BRGM is France's public reference institution in Earth Science applications for the management of surface and subsurface resources and risks. It is the French Geological Survey.[2]
BRGM was founded in 1959. It is a public establishment of an industrial and commercial nature (EPIC). Reporting to the Ministries in charge of Research, Ecology and the Economy, it is based at Orléans. Michèle Rousseau is its chair and managing director and Christophe Poinssot its deputy managing director.
BRGM's scope covers several activities: scientific research expertise, innovation and transfer, analysis and experimentation, mining risk prevention and safety, higher education, ongoing vocational training, dissemination of knowledge and open science. It employs more than 1,000 people, including over 700 engineers and researchers, at its 27 regional branches in Metropolitan France and French overseas territories. Its teams operate in some thirty countries.
BRGM's scientific strategy is based on six major scientific and societal challenges: geology and knowledge of the subsurface, management of groundwater, risks and spatial planning, mineral resources and the circular economy, energy transition and underground space, data, digital services and infrastructure.
History and origins
The creation of BRGM
The French Geological Survey [Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières (BRGM)] was officially created by a decree on 23 October 1959.[3] It is the result of the merger of several French geological and mining establishments, namely:
the Bureau of Geological, Geophysical and Mining Research (BRGGM), itself heir to the Bureau of Geological and Geophysical Research (BRGG) founded in 1941 by Edmond Friedel and Pierre Pruvost, then intended to map the subsurface of France;
the Mining Bureau of Overseas France (BUMIFOM),
the Bureau of Mining Research in Algeria (BRMA),
the French Guiana Mining Bureau (BMG).
Milestones in BRGM's history
BRGM developed its organisation and activities throughout the 1960s. During this decade, it gradually extended its coverage of the national territory, while its scope extended beyond the borders of France. In 1965, all the teams were grouped together at a single site, at Orléans-La Source. This new technical and scientific centre grouped together most of the institution's resources.
In 1968, BRGM absorbed the French geological mapping service, which had been created a century earlier by Napoleon III. This merger allowed it to cover the entire production chain, from field surveying to publishing.
Just as BRGM finished laying the foundations of its organisation and activities, the 1973 oil crisis occurred. The organisation rose to the challenge of ensuring the national supply, and became the key operator in France's prospection strategy. Its expertise and resources were also used for mining operations. In French regions and abroad, BRGM, with its growing reputation as the subsurface specialist, was henceforth increasingly called upon.
After a golden age paradoxically due to the 1973 oil crisis, BRGM faced a series of difficulties throughout the 1980s. Several mining projects, in particular, folded. The establishment then strengthened its regional proximity and developed its role in renewable energies while focusing on commercial activities, particularly in the field of spatial planning. In the 1990s, mining and engineering activities were assigned to subsidiaries to enable the establishment to focus on its two missions of public service and scientific research.
In 1999, BRGM set up a new organisation to better tailor its offer to meet societal needs and better respond to new environmental challenges: groundwater resources, risks, geothermal energy, etc. By withdrawing from its activity as a mining investor and transferring most of its engineering work in France to its subsidiary Antea, which was then sold in 2003, BRGM asserted its research and development role. The new focus on the environment and natural hazards was confirmed by a decree of 20 September 2004[4] which placed BRGM under the triple supervision of the Ministries of Research, Industry and the Environment.
