Citation by M. Pagel (Emeritus Professor at the University of Paris XI, Orsay):
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dr. Michel Cuney, the fourth recipient of the SGA NEWMONT GOLD MEDAL, is an outstanding geoscientist in all fields related to uranium deposits and the uranium cycle in the crust, ranging from practical geology to laboratory work and conceptual thinking. It’s a pleasure for me to present Michel as I have known him since 40 years. He has been employed
by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), in France since 1976. He received his 3rd cycle thesis entitled “The uranium deposits of Bois Noirs Limouzat” in 1974 and completed a State thesis in 1981 on ‘Uranium and thorium behavior during metamorphism. The role of anatexis in the genesis of radioelements-rich magmas”. He is presently Research Director at CNRS acting as permanent Researcher in the “Georessources” laboratory of the Lorraine University.
During his career, his main and continuous research was dedicated to uranium metallogeny and geochemistry. However, he also worked on rare metals. He was the principal investigator for the first drill hole of the French Deep Geology Drilling Program on the Echassieres granite. He also contributed to studies on reclamation of uranium mining sites, natural analogue for nuclear waste disposal and the radon risk. Michel Cuney is the author and/or coauthor of 200 papers in scientific journals including 125 in international referred journals, 507 communications in congress (including 100 invited conferences) and has contributed to 13 books. He has directed 35 PhD and co-directed 19 others and thus has contributed to formation of a new generation of uranium geologists, more than 20 of his students work in Areva.
His research on geology and evolution of granite-related vein uranium deposits was fundamental to the understanding of their metallogeny. He visited and studied almost all types of uranium deposits in the world and focused on the parameters controlling the formation of high-grade uranium deposits. Since his stay at the University of Gottingen with Professor HG Winkler in 1971-1972 he was always interested in experimental study of the solubility and partition coefficients of metals between solution and magma. Michel was also one of the researchers who showed that the study of U-Th bearing minerals was a key for the understanding of the uranium and thorium geochemical cycle. He especially focused on the importance of monazite either as a source of uranium or as a witness of fertile altered granite. He just finish now publishing excellent syntheses on uranium fractionation through time driving the secular variation of uranium deposits types and, on the genetic classification of uranium and thorium deposits. He is recognized as the word-class leader in the uranium domain. He became highly respected by distinguished experts in uranium geology who acknowledge his professional and human qualities and his conviction of the necessity to transfer high quality research into exploration practice.
Michel has shared all his unique knowledge with earth science community in numerous international meetings, workshops, short courses and conference in the universities worldwide. Michel was invited to serve on national and international panels and committees on geo-political and socialeconomic issues, recently he was appointed as advisor of the U.S. National Research Council (National Academy of Sciences). He also acts as a consultant for IAEA. He serves as a member of the Editorial Board of the SGA premium journal, Mineralium Deposita, and is a special associate editor for the American Mineralogist. He was previously in the editorial board of the Bulletin of the French Geological Society and the “Chronoique de la Recherche Minière” He was the Thayer Lindsley Visiting Lecturer of the Society of Economic Geologists in 2010 and was elected SEG Fellow. I know that Michel had to show a strong tenacity in his research during a long period when metallogeny studieswere not supported in France and especially because of a lack of interest in uranium. This year, Michel received the Barbier prize of the French Geological Society.
Michel is an enthusiastic and patient scientist who spends a lot of precious time explaining his own ideas and approaches. He shows a strong interest in the education of professional exploration geologists.
I would like to congratulate Dr Michel Cuney for his major contribution explaining different ways of concentration of uranium in the magmatic, metamorphic and hydrothermal environments.
Acceptance speech by M. Cuney:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It has been a great surprise when Pär announced me that I had been chosen to receive sucha prestigious award: the SGA Newmont gold medal.
It has also been a great pleasure not only for me but for the recognition of all the work that had been done in Nancy for the past years on the genesis of uranium deposits.
A great surprise: because uranium, despite its high density represents a “very light metal” in the mineral resource economy and in scientific research compared to the “heavy metals” like gold, which attract about 40% of the exploration geologists and budgets.
A great surprise: also because during, about past 20 years I felt quite lonely in the field of uranium geochemistry and metallogenesis. My colleagues and friends were asking me “why are you still working on uranium, there is no future in this field?” Even a top manager of AREVA told me in 2005 “Michel ! ! ! you are still working on uranium, you won’t see a new start of this business before your retirement. It is still time to change your research subjects”! Two years later, in July 2007, the uranium price rose to 135$/pound from about 10$ in 2004! It is also a great pleasure, because I feel somehow reassured that the research I have worked on for the past 40 years have some interest for the geological community.
But, the greatest pleasure to receive this extraordinary award is the recognition of the hugefundamental and applied research work, which has been produced in Nancy for more than ahalf century. The uranium story in Nancy started in1948 when the Nobel Prize Frederic Joliot Curie nominated Marcel Roubault - the Director of the Nancy School of Geology – uranium exploration and production manager at the French Atomic Energy Commission. Four years later, the first uranium mine was producting in the France.
Since then, Nancy has always kept very tight relations with the mining companies involved in U exploration from France (COGEMA, AREVA, TOTAL Mines, SNEAP, …) and other countries (CAMECO, RIO TINTO, ANGLO AMERICAN …). A tremendous rise in the research capabilities on uranium metallogenesis occurred with the creation of the CREGU (Centre de Recherche sur la Géologie de l’Uranium) in 1978 after the first oil crisis, a creation initiated by Valery Ziegler from the French Atomic Energy Commission, with Hubert de la Roche and Bernard Poty from the CNRS and a young team composed of Maurice Pagel, Jacques Leroy and myself. At that time it was a rather unique interface between the scientific research and the exploration companies. It has been a great opportunity for my career.
Many geologists educated at Nancy have been involved in the discovery of numerous important uranium deposits in France and throughout the World. They have also largely contributed to a better understanding of uranium ore forming processes and uranium – thorium geochemistry with famous names such as Bernard Poty, Jacques Leroy, Maurice Pagel, Michel Cathelineau, Nguyen Trung Chinh, Patrick Landais, Jean Dubessy and others.
I also would like to use this opportunity to thank all of them, together with the Master and PhD students I have supervised as well as the numerous geologists of the mining companies (Valéry Ziegler, Marcel Moreau, André Durandau, Patrice Bruneton, Claude Caillat, among many others), which offered me new research opportunities, access to their mines and exploration fields, stimulating discussions, and to the colleagues all over the world with which collaborations have been developed. I also have to present all my respects to the memory of Frantz Dahlkamp, which died this spring, for his friendship, and his prodigious contribution to the knowledge of world uranium deposits. Last but not least I would like to thank my family and especially my wife Liliane, which has been essential in this adventure. They could all claim a part of this medal. I sincerely thank the SGA colleagues and the company Newmont for choosing me for receiving the prestigious SGA-Newmont Gold Medal.