FRENCH NATIONAL GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

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1 preserving understanding FRENCH NATIONAL SURVEY at a glance protecting

2 WHAT IS THE BRGM? THE BRGM IS THE FRENCH SURVEY AND FRANCE S PUBLIC REFERENCE INSTITUTION IN EARTH SCIENCE APPLICATIONS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE RESOURCES AND RISKS. ITS ACTIVITIES ARE GEARED TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, SUPPORT TO PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. aims Understanding geological phenomena and associated risks. Developing new methodologies and techniques. Producing and distributing data to support the management of soils, subsoils and their resources. Delivering essential tools to support soil, subsoil and resource management and policy development support on pollution, risk prevention and climate change.

3 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH The BRGM s applied research programmes are deployed in three areas: geological knowledge and understanding through observations and modelling of processes involving soils and subsoils; developments to support public policy-making; transfers to industry. These activities are conducted through projects co-financed from a range of regional and EU sources and through partnerships with targeted agencies (ANR, ADEME). Contract research is expanding rapidly. The BRGM is one of the Carnot Institutes. SUPPORT TO PUBLIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT Our public service activities include all expert studies, monitoring and survey KEY ROLES programmes conducted to support public policy development. These tasks are financed by public service grants from the State budget or through contracts with central and local government, public bodies, businesses and other economic players. Four kinds of service activities: furthering knowledge on soils and subsoils through observations and designing systems for broad distribution of the information; production of syntheses and methods development; delivering independent public expert assessments; knowledge transfer and training. A national steering committee representing the BRGM s supervisory ministries sets out overall guidelines for implementing activities to support public policy development, taking into 0.21 M BRGM operating performance: close to equilibrium in 2016 TRAINING The BRGM School, ENAG, has become BRGM Campus, a new label covering all BRGM supporting activities to higher education. In particular, BRGM Campus offers a 2nd year Master s course on Geology and Sustainable Mineral Resource Management, and a vocational First Degree course for depollution technicians working in polluted sites. The key role of BRGM Campus is to coordinate BRGM teaching in the Earth Sciences for courses run by higher education establishments. The BRGM s training branch ( BRGM Formation ) also offers continuing training courses in the BRGM s fields of expertise for businesses and public organisations in France and abroad. training/training A PUBLIC INSTITUTION FOR RESEARCH AND EXPERT STUDIES BRGM, the French Geological Survey, was established in 1959 as a public industrial and commercial institution. We work under the account the needs expressed by central and regional government bodies after consultations with all stakeholders concerned under the aegis of the regional Prefects. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Internationally, the BRGM delivers know-how and expertise, particularly in areas relating to geological infrastructure, mineral resources, natural risks, groundwater, geothermal energy and environmental protection. We act on several fronts: contributions to French cooperation policy; policy-development support to the EU, the World Bank and other multilateral funding agencies; support to central government policy-making for development; services to businesses; participation in the work of international geological bodies. MINE SAFETY In 2006, the French State handed responsibility to the BRGM for monitoring and prevention of risks and pollution arising from mine closures. BRGM has state-delegated responsibility for mine safety engineering work. The BRGM has a specific post-mining division comprising a head office and four regional units operating from Billy-Montigny (Northern France), Freyming-Merlebach (Eastern France), Orléans (Centre) and Gardanne (Southern France). Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the Ministry for Ecology and the Solidarity-Based Ecological Transition and the Ministry for the Economy. QUALITY CERTIFICATION The BRGM has held ISO 9001 quality certification since 2004 and ISO environmental certification since 2012, both covering all of our activities. Our analytical laboratories are COFRACaccredited for environmental matrices. Active in 29 countries 62 contracts with local government bodies Participation in 30 European research projects (7th FPRD) 167 Class A scientific publications in staff, including over 700 engineers and researchers books and maps published by BRGM Éditions 2 % ASIA Mongolia Myanmar MAGHREB Algeria Morocco Tunisia 6 % 7 % EUROPE Kosovo - Poland - Romania Switzerland - Ukraine United Kingdom 6 % 67% AMERICAS Argentina Dominican Republic Haiti BRGM INTERNATIONAL TURNOVER IN 2016 (IN WORKING DAYS) MIDDLE EAST Jordan - Saudi Arabia Turkey 12 % AFRICA Benin - Burkina Faso - Cameroon Chad - Congo - Democratic Republic of the Congo - Gabon - Guinea Conakry - Ivory Coast Malawi - Mali - Senegal

