Nicolas J. Saintilan

Assistant Professor

Education

  • MSc Geology – Engineering, Polytechnical Institute Lorraine, France (2003 – 2006)
  • MSc Exploration Geology, Rhodes University, South Africa (2007 – 2008)
  • PhD in Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland (2011 – 2015)

Research Areas

  • Mineral Resources & Sulfide Re-Os geochronology

Current Research

Dr. Saintilan’s research is primarily in the field of mineral resources and sulfide Re-Os geochronology.

The transition toward ever growing economies with lowered carbon footprint requires increased access to and sustainable use of a diverse range of metallic (Cu, Co, V, Ge, Zn) and non-metallic resources (graphite). These “sustainable elements” are often referred as critical and strategic elements. Mineral discovery and exploration successes remain first and foremost conditioned by a better scientific understanding of the physico-chemical processes controlling the origin and distribution of mineral resources across all scales.

detail of a rock

 

  1. Saintilan NJ, Archer C, Szilas K, Krüger Geersten K, Rosa D, and Spangenberg JE (2024) Paleoproterozoic Mississippi Valley-type mineralization at Black Angel, Greenland: evidence from sulfide d66Zn and rhenium-osmium geochronology. Mineralium Deposita doi: 10.1007/s00126-024-01332-w
  2. Rooney AD, Hnatyshin D, Toma J, Saintilan NJ, Millikin AEG, Selby D, and Creaser RA (2024) Application of the 187Re-187Os geochronometer to crustal materials: Systematics, methodology, data reporting, and interpretation. Geological Society of America Bulletin. doi: 10.1130/B37294.1
  3. Saintilan NJ, Ikenne M, Bernasconi SM, Toma J, Creaser RA, Souhassou M, Allaz JM, Karfal A, Maacha L, Spangenberg JE (2023) The world’s highest-grade Bou Azzer cobalt mineralization associated with supercontinent breakup, anoxic Kellwasser horizons and serpentinite. American Journal of Science 323, 12 (Diamond Open Access). doi: 10.2475/001c.91400
  4. Saintilan NJ & Creaser RA (2023) A Permian rhenium-osmium radiometric age for bornite at the Rock Creek deposit, Spar Lake copper-silver district (Montana, USA) – a link to the Sonoma Orogeny and the copper-silver-vanadium Midcontinent belt? Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 61, 145-157 (Gold Open Access). doi: 10.1139/cjes-2023-0024
  5. Saintilan NJ, Archer C, Maden C, Samankassou E, Bernasconi SM, Szumigala D, Mahaffey Z, West A, Spangenberg JE (2023) Metal‑rich organic matter and hot continental passive margin: drivers for Devonian copper‑cobalt‑germanium mineralization in dolomitized reef‑bearing carbonate platform. Mineralium Deposita 58, 37-49 (Gold Open Access) doi:10.1007/s00126-022-01123-1
  6. Spangenberg JE, Saintilan NJ, Strmić Palinkaš S (2022) Safe, accurate, and precise sulfur isotope analyses of arsenides, sulfarsenides, and arsenic and mercury sulfides by conversion to barium sulfate before EA/IRMS. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 414, 2163-2179. doi: 1007/s00216-021-03854-y
  7. Saintilan NJ, Sproson AD, Selby D, Rottier B, Casanova V, Creaser RA, Kouzmanov K, Fontboté L, Piecha M, Gereke M, Zambito IV JJ (2021) Osmium isotopic constraints on sulphide formation in the epithermal environment of magmatic-hydrothermal mineral deposits. Chemical Geology 564, 120053 (Gold Open Access) doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.120053.
  8. Saintilan NJ, Sheldrake TE, Creaser RA, Selby D, Zieg J, Boyce A, and Chelle-Michou C (2021) Syn-sedimentary to diagenetic Cu ± Co mineralization in Mesoproterozoic pyritic shale driven by magmatic-hydrothermal activity on the edge of the Great Falls tectonic zone – Black Butte, Helena Embayment, Belt-Purcell Basin, USA: Evidence for sulfide Re-Os isotope geochemistry. Lithosphere 2021, 7866186 (Gold Open Access) doi: 10.2113/2021/7866186
  9. Saintilan NJ, Selby D, Hughes JW, Schlatter D, Kolb J, and Boyce A (2020) Source of gold in Neoarchean orogenic-type deposits in the North Atlantic Craton, Greenland: Insights for a proto-source of gold in sub-seafloor hydrothermal arsenopyrite in the Mesoarchean. Precambrian Research343, 105717 (Gold Open Access) doi: 10.1016/j/precamres.2020.105717.