In 2019, BRGM reaffirmed its general public-service mission, combining research, support for public policies and innovation, in France and abroad. It presented its new 10-year scientific strategy, organised around six major scientific and societal issues.[5]
Chairs and management from 1941 to the present day
1941: Edmond Friedel, director (BRGG); Jean Goguel, deputy director (1941–1952); Pierre Laffitte, deputy director (1952–1953)
1960 to 1964: Roland Pré, chair of BRGM; Michel Duhameaux, managing director (1960–1961); Henri Nicolas, managing director (1961–1964)
1964 to 1972: Pierre Signard, chair; Henri Nicolas, managing director (1964–1968); Claude Beaumont, managing director (1968–1972)
1972 to 1979: Yves Perrin, chair; Claude Beaumont, managing director (1972–1975); Paul-Henri Bourrelier, managing director (1975–1979)
1979 to 1986: Jean Audibert, chair; Paul-Henri Bourrelier, managing director (1975–1984); Maurice Allègre, managing director (1984–1986)
1986 to 1988: Gérard Renon, chair; Maurice Allègre, managing director (1986–1988)
1988 to 1992: Maurice Allègre, chair; Claude Mandil, managing director (1988–1990); Jean-Pierre Hugon, managing director (1990–1992)
1992 to 1997: Claude Allègre, chair; Jean-Pierre Hugon, managing director (1992–1997)
1997 to 2003: Bernard Cabaret, chair; Yves Le Bars, managing director (1997–1999); Yves Caristan, managing director (1999–2003)
2003 to 2009: Philippe Vesseron, chair and managing director; Yves Caristan, deputy managing director (2003–2004); Didier Houssin, deputy managing director (2004–2007); François Démarcq, deputy managing director (October 2007 – 2009)
2009 to 2013: Jean-François Rocchi, chair and managing director; François Démarcq, deputy managing director (2009–2013)
2013 to 2016: Vincent Laflèche, chair and managing director (from 3 July); François Démarcq, deputy managing director (2013 – January 2016), then Pierre Toulhoat, deputy managing director (from February 2016)
2016–2017(interim): Pierre Toulhoat, acting managing director, scientific director and director of Strategy and Evaluation
Since 2017: Michèle Rousseau, BRGM chair and managing director
Objectives and activities
BRGM's activity covers 4 objectives:
Understanding geological phenomena and the corresponding risks,
Developing new methodologies and techniques,
Producing and disseminating data to support the management of land, the subsurface and their resources,
Providing the necessary tools to support the management of land, the subsurface and their resources, the prevention of risks and pollution, and helping to shape policies to respond to climate change.
BRGM's action covers several fields:
Scientific research
Scientific research at BRGM[6] aims to further geological knowledge and improve our understanding of surface and subsurface processes. It mobilises more than 700 BRGM engineers and researchers, i.e., two-thirds of the workforce.
BRGM's scientific research mission is carried out through:
projects funded by government grants for public services,
projects with multiple co-funding (regional and European),
partnerships with target agencies (ANR, Ademe, etc.),
responses to calls for proposals issued by ministries,
rapid development of research under industrial contracts.
BRGM participates in two thematic alliances whose aim is to coordinate public research stakeholders: AllEnvi (National Environmental Research Alliance)[7] and Ancre (National Alliance for the Coordination of Energy Research).[8] These programme partnerships coordinate the main actors in a field in order to design research and development programmes that are consistent with the national strategy.
Expert studies
BRGM's expert appraisal activity aims to provide customers with an interpretation, opinion or recommendation in response to a specific question. These assessments are drawn up on the basis of available knowledge and demonstrations accompanied by an objective judgement based on the best applicable practices.
Innovation and transfer
Generating value from innovation is a major focus of BRGM strategy, along with research and expert knowledge. This involves creating as many opportunities as possible for transfer and economic development. For this purpose, BRGM has acquired the means to generate value from its inventions by ensuring that its concepts mature more quickly and promoting their development and innovation jointly with industrial partners.
Analysis and experimentation
Within its specific areas of expertise, BRGM designs and develops methodologies for conducting analyses, characterisations, observations and experiments – whether in laboratories or on pilot sites – in gas, water, soil and subsurface environments. BRGM has a wide range of scientific equipment and facilities for performing analyses, characterisations and experiments.
Since 2006, France has entrusted BRGM with the technical management of surveillance and safety work of former mining sites and the prevention of mine-related risks.[9] BRGM manages: safety work as delegated project owner, supervision of mining site structures, the post-mining information system, (intermediate mining technical archives and mining information).
BRGM has a "Mining Prevention and Safety" department (DPSM).[10] In addition to its central departments based in Orléans, BRGM's mining safety mission is carried out in the regions by the Post-Mining Territorial Units (UTAMs), which cover the major mining basins.
Higher education
Under the "BRGM Campus" label, BRGM provides support to higher education in geosciences. To do so, it develops collaborative programmes for different academic organisations. The aim is to cater for the needs of industry and society in all fields involving land and the subsurface.
BRGM Campus covers the entire range of higher qualifications (Bachelor's, Master's, doctorate) as well as BRGM's various fields of expertise in the geosciences.
Continuing vocational training
BRGM ensures the development of scientific and technical skills by offering short courses and training courses, in-class or through distance learning, catalogue-based or tailor-made, under the BRGM Formation brand name.[11]
Dissemination of knowledge and open science
BRGM makes its geological and environmental information available through various digital technologies: via its InfoTerre portal it provides free and open access to its geological reports and maps, data in its databases (on the subsurface, industrial sites, natural hazards, etc.) and a large amount of other geoscientific data.
On request from the public authorities, BRGM also coordinates and manages several dozen websites and databases in the fields of geology, natural hazards (Géorisques[12]), water (ADES[13]), mineral resources (Minéralinfo[14]), geothermal energy (Géothermies[15]), etc.
