Aleksandar Kostić, a member of Lykos company team, has been employed as the Chief Geologist for over a year. His expertise and experience provide valuable insights into geology, emphasizing its importance and the projects carried out by the company.
How and when did your professional geological journey begin?
My professional journey started at university back in 1998, then through the industry, working at a lead and zinc mine in southeastern Serbia, followed by a copper mine in Bor. After that, I worked in exploration fields around Majdanpek, Prijepolje, and later again in southeastern Serbia. And now, after around twelve years, here I am in Bosnia, with Lykos company.
The professional path of a geologist starts from a junior position, which refers to individuals who have just graduated from university. A freshly graduated geologist in companies is called a junior geologist, then a responsible geologist, and finally a senior geologist, which requires at least 7-10 years of work experience. Therefore, after a decade of experience, a geologist can obtain the title of Chief Geologist, which allows them, as a responsible individual, to sign projects and reports.
What qualities should someone possess to pursue a career as a geologist?
Primarily, they should be physically and mentally fit. They should be capable of waking up early in the morning and ready for physical work, investing effort and labor, and paying particular attention to detail. For example, in this profession, it is crucial to be attentive in the field and always carry sufficient equipment.
What is your favorite aspect of the job?
Geologists are known for their passion for fieldwork and studying natural processes. Therefore, it is not surprising that many geologists, myself included, consider fieldwork as the favorite part of the job.
However, it is important to emphasize that office work also holds its significance. Without thorough analysis and interpretation of field data, our field research would be incomplete. Office work enables us to consolidate our findings, identify patterns and trends, and create a comprehensive picture of the geological processes and phenomena we study.
Are there any common prejudices about geology and geologists?
There is one common prejudice, and that is that geologists pollute the environment, excavate heavy metals, litter, leave behind plastics, etc. Fortunately, historically speaking, mineral resources have been explored in the Balkans for six thousand years, and it has never had any negative impact on anyone’s health. I often jokingly like to emphasize that archaeologists excavate, mining engineers unearth, funeral companies bury, and we simply explore.
How do you feel as part of the Lykos team?
The atmosphere is excellent. The projects are remarkably interesting, polymetallic projects involving antimony, copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc, and more. My experiences have mostly been related to copper-gold deposits or lead and zinc deposits associated with silver. Those usually involve a maximum of three elements, but here we have a diverse paragenesis of elements, which brings me great joy as a professional.
You were responsible for the Braha project in Čajniče, and now you have the responsibility for the exploration field at Sinjakovo. What experiences do you carry from the field?
Here, we have a mineral paragenesis that contains more metals than in Čajniče. There, we only have lead, zinc, copper, and silver, while here, antimony also appears. There is some antimony in Čajniče as well, but it is an old, abandoned mine, so our exploration rights do not cover that area. Here, there are more elements that need attention in terms of their spatial distribution and morphology.
How does collaboration between older and younger colleagues in the field work?
Collaboration comes down to assessment. The person in charge should recognize who can best perform various necessary tasks and solve potential problems in the field. I have a saying that I follow, which is “the right person in the right place.” It is always necessary to designate someone who is better at everyday organization, so that they can take responsibility if minor issues arise. Certainly, among five or six people, there is someone who stands out, for example, in mapping, while someone else excels at noticing details, and so on. It all comes down to good organization and clear hierarchical division.
