François cumulates over 40 years of worldwide experience in the geology and exploration of multiple types of gold deposits. He currently consults part-time in the Minerals Industry, following 22 years with the exploration team at Barrick Gold Corporation and 12 years with the Geological Survey of Canada. He holds a geological engineering degree and earned a PhD from Ecole Polytechnique, Montreal, Canada, on the Sigma gold-quartz vein deposit at Val d’Or in Abitibi. He has published numerous scientific papers and has been involved in several scientific organizations. He has also received multiple national and international awards for his contributions.
Brett Davis: Firstly, thanks for giving Coring the opportunity to interview you, François. Please take this as a compliment when I say it seems like you have been a geological heavyweight of the mining and exploration industry for a very long time. Very few people have a career like yours, where you’ve worked across the spheres of mining and exploration, plus published highly regarded peer-reviewed papers, garnering enormous respect in the geological community while you’ve been doing it. Can you tell us what interested you in a career in geology?
François Robert: I have had my eyes on Earth sciences and geology very early on, but it’s hard to point to a specific turning moment or event. In 3rd year of high school, my dad brought me a kit from Bell Canada Laboratories on ‘crystals and light’ which really piqued my interest. This was about growing crystals and examining their effects on light through a fully functional cardboard polarizing microscope, which was my early introduction uniaxial and biaxial interference figures!
In college, I took an optional geology course, which crystallized it for me (pun intended): the professor was very interesting and was organizing a few local field trips.
From then on, it was clear I wanted geology as a career, and I already had my eyes set on a PhD. The main attraction, as I saw it then, was a combination of doing science, working outdoors, and travelling.
BD: Coring is a drilling magazine, and we like to keep to our roots. Do you get to work much with the drilling side of the business anymore?
FR: In the type of consulting work I do, I don’t get involved with the logistics of drilling, core orientation or core scanning, nor with QA-QC protocols. However, every time I go to a mine or project, I make a point to spend as much time as possible looking at core. I am a keen user of data generated from drilling, from orientation measurements (after ensuring the quality of the data), to geochemistry. It is common that such data is collected but not fully leveraged by project geologists.
In my work, I try to illustrate the use and full value of such datasets in constraining the local geometric architecture and in targeting.
BD: From stalking your LinkedIn profile, I note that you spent over 20 years with Barrick Gold Corporation. What inspired you to spend this amount of time with Barrick?
FR: There are two key factors explaining my ‘longevity’: the people I work with, and opportunities to learn and have impact. In my 22 years with Barrick Exploration, I had the privilege to work with some excellent geologists and managers. I only worked under two EVP-Exploration, Alex Davidson and Rob Krcmarov, both fantastic managers and well-known in the industry. They assembled strong, high-performing, and discovery-driven teams that were fun to work with. After my PhD, I decided to focus on gold because of the diversity of deposit types and geological environments in which it occurs: I thought it would be a good way to broaden my geological expertise. Well, Alex and Rob provided me with the opportunity to work all around the world, across a wide range of gold and copper deposits. In the process, I have also learned how exploration works and contributed to the development of a powerful set of exploration criteria. All this kept me very challenged and entertained. The work was intense and without any dull moment – just as I like it.
BD: Few people get the chance to chart the progress of a company over the time as you did with Barrick. So, another question to piggyback on the previous one: what were the most significant changes you noted from a geological perspective during your time with the company?
FR: The most significant changes over these more than 20 years are certainly the increased pace of exploration and the ever-improving analytical, scanning, and modelling tools at our disposal. As a result of the increased pace, we now rarely take time to report on exploration or drilling programs and think about the results and their significance. And similarly, we generate a ton of new data that are not always fully leveraged to maximize exploration success.
BD: You’ve worked in a lot of countries and on a lot of continents. Are there any skills or mindsets that have helped you in your roles in these places?
FR: Tough question. Your ability to connect with people and to work with them is critical. By this I mean adapting your level of language, trying to understand their challenges and how they work rather than radically imposing your views. This requires flexibility, patience, and humility on your part. Transparency and good humor also help. And stay away from politics as much as you can. These are good ways to earn respect from local teams. It also helps if you understand the local culture, which was one of my initial blind spots when I became Chief Geologist in South America after having that role in Australia.
BD: You’ve had the privilege of working with many of the truly influential geologists in the industry and have influenced many more. Apart from me, who have been some of the positive influences in your career?
FR: Many geologists mentored me, most of the time informally, and influenced my career so it’s difficult to single out just a few, but here we go. At the Geological Survey of Canada, colleagues such as Howard Poulsen and the late Jim Franklin helped shape my field-based approach to constrain the geological setting, architecture and controls of mineral deposits. I still work in the field with Howard, and I keep learning from him.
My encounter with Rick Sibson opened my eyes to the dynamics of faulting and the link with earthquake processes. It changed the way I think about gold-quartz vein arrays.
