Mr. Jean François LABBE

Jean-François Labbé, 62, is an Economic Geologist graduated from the Polytechnic School of Paris and the Paris Superior School of Mines (France), specialized in Earth Sciences. He joined BRGM (the French Geological Survey) in 1980.

He first led during about 20 years several mineral exploration projects for various metals (gold, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, tin, etc.) in various countries (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Ghana, Indonesia, French Antilles), under various funding sources (governmental, institutional or private). He then supervised or monitored such projects in several other countries, mainly in Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, Mali, Mauritania, Kenya).

From 2001 to 2005, he was seconded to the French Cooperation as a Technical Assistant by the Guinean Ministry of Mines and Geology. Then, between 2006 and 2009, he managed the Bauxite Resource Evaluation Project of the Batafong and Lélouma exploration permits then held by Mitsubishi Corp, with several drilling campaigns, up to the resource certification.

Between 2010 and 2018, after having joined the BRGM unit in charge of mineral economics, he carried out or contributed to several market studies and criticality assessments for several rare metals (beryllium, cobalt, lithium, platinum group elements, selenium, tellurium, rare earths, tungsten, etc.) for the French Ministry in charge of sustainable development. He also carried out or contributed to market studies for other metals (bauxite/alumina/aluminium,