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Intermediate programme

Applied Structural Geology in Mining & Exploration

Reading structure in the field and in the model, because structure controls where ore sits and where ground fails.

Duration
5 days
Level
Intermediate
Next date
2 to 6 November 2026
Fee from
US$995live online

Read the programme brochure

ClassroomLive onlineIn house

Overview

Structure decides two things that matter commercially: where mineralisation went, and whether the ground will stand up. This week is applied throughout. It covers measuring and interpreting structural data, recognising fold, fault and shear geometries in core and in pit faces, and building a structural model that constrains a resource estimate. Ground control applications close the week, since the structures that host ore are usually the ones that fail.

It runs 7 times over the published calendar, in 6 cities and live online. Every date is the same programme with the same content and the same certificate.

What you will be able to do

  • Measure and record structural data consistently.
  • Interpret fold, fault, shear and vein geometry from limited exposure.
  • Build a structural model that constrains grade continuity.
  • Relate structure to mineralisation controls.
  • Apply structural understanding to ground control.

Who should attend

Exploration and mine geologists, geotechnical engineers, resource geologists building models, and mining engineers planning in structurally complex ground.

Is the level right for you?

This is an intermediate level programme. It assumes you are working in or moving into the area it covers, and it is built around your own material rather than a case study. If you are unsure, ask an advisor before registering rather than after.

Ask an advisor

How it is taught

Short input, then work. Across 5 days of roughly 6 teaching hours each, the balance sits deliberately with the second: a programme where the trainer talks for six hours produces notes rather than capability.

  • Your own material

    Exercises run on situations delegates bring, not on a case study written for a different organisation in a different decade.

  • A capped cohort

    Small enough that everybody is asked something. Executive programmes are capped tighter still.

  • Practice under scrutiny

    The difficult conversation, the challenged assumption, the decision defended out loud. Judgement is not built by watching.

  • Something to take back

    Each day ends with a thing you can use on Monday rather than a slide deck you will not reopen.

The programme, day by day

Day 1Fundamentals

Fundamentals

  • Stress, strain and deformation mechanisms
  • Brittle and ductile behaviour
  • Measurement conventions and recording
Day 2Structures

Structures

  • Folds and their geometry
  • Faults, displacement and sense of movement
  • Shear zones, foliation and lineation
  • Veins and dilation sites
Day 3Data and analysis

Data and analysis

  • Oriented core and its pitfalls
  • Stereonets and structural statistics
  • Section and level plan interpretation
Day 4Ore controls

Ore controls

  • Structural traps and plunge
  • Reactivation and overprinting
  • Targeting from structural reasoning
Day 5Ground control

Ground control

  • Structurally controlled failure
  • Wedge and planar analysis
  • Communicating structure to engineers

What you leave with

  • A structural interpretation of a mapped area or core set.
  • A stereonet analysis of a real dataset.
  • A structural domain model usable in estimation.

The certificate

A GATI certificate recording what you attended, issued after the programme has run and attendance has been taken. Attending at least 80 per cent of the days earns a certificate of completion; attending less earns a certificate of attendance stating exactly what was attended.

Every certificate carries a code that anybody can check against GATI's own record, which is what makes it worth holding. It records participation. This site will not imply one it does not have.

Questions

Who is Applied Structural Geology in Mining & Exploration for?
Exploration and mine geologists, geotechnical engineers, resource geologists building models, and mining engineers planning in structurally complex ground. It runs at intermediate level within Mining Engineering, so it assumes you are working in or moving into that area rather than meeting it for the first time. If you are unsure whether the level fits, ask an advisor before registering rather than after.
How long is it, and what does a day look like?
5 days, running to roughly 6 teaching hours a day. Sessions are built around your own material rather than a case study, so a day alternates between short input and working on something you brought. The full outline is on this page, day by day.
What does it cost, and what is included?
The next published date is Live online at US$995 per delegate. The fee covers tuition, all programme materials and the certificate. Travel, accommodation and visas are arranged by the delegate. Fees vary by city, and every published date shows its own.
Can it be delivered for my organisation only?
Yes. Any published programme can run as a private cohort, on dates that suit you, in your city or online, built around your own material. That is a different conversation from registering an individual, and it starts with what capability you are trying to build rather than with a course title.
What certificate do I get?
A GATI certificate recording what you attended, issued after the programme has run and attendance has been taken. Attending at least 80 per cent of the days earns a certificate of completion; attending less earns a certificate of attendance stating exactly what was attended. Every certificate carries a code that anybody can check against GATI's own record.
Is the online version the same programme?
Yes. The same faculty, the same material, the same cohort cap and the same certificate. It is not a recording and it is not a reduced version. It exists because travel budgets and visa timelines rule people out of a room they should be in. The classroom version runs in Dar es Salaam, Dubai, Durban, Cape Town.

Want to take this further?

Register on a published date, or tell an advisor what you need and they will come back with something specific rather than a brochure.

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