To ensure easy access to its data from anywhere in the country, BRGM also provides three mobile applications: i-InfoTerre (mobile version of the InfoTerre web portal), InfoNappe (on groundwater) and InfoGéol (on the geology of France).
Scientific and societal issues
BRGM's scientific strategy is organised around 6 scientific and societal issues.[16]
Geology and knowledge of the subsurface
Producing reference information on the subsurface is a key role for BRGM as the French National Geological Survey. The sustainable management of land and resources on local and regional levels requires extensive, reliable and current subsurface knowledge. After the geological map of France programme, BRGM designed the French Geological Repository (RGF),[17] a national programme for the acquisition and management of geological data that involves the entire French geoscience community.
Knowledge of the subsurface lays the foundation for improving the use of resources (e.g., water, energy, minerals and metals), adapting to the impacts of climate change, anticipating and mitigating natural risks and taking these into account in spatial planning. This is relevant to planners, economic stakeholders, environmental managers, education providers, civil society and the general public.
Groundwater management
Faced with the challenges posed by global changes, one of BRGM's core missions is to further our knowledge of groundwater, by monitoring and anticipating its availability and ensuring its quality.
Groundwater resources are essential for the supply of drinking water and satisfying the needs of agriculture in many countries, and especially in France. Water resources are under increasing pressure from climate change and greater demand for different uses. Demand for groundwater resources may be exceeding supply at the local and regional levels.
Risk management and spatial planning
For more sustainable spatial planning, BRGM is developing integrated approaches to the management of natural risks that have an impact on land, the subsurface and the coastline, as well as risks resulting from human activity, linked to post-mining, polluted sites and ground.
BRGM conducts research and expertise on natural geological hazards: earthquakes, unstable ground, collapsing cavities, volcanic eruptions, shrinkage and swelling of clays, etc. It is fully involved in the knowledge and management of coastal risks in the context of climate change. Methods and technologies for the decontamination of urban and industrial ground and the rational management of former mining sites also fall within its scope.
Mineral resources and the circular economy
Confronted with increasing pressures on mineral resources, BRGM is working to ensure a sustainable supply and a more circular economy.
BRGM develops predictive approaches to facilitate the detection and prospecting of primary mineral resources. It observes mineral life cycles and value chains and is thus able to analyse the flows and dynamics involved, integrating environmental, economic and social factors to support the development of a more circular economy and more responsible mining. It also designs innovative solutions for optimising the processing and recycling of mineral materials, using technologies with reduced environmental impacts and lower energy consumption.
Subsurface potential for energy transition
The energy transition implies a shift towards less centralised and more varied renewable and low-carbon energy sources. Similarly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions will require CO2 capture and storage.
BRGM explores, assesses and exploits subsurface potential as an energy resource (geothermal energy) and a space for storage (energy carriers, CO2) and confinement.
Digital data, services and infrastructures
BRGM collects, hosts and disseminates reliable and long-term geological and environmental data, to which it guarantees access through official and interoperable data repositories.
It also develops applications and innovative tools based on data science and geoscience to model, predict and produce information on the state of the surface and subsurface, their resources and associated risks.
Geographical locations and scope of action
Regional network
In addition to its head office located in Orléans, BRGM has 13 divisions and 5 regional delegations in mainland France, as well as 5 regional directorates and an Overseas branch, which work closely with its clients and partners throughout the country. BRGM manages its mining safety responsibilities through its 4 regional post-mining units (UTAMs).[18]
BRGM's regional activities include support with policy development as well as expert studies and scientific research.
BRGM's regional divisions work in all BRGM's fields of activity. Water resources, natural risks, climate change impacts and subsurface geothermal potential in France are some of the core themes of BRGM's regional activities.
Europe
BRGM is actively engaged at EU level through its sustained involvement in European research programmes,[19] and support for public policy development and international cooperation.
Its work for the EU leads BRGM to:
liaise between governments, government departments, industries, local government and research organisations;
assist in decision-making by providing data, knowledge, tools and expertise on complex systems at different scales of action;
be a key networking operator at national, European and international levels, to initiate and build research and development programmes and to develop decision support tools.
International
Internationally, as it does in France, BRGM contributes its know-how and expertise in two main areas:
protecting people and their environment against natural risks,
ensuring the permanent availability and quality of natural water, mineral resources and geothermal energy resources.
