S. and around the World”
See YouTube video with reference PDF with active links in comments below:
https://i2massociates.com/downloads/REE-EMDPresentation8-31-20.pdf

By the numbers: Texas

• 54,266 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)¹
• 7.2 billion gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal³
• $5.22 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 2017⁴
• 254 total disaster declarations, including 154 fire, 36 flood, and 20 hurricane disasters (1953-2017)⁶
• $70.2 million: NSF GEO grants awarded in 2017¹⁴

Your State Source for Geoscience Information

Texas Bureau of Economic Geology

Workforce in Texas

• 54,266 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed) in 2017¹
• $107,652: average median geoscience employee salary¹
• 39 academic geoscience departments²

Water Use in Texas

• 7.2 billion gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal³
• 14.1 billion gallons/day: total surface water withdrawal³
• 2.89 billion gallons/day: public supply water withdrawal³
• 5.49 billion gallons/day: water withdrawal for irrigation³
• 323 million gallons/day: industrial fresh water withdrawal³
• 95% of the population is served by public water supplies³

Energy and Minerals in Texas

• $5.22 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 2017⁴
• Stone (crushed), cement (Portland), sand and gravel (construction): top three nonfuel minerals in order of value produced in 2017⁴
• 39 million short tons: coal produced in 2016⁵
• 6.83 trillion cubic feet: natural gas produced in 2017⁵
• 1.28 billion barrels: crude oil produced in 2017⁵
• 67.1 million megawatt hours: wind produced in 2017⁵

Natural Hazards in Texas

• 254 total disaster declarations, including 154 fire, 36 flood, and 20 hurricane disasters (1953-2017)⁶
• $1.47 billion: individual assistance grants (2005-2017)⁶
• $1.66 billion: mitigation grants (2005-2017)⁶
• $1.95 billion: preparedness grants (2005-2017)⁶
• $3.73 billion: public assistance grants (2005-2017)⁶
• 99 weather and/or climate events, each with costs exceeding $1 billion (inflation adjusted) (1980-2017)⁷

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

• $1.15 billion: total USGS budget in FY 2018 (5.8% increase from FY 2017)⁸
• The National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program funds geologic mapping projects with federal (FEDMAP), state (STATEMAP), and university (EDMAP) partners
• $2.62 million: Texas STATEMAP funding (1993-2016)⁹
• 4 Texas universities, including University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University, have participated in EDMAP⁹
• USGS streamgages collect real-time or recent streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality data throughout Texas

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• $20.7 billion: total NASA budget in FY 2018 (5.5% increase from FY 2017)¹⁰
• $1.9 billion: total NASA Earth Science budget in FY 2018 (0% change from FY 2017)¹⁰
• Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites measure groundwater changes in Texas
• Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite measures soil moisture in Texas

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

• $5.9 billion: total NOAA budget in FY 2018 (4.1% increase from FY 2017)¹¹
• Next-generation geostationary (GOES) and polar orbiting (JPSS) satellites provide weather forecasting over Texas
• Deep Space Climate Observatory (DISCOVR) satellite monitors radiation and air quality over Texas
• 71 National Weather Service Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) stations in Texas¹²
• 634 National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) sites in Texas¹²

National Science Foundation (NSF)

• $7.8 billion: total NSF budget in FY 2018 (4% increase from FY 2017)¹³
• $1.4 billion: total NSF Geosciences Directorate (GEO) awards in FY 2017 (7.2% increase from FY 2016)¹⁴
• 133 NSF GEO awards in Texas totaling $70.2 million in 2017¹⁴
• $9.7 million: NSF GEO grants awarded to the University of Texas at Austin in 2017¹⁴

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

• $8.1 billion: total EPA budget in FY 2018 (0% change from FY 2017)¹⁵
• 55 active Superfund sites in Texas in 2018¹⁶
• $59.6 million: Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) grants in Texas in 2017¹⁷

Federal Facilities in Texas

• USGS Texas Water Science Center, Austin
• NOAA Center for Atmospheric Sciences, El Paso
• NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston
• USDA ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland

References

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2017
2. American Geosciences Institute, Directory of Geoscience Departments, 53rd Edition (2018)
3. U.S. Geological Survey, Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2015
4. U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2018
5. U.S. Energy Information Administration
6. FEMA Data Visualization: Summary of Disaster Declarations and Grants (accessed May 2, 2018)
7. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters from 1980 to 2018 (accessed April 6, 2018)
8. U.S. Department of the Interior, FY 2019 Budet in Brief
9. U.S. Geological Survey, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program
10. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, FY 2019 Budget Estimates
11. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, FY 2019 Bluebook
12. NOAA In Your State and Territory
13. U.S. House of Representatives, FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill (Division B) – Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018
14. National Science Foundation, Budget Information System
15. U.S. House of Representatives, FY 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill (Division G) – Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018
16. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Superfund Sites
17. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund National Information Management System Reports

Henry Wise, P.G., CPG, President of the AIPG Texas Section, announced the Texas Board approval and appointment of Dr. Melissa Hill, P.G.,CPG as the new Vice-President for Western Texas. Dr. Hill began her professional career at Southwest Research Institute while working on her M.S. in Geology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She pursued a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of South Florida while working as a hydrologist at the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Her Ph.D. research focused on karst springs and numerical simulations of both laminar and turbulent flow in the Upper Floridan Aquifer. After earning her doctorate, Dr. Hill worked at the Texas Water Development Board, where she conducted predictive simulations using alternate recharge and pumping scenarios to estimate groundwater availability. After moving to Alaska, she served as the State Hydrologist and managed the Alaska Hydrologic Survey. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Dr. Hill currently resides in San Antonio and works as an Environmental Specialist at the fourth largest school district in the state. She is a licensed professional geoscientist in the states of Texas, Florida, and Alaska (more).

Michael D. Campbell, I2M’s Chief Geologist (and VP-Eastern Texas – AIPG Texas Chapter), and Chairman of UCOM said in a recent AAPG – EMD virtual conference that serious competition is now underway to determine which energy source will dominate the power-grid of the foreseeable future. With coal declining rapidly, only natural gas, uranium (and nuclear power), hydroelectric power, and renewables (wind and solar) are in the running. Both natural gas and nuclear power are providing back-up to the power grid because of the inherent drawbacks of wind and solar, (where the former does not blow all the time and the latter is intermittent because there are cloudy days and the sun only shines during the day, of course). Because California and Germany  have retired many of their nuclear power plants, natural gas has taken their place in the power grid in supporting California’s renewable energy systems and may also in Germany.

Inherent Failings of Wind and Solar
Renewables’ inherent failings have been identified and this is made even more apparent by the need for back-up batteries during zero or low-power output, which are unusually expensive to buy and maintain. Furthermore, as recently constructed wind and solar projects mature, the cost of the electricity they are producing is going up rapidly, not only because of low energy conversion production efficiencies, but also because the costs of operation and maintenance of these projects have been overlooked and underestimated during the economic evaluations in the project design stages.

Campbell indicated that the Committee has concluded that nuclear power is a sustainable, reliable, climate- and business-friendly source of energy available at various scales to be fueled by current resources and new discoveries that will provide hundreds of years of available uranium supplies from a variety of secure sources.

For the rest of the UCOM report, see (here).  In the meantime, the World Nuclear News has reported on the UCOM report (here).