Australasia’s premier geoscience event

Geoscience underpins all mining operations — from initial mineral identification to mine closure. Successful mine planning and operation is backed by an extensive foundation of geoscience, ensuring site and process optimisation.

Securing the crucial need for their work, that directly impacts the economic viability and sustainability of mining operations, geoscientists continue to drive innovation across the industry.

On September 8-11, the Australian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC) 2025, Australia’s premier event for exploration geoscientists, will take place at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in WA. AEGC 2025 brings together leading minds from the mineral, petroleum and environmental sectors.

WA is renowned for its world-class mineral and energy resources, making it a hub for geoscientific research and industry. The region’s dynamic geoscience sector is at the forefront of technological advancements, driving sustainable exploration and development practices.

As the gateway to WA’s rich and diverse geoscience industry, Perth offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest advancements and innovations in exploration geoscience.

Organised by the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG) and the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA), this conference offers delegates an essential platform to explore the cutting-edge advancements and critical challenges defining the future of geoscience.

AEGC 2025 offers an unparalleled opportunity for learning, networking and strategic development for delegates to dive deep into the innovations driving discovery, sustainable resource management and environmental solutions

During the four-day conference program, attendees will have the chance to learn from global leading experts, engage in thought-provoking discussions, attend workshops, discover cutting-edge products and services on the exhibition floor and network with peers who are shaping the future of geoscience.

Speakers and panellists will delve into compelling case studies, best practices and cutting-edge technologies driving exploration efforts.

Inspiring keynotes

Delegates will have the opportunity to attend insightful keynote sessions delivered by several distinguished speakers who are pioneers in the field of geoscience.

Fleet Space Technologies chief scientist Gerrit Olivier drives innovation in geophysical technology for mineral exploration. Dr Oliver’s pioneering work in ambient seismic noise tomography has been recognised internationally through numerous awards.

His current research focuses on integrating advanced technologies, including reinforcement learning, to enhance decision-making processes in mineral exploration. Dr Oliver will deliver the first keynote address at AEGC 2025, Improving decision-making in mineral exploration with reinforcement learning.

Chevron Technology Centre USA lower carbon geology advisor Ishtar Barranco oversees R&D projects for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), represents Chevron at various industry consortiums and is a member of the Lower Carbon Advisory board and Storage Advisory Committee.

Her previous roles at Chevron include digital advisor and lead geologist for Chevron Australia, where she handled field development planning, geomodelling, uncertainty and risk analysis, subsurface integrity, integration of monitoring data and geological and geomechanical history matching for CCS projects.

Ms Barranco will offer insight from her 16 years of CCS experience in her keynote 10mt and beyond: Insights and achievements from 20 years of CCS in Australia.

CSIRO geophysics principal research scientist Aaron Davis specialises in electromagnetic methods for exploration of the subsurface, which he will explore in his keynote Electromagnetic applications for near-surface problems.

Recently, Dr Davis has been using AEM to map palaeovalleys across WA for groundwater and rare earth element exploration, developing better gridding techniques and writing forward and inverse modelling codes for EM and nuclear magnetic resonance problems.

Dr Davis uses new techniques to solve the currently un-solvable — or poorly solved problems — and enjoys improving existing techniques for making the solvable problems easier.

South32 (ASX: S32) Australia orebody knowledge practice lead Fiona Best has more than 20 years’ experience in mineral exploration, geochemistry and geoscience research. Dr Best started her professional career as a geologist exploring the greenstone belts of Sierra Leone.

Dr Best joined South32 in 2018 in the role of lead geochemist, where she used her geochemistry and leadership skills to aid exploration decisions across South32’s global project portfolio.

For the last two years Dr Best has been leading the orebody knowledge workstream within the technology development team at South32, experience which she will explore in her keynote Importance of orebody knowledge at advanced exploration stage.

University of Oklahoma associate professor Heather Bedle combines her industry and academic experiences to lead a research group recognised for their interdisciplinary approach. The group employ methods that revolve around data science and machine learning and using a variety of data from reflection seismic, earthquake, shallow crustal geophysical methods and social survey data.

Dr Bedle is passionate about mentoring aspiring scientists and exploring the complex intersections of earth, energy and environment. In her keynote presentation, Advanced seismic attributes and machine learning to revolutionise subsurface imaging, Dr Bedle will share her extensive knowledge and innovative skills.

Technical sessions

AEGC 2025 attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of pre-conference workshops (short courses), conference sessions covering the latest research, technologies and methodologies in exploration geoscience and attend field trips targeting specific interest groups.

The specific interest groups include seismic data, strategy and decision-making, geology, petrophysics and geomechanics, geophysics and data science and rang from half day to full day workshops.

Delegates will have the opportunity to attend the Sequence stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Early Permian oil and gas play in the North Perth Basin field excursion from September 12-14.

The purpose of the excursion is to examine the excellent exposure of the regressive to transgressive, Early Permian stratigraphy along the northern and southern branches of the Irwin River within the Coalseam Conservation Park.

Interest in the long overlooked prospectivity of the Early Permian play in the North Perth Basin continues with the recent gas discoveries at North Erregulla Deep, Lockyer Deep and South Erregulla, adding to the previous success at Corybas, Waitsia and Xanadu.

The excursion will focus on sedimentology and ichnofacies within a predictive sequence stratigraphic context and how these relate to depositional environment, lateral facies changes and changes in relative sea-level.

Well logs, core and seismic examples will be used to compare the outcrop to the prospective play in the basin, providing attendees the opportunity to better understand this actively explored depositional system.

The small-group field trip offers hands-on experience exploring key mineral systems and frontier basins and is guided by leading geoscientists and local experts. Attendees can enhance their conference experience by learning in a real-world context that complements the technical program.

Networking opportunities

Connect with fellow delegates during social events, workshops and interactive sessions designed to foster collaboration and innovation.

A networking breakfast offers attendees the opportunity to collaborate with peers and attend and exclusive panel, What we miss when we don’t look deeper: Exploring bias in data, AI and humans.

This special panel event will highlight how bias impacts both technological outcomes and human decision-making, particularly in earth science and resource sectors.

The session is designed to be dynamic, thought-provoking and inclusive addressing a central question — what if earth scientists applied the same rigor they approach science to how they address team dynamics, leadership and decision-making?

AEGC 2025 will provide invaluable insights, new connections and a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in exploration geoscience to attendees.

Collaborate and connect with industry leaders to advance the field of geoscience and explore the industry’s future in Perth this September.