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Interview with Spanish EurGeol title holder
EFG Office*
In order to promote the European Geologist
title, the Spanish Professional Geologists’
Organization, ICOG, started in 2012
a series of interviews with Spanish EurGeol
title holders. EFG publishes here one of those
interviews in which Raul Sanabria reflects
on the benefits of professional titles and
his exploration experiences abroad. EFG
plans to carry out similar interviews with
title holders of other national associations
for future issues of the European Geologist
magazine.
Pour la promotion du titre de Géologue
Européen, l’Organisation Espagnole des
Géologues Professionnels (ICOG), a entrepris
en 2012, une série d’interviews avec les
EuroGéologues espagnols. La FEG publie ici
l’un de ces interviews où Raul Sanabria rend
compte des avantages à posséder une qualification
professionnelle reconnue ainsi que
son expérience des travaux d’exploration à
l’étranger. La FEG a l’intention d’effectuer
des interviews similaires avec des Eurogéologues
appartenant à d’autres Associations
nationales avec publication dans les
prochains numéros de l’European Geologist
Magazine.
El Ilustre Colegio Oficial de Geólogos (ICOG),
empezó en 2012 una serie de entrevistas
con eurogeólogos españoles con objeto de
promocionar el título de geólogo europeo.
La FEG incluye aquí una de esas entrevistas
en la que Raul Sanabria reflexiona sobre
los beneficios de los títulos profesionales y
su experiencia en exploración en el extranjero.
La FEG planea realizar entrevistas similares
a eurogeólogos de otras asociaciones
nacionales para próximas ediciones de la
revista European Geologist.
Raul Sanabria
Graduate of the Complutense University
of Madrid, Member of the Ilustre Colegio
Oficial de Geólogos de España (ICOG), European
Geologist (EurGeol) and Professional
Geoscientist (P.Geo)
Are professional titles useful abroad?
The answer is very simple. Yes, of course.
In the country where I am currently living,
Canada, it is the most important thing a
geologist can write on his business card.
Canada is the “centre of the universe” for
exploration and mining issues. This is due
to the rich natural resources of this country
and the infrastructure created around
them; the latter includes education and the
development and financing of projects.
* Isabel Fernández Fuentes,
EFG Executive Director,
isabel.fernandez@eurogeologists.eu
The super-specialization of the sector has
brought companies to explore the world
from here, with the latest techniques and
knowledge. This is possible thanks to the
creation of a single stock market, the TSX
and the TSX-V, specialized solely in mining
and exploration and supplying the sector’s
companies with capital, a government
politically committed to the sector and promoting
exploration and being pro-mining,
as well as an efficient national geological
service. Let’s get back to the initial question,
whether the professional title is relevant
here. The title is “compulsory” for certifying
that the exploration work is carried out with
the most elevated quality and professionalism
standards and the subsequent obligation
of public dissemination of technical
information for the investors. The latter is
very much regulated by the stock exchange
market of Toronto and has to be carried
out by qualified professionals (Qualified
Persons according to the standard NI43-
101 in Canada or Competent
Persons accredited by the
Australian JORC, among
others) who take, with their
signature, responsibility for
the mentioned information,
without the least distortion
or modification, a consequence of the Briex
scandal in the 1990s.
Could you explain to us why you applied
for the European Geologist title?
For the same reasons explained above.
After several years of work experience as an
exploration and mining geologist, I decided
to make the jump and to dedicate myself
to exploration at a higher level. The professional
title became imperative in order to
be able to head the exploration department
as Exploration Manager or Vice President,
Exploration. Given these responsibilities
and the requirement for companies to
disseminate reports publicly as the stock
exchange market obliges, arose the need
of being a Qualified Person. As a European
Geologist (EurGeol) I was logically considered
as complying with the regulations that
opened the door for applying to the P.Geo
title at the APEGBC in British Columbia.
This way, the experience I had gained, combined
with the professional titles, means
that I can design, carry out and report the
results of exploration programmes at the
majority of the world’s stock exchange markets
and work on all five continents.
Do you consider that these titles have an
added value for finding a job?
For me personally it was useful for
working at a higher level and especially in
« The title is “compulsory” for certifying that the
exploration work is carried out with the most elevated
quality and professionalism standards and the subsequent
obligation of public dissemination of technical
information for the investors. »
terms of remuneration. The responsibility
of my signature is very great and, from there
on, increases my appreciation. From being
a field geologist splitting stones from one
side to the other, I switched to directing my
own team of geologists, engineers, drillers,
etc. and being able to budget and design
regional exploration programmes in different
places and, what is most important,
to be responsible, lately, for the discovery
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