At Barrick, Alex Davidson (VP-Ex) and Jay Hodgson (Chief Geologist), who hired me, provided fantastic development opportunities through successive assignments to Goldstrike in Nevada, Western Australia, and South America, covering a wide range of deposit types and geological environments. Jay, as a creative and lateral thinker, taught me the value of empirical relationships in exploration and the importance of scale integration, from regional to local.
Rob Krcmarov, with whom I worked for many years, taught me the key drivers of the mining industry and their link with exploration strategies. He also guided me through the corporate world when I became global chief geologist.
As you can see, I was very fortunate to work with such individuals. Sorry, but you did not make the list!
BD: Is there a particular mineralization style or deposit type that interests you, and why?
FR: Gold deposits in greenstone belts, the so-called ‘orogenic’ gold deposits are my number one. Partly because this is where I started my career, but mostly because of their complexity and their diversity of attributes and structural history. Most are assigned to the orogenic basket, but are they all? I think not. There is no single model that explains 75% of what you see in these deposits, unlike the well-established epithermal, porphyry, or VMS deposits.
BD: Leading on from the previous question: everyone has a handful of deposits that have left a mark on them, be it because of the amazing geology, the hideous conditions, the people they worked with, etc. Which deposits do you hold dear, and which ones really were difficult to work on?
FR: The Sigma-Lamaque deposit in the Abitibi greenstone belt, where I did my PhD (on the Sigma portion), is at the top because it turned out to be such a classic gold-quartz vein system and it led to Rick Sibson’s fault-valve model.
The Hemlo gold deposit, because of its complex geology and history. After spending significant amount of time there for Barrick, the only certainty I have is that the deposit has been strained and metamorphosed: I still don’t understand what deposit type it is and probably never will!
Porgera, in Papua New Guinea, impressed me for both its unique size and vertical extent for an epithermal vein deposit, combined with its very challenging location.
BD: Given your international experience, where in the world would you go to make a truly significant mineral discovery? I’m particularly interested in your perspective on precious metal and base metal opportunities. And have there been any lost opportunities that you lament?
FR: I will partly avoid this question: I consult for several companies, and I need to maintain my neutrality with respect to where to go and where not to go! I will only say that, in addition to focusing on areas with high discovery potential, one needs to consider areas where it will be possible to mine, and profitably so. Thus, in selecting exploration areas, one needs to also assess political and other types of non-technical risks.
BD: We hear all about the advances and benefits of technologies such as 3D modelling, geochemical analysis, and the utilization of drones. Have you noted any negative impacts to effective exploration and mining as a result of these e.g. less people out kicking rocks?
FR: One consequence of all this technological arsenal is that geologists spend more and more time at their computers at the expense of looking at the rocks. These technologies, and now AI, should be leveraged to improve our geological interpretations and help define ore controls and quality targets. But increasingly, it is as if their use and the generation of data have become the end game rather than the starting point for integration with geology and interpretation.
As indicated above, the increased pace of exploration limits the amount of time available for analysis and interpretation. We should never forget that field (or drill core) observations and mapping remain the foundations of our work. You are right that this leads to fewer people kicking rocks, although this is the starting point of any significant discovery.
BD: What is your opinion of the geological skillsets, experience, and knowledge of geologists today, especially those who are newly graduated?
FR: Well, the business of exploration and mining has become increasingly complex, and this is reflected in the diversity of courses now included in undergraduate geology programs. This is appropriate but it dilutes the time dedicated to some basic disciplines and to field school. It is dangerous to generalize, but I find recent graduates to be well-versed in genetic models, analytical techniques (isotopes, fluid inclusions, etc.) and relevant software. But this comes at the expense of field skills: how many new graduates would be able to operate independently on an outcrop, extract relevant information and link with a property-scale map?
Interestingly, this is not a new problem, as illustrated by this quote from H. Smith, 1936 (in McKinstry, 1948, Mining Geology, p. 1): ‘Few recent college graduates seem to have had training in mapping methods known to be effective. The student is expected to acquire the needed skill somehow after graduation’.
I also find that there is limited interest in going back to old geological reports prepared by geologists, who spent much time mapping, and established the geological foundation of so many mineral districts. Their deep insights into structural and stratigraphic problems are extremely useful but are commonly overlooked.
BD: Has there been any single satisfying moment in your career that rates above all the others?
FR: Yup! It happened in a bar in Fort Frances in 1987 where Howard Poulsen, Rick Sibson and I were talking about vein systems at the end of a field day.
On a napkin, I sketched the array of steep reverse and flat-lying extensional veins at Sigma, pointing out the difficulty to explain the evidence of reverse slip along steeply dipping laminated veins during horizontal shortening. I also drew a Mohr diagram to show how the associated flat-lying extensional veins could form from pressurized fluids. Rick added a line representing reactivation of a pre-existing but misoriented fault, providing the missing link. This was the basis for the 1988 Sibson et al. fault-valve paper in Geology, which turned out to have a lot of impact. It was one of those ‘aha!’ moments.