4 GEOLOGY Our core function is to improve geological knowledge on subsoils to cater for the needs of our society. In response to demand both in France and in developing countries (for resource explorations and management, risk management, underground storage, etc.), we acquire, collect, manage and validate data from different sources to create and update geological databases, maps and models. In doing so, we contribute to advances in scientific research and help to strengthen the capacities of our partners through training in France and abroad. Under the programme for the French Geological Reference Platform, a flagship scientific programme conducted jointly by the BRGM, INSU/CNRS and French universities, we are contributing to the emergence of new concepts in geology and new digital products (2D, 3D, and 4D) that can be consulted on different media and at different scales to meet the different needs of users in central and local government, planning, industry, research, etc. MINERAL RESOURCES Our work covers all aspects of mineral raw materials knowledge and management, from research on deposit formation and predictivity, exploring and assessing reserves, the economics of mineral and metal resources through to expert studies and post-mining. Thanks to our competences in building development strategies and our knowledge of resources and international markets, we are among the leading international experts for support to the development of mining policies. Drawing on a thorough understanding of mineral deposits, our life cycle analyses for different substances from deposit formation through to extraction operations and their management are core aspects of the studies we carry out for governments, institutions and businesses worldwide. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Our approach is designed to support the energy transition and action against climate change effects, by contributing to the development of geothermal engineering of every kind. We work on geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling in new and renovated housing and tertiary sector premises, in particular through a wide-ranging national experimental platform, and on geothermal energy to supply heating and power production networks. The volcanic islands of overseas France are of particular importance for the BRGM s research and expert studies to support industrial development in this sector. The same is true of deep subsoil resources used in mainland France, from which we are helping to develop innovative CHP operations. EXPERTISE WATER Our core activities focus on water resource management, hydrosystem functions and their protection, identifying untapped reserves and studies on climate change impacts on water resources, especially their repercussions for drinking water supplies, flooding and drought and the consequences for users. We are closely involved in studies on the mechanisms governing contaminant transfers and water pollution, including from diffuse sources and by emerging pollutants. Our expertise is applied to support implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, through the development of the hydrogeological reference map, databases on water (ADES) and new methodological guides for public policy-making. We design methods and tools for integrated and sustainable resource management and for maintaining or restoring resource quality, using approaches in which we combine physical, biogeochemical and socioeconomic aspects. Tel. : Building on geology as its core competence, the BRGM develops expert knowledge on resource management, risk management and innovative ecotechnologies. These activities are organised into 10 main topic areas that address different issues for industry and society. RISKS Understanding, anticipating, preventing, managing and adapting: our constant aim is to reduce the potential impacts of telluric risks (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides), climate-related risks (land movements, clay soil shrinking and swelling), coastal risks (erosion and/or coastal flooding) and risks arising from human uses of the subsoil (storage reservoirs, sinkholes, etc.) in the context of global change. To study and understand risks and exposure, we design and operate a range of tools: subsoil imaging by geophysical survey methods, surveillance and alerting systems, predictive modelling, risk mapping, databases, models and scenarios to support crisis management, assessments of physical and systems vulnerability and multi-risk analysis methods. One of our key roles is to provide diagnostic and decision-support tools for policy-makers and crisis management methods to support sustainable planning and risk prevention. Tel. : ENVIRONMENT AND ECOTECHNOLOGIES Managing mineral resources sustainably implies developing economically and environmentally efficient ecotechnologies to treat primary and secondary raw materials, rehabilitating contaminated sites, soils and sediments and researching the impacts of waste storage on geological and artificial barriers. We develop integrated approaches combining environmental analyses, life-cycle analyses of materials and value chains, characterisation of the bio-hydrogeochemical mechanisms that govern different process (mobility and transfer of minerals and contaminants) and the properties of materials, but also technological developments for treating and reusing contaminated soils, sediments, water and raw materials, in situ or in pilot facilities. We also conduct expert assessments for industries or government departments and contribute to the development of environmental regulations and standards. Tel. : Geology Mineral resources Geothermal energy Geological storage Post-mining Risks Water Environment and ecotechnologies Laboratories and experimentation Digital infrastructure and services POST-MINING In 2006, the French State handed responsibility to BRGM for the surveillance of former mines and for action to prevent risks and pollution. We are responsible for the operational management of safety and environmental issues arising from mine closures, from surveillance to State-delegated responsibility for safety engineering. The wide range of substances, methods and periods of operation concerned demand a thorough understanding of information sources, extraction techniques and remediation methods in the context of global change. Our competences include operating environmental surveillance networks, understanding the physical phenomena involved and their kinetics, managing safety facilities (water, gas, etc.) and conducting technical studies to develop remedial solutions. The BRGM s activities are supplemented through the GEODERIS public expert studies group. Tel. : STORAGE To further the aims of the Energy Transition Act for Green Growth and French policy for climate change adaptation, we play a key role in research on the geological storage of energy and CO 2. Our work focuses on mapping and identifying favourable geological formations for use as storage reservoirs (in France and elsewhere), estimating their capacities, analysing and simulating their behaviour in the short, medium and long term, identifying safety criteria and surveillance requirements for future artificial or geological storage structures (tools and methods), developing methods to handle uncertainties and producing decision-support tools. With the different stakeholders, we contribute to the implementation of appropriate governance to ensure that each sector can develop sustainably. Tel. : LABORATORIES AND EXPERIMENTATION High-quality analytical and experimental data are the bedrock of high-level scientific research. We offer high added-value services from data production to interpretation and expert studies in the field of geoscience and the environment. We draw on our laboratory capacities for chemical, isotopic, mineralogical and microbiological analyses and for multi-scale experiments in environmental metrology (PRIME platform) and ecotechnologies for the treatment of raw materials (PLAT INN platform). Thanks to these facilities and competences, our laboratories are a reference in France. We have obtained COFRAC accreditation in acknowledgement of our knowhow in methods development and validation. Tel. : DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES One of our key roles is to deliver readily accessible and usable information on subsoils to all interested parties, including the public authorities, planners and the general public, in order to support decision-making in all relevant areas. To do so, we design, urbanise and implement information systems based on interoperability standards (for data and services) to ensure maximum transferability to other users working in the environment, risks and resources fields. We are helping to implement the INSPIRE directive, in particular by producing the national Geocatalogue and through our OCG Geoservices platform. Our well-tried experience and R&D projects on IT infrastructure stands us in good stead for data distribution and organisation (InfoTerre portal and mobile apps) and for computing and simulation techniques. Tel. :

5 FRENCH NATIONAL SURVEY HEAD OFFICE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CENTRE 3, avenue Claude-Guillemin BP Orléans Cedex 2 - France Tel.: +33(0) Fax: +33(0) > SCAN THIS CODE TO GO TO THE BRGM WEBSITE BRGM COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICATIONS DIVISION - DESIGN & LAYOUT: EFIL / FR COVER PHOTO: MASTERFILE / MARTIN RUEGNER - PRINTED BY IMPRIMERIE CORLET - ISBN Help recycle paper with the BRGM and Ecofolio.