Every year, BRGM is active in around thirty countries in the following fields:
dissemination of geological knowledge through geological maps and information systems;
mineral resources, with a particular focus on strategic challenges concerning rare metals;
access to water: protecting water and prospecting for new resources, sustainable water management methods;
natural risks and their prevention: seismic and coastal risks, spatial planning and reconstruction programmes;
geothermal energy for heat and power production, as well as geological storage of CO2 as a response to climate change.
BRGM Group and other entities
Subsidiaries and equity interests
The BRGM Group's subsidiaries and equity interests are controlled through three holding companies (Sageos, Coframines and BRGM SA), corresponding to four branches of activity:
geothermal energy, with CFG Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of BRGM, and Géothermie Bouillante, in which BRGM has a15% share;
measuring instruments for geophysics, hydrogeology, hydraulics, geotechnics and mining, with IRIS Instruments, 51% owned by BRGM (the Japanese group OYO owns 49%);
securing traceability in the re-use of excavated earth, with a 40% stake in Soltracing;
the mining sector, with residual holdings (dormant companies with no activities planned or companies under liquidation) and a minority share in Eramet.
Editions du BRGM
Our publications branch, Editions du BRGM, offers a selection of geological maps, books and popular geosciences material, which is unique in France.
In keeping with its research and expert study missions, BRGM disseminates scientific and technical knowledge for the scientific community, professionals, regional planners and the general public.
Miscellaneous
Dolomieu Prize
Created in 1998 by BRGM, in partnership with the French Institute the Academy of Sciences (Paris), the Prix Dolomieu,[20] named after the geologistDéodat Gratet de Dolomieu, is awarded annually to European researchers or engineers in the fields of mathematics, physics, mechanics, computer science and Earth sciences.
Case law
BRGM has given its name to a major legal ruling handed down on 21 December 1987 by the first Civil Chamber of the French Cour de Cassation (court of appeal):[21] this judgment concerns “the general principle of law according to which the assets of public persons may not be seized", a principle that applies even to EPICs (Public establishments of an industrial and commercial nature) and which prohibits the use of proceedings for enforcement from private law against these establishments.
Environmental geology, like hydrogeology, is an applied science concerned with the practical application of the principles of geology in the solving of environmental problems created by man. It is a multidisciplinary field that is closely related to engineering geology and, to a lesser extent, to environmental geography. Each of these fields involves the study of the interaction of humans with the geologic environment, including the biosphere, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and to some extent the atmosphere. In other words, environmental geology is the application of geological information to solve conflicts, minimizing possible adverse environmental degradation, or maximizing possible advantageous conditions resulting from the use of natural and modified environment. With an increasing world population and industrialization, the natural environment and resources are under high strain which puts them at the forefront of world issues. Environmental geology is on the rise with these issues as solutions are found by utilizing it.
Geologic modelling,geological modelling or geomodelling is the applied science of creating computerized representations of portions of the Earth's crust based on geophysical and geological observations made on and below the Earth surface. A geomodel is the numerical equivalent of a three-dimensional geological map complemented by a description of physical quantities in the domain of interest. Geomodelling is related to the concept of Shared Earth Model; which is a multidisciplinary, interoperable and updatable knowledge base about the subsurface.
The Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), a research and service division of the University of Kansas, is charged by statute with studying and providing information on the geologic resources of Kansas. The KGS has no regulatory authority and does not take positions on natural resource issues.
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is a U.S national laboratory under the Department of Energy Office of Fossil Energy. NETL focuses on applied research for the clean production and use of domestic energy resources. It performs research and development on the supply, efficiency, and environmental constraints of producing and using fossil energy resources while maintaining affordability.
The International Continental Scientific Drilling Program is a multinational program to further and fund geosciences in the field of continental scientific drilling. Scientific drilling is a critical tool in understanding of Earth processes and structure. It provides direct insight into Earth processes and critically tests geological models. Results obtained from drilling projects at critical sites can be applied to other areas worldwide. It is, therefore, believed that international cooperation in continental scientific drilling is an essential component for a responsible management strategy for the Earth's natural resources and environment.
Magnetotellurics (MT) is an electromagnetic geophysical method for inferring the earth's subsurface electrical conductivity from measurements of natural geomagnetic and geoelectric field variation at the Earth's surface.
The China Geological Survey (CGS) (Chinese: 中国地质调查局) is a government-owned, not-for-profit, Chinese organization researching China's mineral resources. It is a public institution managed by the State Council's ministries and commissions responsible for geological and mineral exploration under the State Council of the People's Republic of China. According to the national land and resources survey plan, it is now managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources. It is the largest Geoscience agency in China since being reinstated in 1999, and the headquarter is in Beijing, the capital of China.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth to increase awareness of the importance of Earth sciences for the advancement of sustainable development. UNESCO was designated as the lead agency. The Year's activities spanned the three years 2006–2009.
