Land With Beach Waves

Opportunities for Geoscientists in the Energy Transition - Critical Minerals & Elements

09 July 2026 12:00 - 13:00 Virtual, Via Zoom

09 July 2026 | 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Via Zoom

The Energy Transition: Opportunities for Geoscientists webinar series convenes leaders from academia, industry, and government to spotlight where geoscientists can help to accelerate a responsible, investable transition. Each one-hour session (with brief audience Q&A) focuses on career pathways, transferable skills and the practical collaborations needed to deliver impact at scale. The series builds on our 2021 webinars and the 2022 Energy & Material Transition Discussion Meeting, linking those insights to today’s projects and markets. 

Across the series we will: 

  • Discuss existing and future opportunities for geoscientists across renewable energy, subsurface storage, geothermal, heat management, infrastructure re-use, minerals and nuclear industries  

  • Explore career transitions and skills transfer, highlighting routes from legacy sectors into growth areas. 

  • Share examples of data gathering, methods and monitoring advances that de-risk projects. 

  • Strengthen multi-disciplinary working with engineering, policy, finance, and communities. 

This webinar will take place virtually on Zoom. Joining instructions will be shared once you have registered via Zoom.

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Energy Transition Strategic Science Theme Lead, The Geological Society

Bas has over 32 years of geoscience experience in the Energy Industry, having worked for Shell, Woodside and CNOOC International in a variety of senior management roles in Exploration, Appraisal, Development, Commercial and Business Development. His last role with CNOOC was as Vice President Exploration for Europe & Africa, based in London. 
Since leaving CNOOC in 2022, Bas has been a Business Development Consultant for EnQuest UK, via his own company Superb Energy. Bas has a B.Sc. in Physics (with Geophysics) and a PhD in Lower Crustal Seismology from Imperial College.

For the last 5 years, Bas has also volunteered as a mentor for A-level students at Surrey SATRO, a STEM educational charity. He runs an annual project on “The Global Energy Transition”. Earlier this year, he became the Energy Transition Theme Lead for The Geological Society, which is a part-time voluntary role.

Bas has a passion for the Earth Sciences and developing people to maximise their impact on the Energy Transition.

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Senior Geologist, Atana

Dr. Blanca Cantalejo is a Senior Geologist at Atana (formerly Lilac Solutions), specializing in the exploration and appraisal of lithium brine resources. With a career defined by the transition from traditional hydrocarbon systems to the forefront of the energy transition, Dr. Cantalejo brings deep technical expertise to the evaluation of complex subsurface reservoirs.

She earned her PhD in Sedimentology from University College London (UCL), where her doctoral research focused on the stratigraphic evolution of deep-marine systems. This academic foundation paved the way for a career in high-level subsurface analysis, including a geoscientist role in exploration and appraisal departments for 10 years at CNOOC, a Chinese oil major.

Currently, Dr. Cantalejo leads critical exploration and appraisal programs in Argentina, Canada and US, utilizing advanced geological modelling to unlock the potential of lithium-rich salars and other Li-rich plays. Her work is instrumental in developing sustainable extraction technologies and ensuring resource security for the global battery market. Blanca is a passionate advocate for the evolving role of geology in the energy transition and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of Earth scientists.

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Exploration Manager, Consultant & Director, GeoXplore

Sam Bolton is an experienced exploration geologist and Director of GeoXplore Ltd, specialising in the evaluation and development of critical mineral assets. He has led major polymetallic tin-tungsten-copper and hard rock lithium programmes in the UK, as well as international consultancy projects in Uganda, Tanzania, Germany and Chile. His expertise includes critical mineral exploration, project management, 3D geological modelling, target generation and resource definition. Sam is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and holds a First-Class B.Sc. and an M.Sc. with Distinction in Mining Geology from the Camborne School of Mines, where he specialised in granitic rare earth element (REE) mineralisation.

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Fraser Gardiner, CEO, Aberdeen Minerals Ltd

Fraser is a geologist with a 29 year career in industry. Since graduating with a BSc in Geology and Applied Geology from the University of Glasgow, he has worked as a geologist and exploration manager on discovery, exploration and mine development projects for gold, copper, tungsten and nickel in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia. Prior roles have included Exploration Manager for Barrick in Saudi Arabia, Exploration Manager in Laos and Chief Operating Officer for Ormonde Mining plc.

Fraser joined Aberdeen Minerals as CEO in July 2022 and leads an awesome exploration team in their search for battery metals and critical minerals within the prospective geology of sunny North East Scotland.

 

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Senior Geologist & Project Development Team Lead, Cornish Lithium

Alex is a geoscientist with a decade of experience spanning academia and industry, with expertise in hydrocarbon, mineral and geothermal exploration. He earned an MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from Imperial College London and a PhD from the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter.

He has spent the past five years helping to build a domestic supply of critical minerals in the UK with Cornish Lithium. As Project Development Lead, he oversees regional exploration, subsurface modelling and site selection for lithium in geothermal waters and geothermal heat projects. His approach integrates exploration techniques from across sectors to improve exploration outcomes and mitigate subsurface risks.

Alex works closely with academic partners and non technical stakeholders to enable responsible and sustainable geo-resource development. He is particularly motivated by the role of geothermal energy in decarbonising homes and industry, and by the wider potential for geoscience to deliver positive societal impact.

 

This webinar is free to attend. You can register by clicking the 'Book Now' button on the webpage.