  10. Saintilan NJ, Selby D, Hughes JW, Schlatter D, Kolb J, and Boyce A (2020) Mineral separation protocol for accurate and precise rhenium-osmium (Re-Os) geochronology and sulphur isotope composition of individual sulphide species. MethodsX 7, 100944 (Gold Open Access) doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2020.100944.
  11. Ikenne M, Souhassou M, Saintilan NJ, Abdelhaq K, El Hassani A, Moundi Y, Maacha L, Zouhir M, Ousbih, M, and Ezzghoudi M (2020) Cobalt-nickel-copper arsenide, sulpharsenide, and sulphide mineralisation in the Bou Azzer window, Anti-Atlas, Morocco: One century of geological investigations, mineral exploration, and mining. In: Mineralisation and sustainable development in the West African Craton: From field observations to modelling. Geological Society of London, Special Publication502 doi: 10.1144/SP502-2019-132.
  12. Saintilan NJ, Selby D, Creaser RA, Dewaele S (2018) Sulphide Re-Os geochronology links orogenesis, salt, and Cu-Co ores in the Central African Copperbelt. Scientific Reports 8, 14946, (Gold Open Access) doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-33399-7.
  13. Saintilan NJ, Creaser RA, Spry PG, and Hnatyshin D (2017) Re-Os systematics of löllingite and arsenopyrite in granulite facies garnet rocks: Insights into the metamorphic history and thermal evolution of the Broken Hill Block during the Early Mesoproterozoic (New South Wales, Australia). Canadian Mineralogist 55, 29–44, doi:10.3749/canmin.1600039.
  14. Saintilan NJ, Creaser RA, and Bookstrom AA (2017) Re-Os systematics and geochemistry of cobaltite (CoAsS) in the Idaho cobalt belt, Belt-Purcell Basin, USA: Evidence for middle Mesoproterozoic sediment-hosted Co-Cu sulphide mineralisation with Grenvillian and Cretaceous remobilization. Ore Geology Reviews 86, 509–525, doi: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.02.032.
  15. Saintilan NJ, Spangenberg JE, Chiaradia M, Chelle-Michou C, Stephens MB, and Fontboté L (2019) Petroleum as source and carrier of metals in epigenetic sediment-hosted mineralization. Scientific Reports9, 8283 (Gold Open Access) doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44770-7.
  16. Fontbote L and Saintilan NJ (2018) Reply to discussion of “A refined genetic model for the Laisvall and Vassbo Mississippi Valley-type sandstone-hosted deposits, Sweden: constraints from paragenetic studies, organic geochemistry, and S, C, N, and Sr isotope data” by D. Sangster. Mineralium Deposita 53, 295‒297, doi: 1007/s00126-017-0785-x.
  17. Saintilan NJ, Stephens MB, Spikings R, Schneider J, Chiaradia M, Spangenberg JE, Ulianov A, and Fontboté L (2017) Polyphase vein-type mineralization in the Fennoscandian Shield at Åkerlandet, Järvsand and Laisvall along the erosional front of the Caledonian orogen, Sweden. Mineralium Deposita 52, 823‒844, doi: 1007/s00126-016-0698-0.
  18. Saintilan NJ, Spangenberg JE, Samankassou E, Kouzmanov K, Chiaradia M, Stephens MB, Fontboté L (2016) A refined genetic model for the Laisvall and Vassbo Mississippi Valley-type sandstone-hosted deposits, Sweden: constraints from paragenetic studies, organic geochemistry, and S, C, N, and Sr isotope data. Mineralium Deposita 59, 639‒664, doi: 10.1007/s00126-015-0627-7
  19. Saintilan NJ, Schneider J, Stephens MB, Chiaradia M, Kouzmanov K, Wälle M, and Fontboté L (2015) A Middle Ordovician age for the Laisvall sandstone-hosted Pb-Zn deposit, Sweden: A response to Early Caledonian orogenic activity. Economic Geology 110, 1779–1801, doi: 10.2113/econgeo.110.7.1779
  20. Saintilan NJ, Stephens MB, Lundstam E, and Fontboté L (2015) Control of reactivated basement structures on sandstone-hosted Pb-Zn deposits along the Caledonian Front, Sweden: Evidence from airborne magnetic field data, structural analysis and ore grade modelling. Economic Geology 110, 91‒117, doi: 10.2113/econgeo.110.1.91