The California Department of Conservation is a department within the government of California, belonging to the California Natural Resources Agency. With a team of scientists, engineers, environmental experts, and other specialists, the Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. The department's mission is to manage California's working lands. It regulates oil, natural gas and geothermal wells; studies and maps earthquakes and other geologic phenomena; maps and classifies areas containing mineral deposits; ensures reclamation of land used for mining; and administers agricultural and open-space land conservation programs. A division within the department dedicated to encouraging beverage container recycling has been moved into the newly created Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling (CalRecycle). Despite the similar name, the Department of Conservation should not be confused with the California Conservation Corps, another department within the Natural Resources Agency, which provides work experience for young adults. The Department of Conservation often collaborates with its federal equivalents, such as the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin unites the Department of Geological Sciences with two research units, the Institute for Geophysics and the Bureau of Economic Geology.
CGG SA (CGG) is a multinational geoscience technology services company that specializes on solving complex natural resource, environmental and infrastructure challenges.
The Coal Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). On behalf of the country, it owns the vast majority of unworked coal in Great Britain, as well as former coal mines, and undertakes a range of functions including:
The Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) was an independent, quasi-judicial agency of the Government of Alberta. It regulated the safe, responsible, and efficient development of Alberta's energy resources: oil, natural gas, oil sands, coal, and pipelines. Led by eight Board members, the ERCB's team of engineers, geologists, technicians, economists, and other professionals served Albertans from thirteen locations across the province.
The Delaware Geological Survey (DGS) is a scientific agency for the State of Delaware, located at the University of Delaware (UD) which conducts geologic and hydrologic research, service, and exploration. The mission of the DGS is to provide objective earth science information, advice, and service to citizens, policymakers, industries, and educational institutions of Delaware. The DGS became formally affiliated with the university's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) in July 2008. Most DGS scientists have secondary faculty appointments in the College's Department of Geological Sciences.
The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) is a state agency in New Mexico tasked with managing and protecting the natural and energy resources of New Mexico.
Paul Younger was a British hydrogeologist, environmental engineer and writer. He worked both on water resources, and water pollution.
Brine mining is the extraction of useful materials which are naturally dissolved in brine. The brine may be seawater, other surface water, groundwater, or hyper-saline solutions from several industries. It differs from solution mining or in-situ leaching in that those methods inject water or chemicals to dissolve materials which are in a solid state; in brine mining, the materials are already dissolved.
United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) is an international scheme for the classification, management and reporting of energy, mineral, and raw material resources. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) Expert Group on Resource Management (EGRM) is responsible for the development promotion and further development of UNFC.
Michel Jébrak is a Franco-Canadian geologist, academic and a researcher. He is an emeritus professor at University of Quebec’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. He is a former Vice-Rector for Research and Creation at UQAM and holder of the UQAT-UQAM Mining Entrepreneurship Chair.
Geological engineering is a discipline of engineering concerned with the application of geological science and engineering principles to fields, such as civil engineering, mining, environmental engineering, and forestry, among others. The work of geological engineers often directs or supports the work of other engineering disciplines such as assessing the suitability of locations for civil engineering, environmental engineering, mining operations, and oil and gas projects by conducting geological, geoenvironmental, geophysical, and geotechnical studies. They are involved with impact studies for facilities and operations that affect surface and subsurface environments. The engineering design input and other recommendations made by geological engineers on these projects will often have a large impact on construction and operations. Geological engineers plan, design, and implement geotechnical, geological, geophysical, hydrogeological, and environmental data acquisition. This ranges from manual ground-based methods to deep drilling, to geochemical sampling, to advanced geophysical techniques and satellite surveying. Geological engineers are also concerned with the analysis of past and future ground behaviour, mapping at all scales, and ground characterization programs for specific engineering requirements. These analyses lead geological engineers to make recommendations and prepare reports which could have major effects on the foundations of construction, mining, and civil engineering projects. Some examples of projects include rock excavation, building foundation consolidation, pressure grouting, hydraulic channel erosion control, slope and fill stabilization, landslide risk assessment, groundwater monitoring, and assessment and remediation of contamination. In addition, geological engineers are included on design teams that develop solutions to surface hazards, groundwater remediation, underground and surface excavation projects, and resource management. Like mining engineers, geological engineers also conduct resource exploration campaigns, mine evaluation and feasibility assessments, and contribute to the ongoing efficiency, sustainability, and safety of active mining projects
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