BD: I’ll ask a question on the flipside of the previous one. Many of us have interfaced with less than savory individuals or experienced toxic workplaces. Has there been any incident or incidents that really disappointed you?
FR: Of course, there have been unpleasant incidents over the years, and it’s not appropriate to expand on those here. But looking back, I am mostly disappointed with how poorly I handled some of the particularly difficult situations. With the maturity I gained since, I would deal with those quite differently and would achieve a better outcome.
BD: One of the things you are held in high regard for is your capacity for teambuilding. What makes a good geology team? And have you seen any truly dysfunctional ones?
FR: There is no magic recipe, of course. From my experience, a successful team involves individuals who work for the greater good of the team or the company rather than for their own benefit. A range of skillsets within the team is critical: more than ever, exploration requires smart integration of multiple geoscience disciplines and technology (scanners, software, etc.) and no single geologist can master them all. A range of personalities is also important from steady deliverers to creative, free-spirited individuals. Leadership is also important in providing clarity and vision, and in instilling trust and respect among the team.
BD: I know you appreciate the value of good mentorship and have been a positive influence on many geologists, me included. What makes a good mentor?
FR: Mentorship, formal or informal, is very important to one’s career. I don’t consider myself a good mentor, but I gained experience at Barrick, with the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG), and in several other one-on-one situations.
In my view, part of the role is one of a sounding board and a guide, but not one to give specific answers. I first try to understand what or where guidance is needed: career choice, professional development, dealing with difficult colleagues or bosses, etc. Once this is clearer, I try to lay out a few possible options to consider, or actions to take, but I avoid providing a direct answer. The idea is to put options on the table, lay out their pros and cons and their ramifications, such that the mentee can decide on their own what’s the best course of action.
I also think of a good mentor as someone that is a good listener, open-minded, honest, not afraid to point out mistakes, and respectful of confidentiality. Easy to say but not always easy to do.
BD: As I alluded at the start of the interview, you are one of the rare breeds of geologists who work in industry but manage to maintain a publishing career. What inspires you to publish and how do you overcome the challenges, such as finding the time?
FR: I did indeed publish numerous papers or government reports over the years, but less so in the last 10 or so years. The main driver to publish was always to share results or ideas that I thought would be useful to the community and hopefully impactful. I only published a paper when I considered the work was of sufficient quality or significance to share.
It’s a real challenge to write papers or co-edit a volume like SEG’s Special Publication 23 on gold while working full-time. You need to be very well-organized and effective, but there is no magic: you need to put in the extra hours.
BD: One topic we commonly talk about but rarely put into print is of the health hazards of working in different countries and environments. Has your health ever been particularly challenged and, if so, what happened?
FR: Over the years, I ended up in remote places and under various conditions. But, touch wood, I never had significant health issues other than quickly passing stomach problems. I have always been careful with water and food but, was it luck, or a robust immune system, or both? Who knows!
BD: If you had abundant financial funding, is there a fundamentally annoying geology question you’d like to solve or a topic you’d like to work on?
FR: In greenstone belts, we commonly invoke regional faults as a key control of the spatial distribution of gold deposits, although most deposit occur adjacent to these faults rather than within them. We don’t really know what these faults are, how they formed, and how they really influence the formation of deposits.
This is a topic that Howard Poulsen and I are slowly investigating in the field, by revisiting historical and new exposures of the infamous Larder Lake-Cadillac Break in Southern Abitibi. It doesn’t cost much and it’s fun.
BD: Now to some personal questions. Would I be correct in thinking that full retirement won’t come easily to François Robert, and what does he do when he actually has some downtime?
FR: Full retirement? You are correct, not anytime soon, but certainly at a slowly reducing pace. I really enjoy my current part-time (50%) status and as long as I can contribute to our profession I will do so in some capacity. Besides geology, I enjoy time with family and friends, travel, and listening to a lot of music.
BD: Are you ever going to compile your memoirs? I imagine there is a treasure trove of stories there!
FR: I have been asked that question a few times. Lots of stories indeed, but I don’t have any plan to compile them. Who would be interested anyway? However, I have a well-organized collection of 35 mm slides and accompanying field notes from various gold deposits I’ve visited over the years. I am currently scanning them, and one thought is to prepare a photographic atlas of host rocks, alteration and mineralization for a selection of deposits, supported by representative plan and section. Let’s see where this leads.
BD: Finally, any concluding comments or words of wisdom from an industry veteran
FR: I firmly believe that mineral exploration and mining are still very much based on quality field observation and mapping, interpreted maps and sections, integrating all relevant available datasets. Sounds simple but it’s not so easy and it takes time. Here is a quote from a very successful explorer: ‘There is no substitute for the geological map and section – absolutely none. There never was and there never will be. The basic geology still must come first – and if it is wrong everything that follows will probably be wrong,’ (S.R. Wallace, 1975, Mining Engineering, 27, p. 34-36).
Thank you for the opportunity to share some of my views!
