チリでは2000年代以降近隣国からの移民が拡大していたが、2017年からは首都サンティアゴにおいてハイチとベネズエラからの移民の急増が大きな社会現象となっている。移民のプル要因としては、所得面と治安面で出身国とチリとの格差が拡大していることがあげられる。移民に対して極端な排斥の動きが出ている国もあるが、チリでは高齢化する労働力を補い成長の原動力と位置づける意見が政府から出され、違法滞在者の取り締まりを強化する一方、合法的な受け入れ体制が整備され始めている。労働力不足が顕在化している今のうちに、移民の同化政策をすることが肝要である。

Recent progresses on the iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits, especially on principal Chilean deposits, are summarized to clarify metallogenesis and exploration of the type of deposits in Mesozoic extensional subduction regime. The principal composite-mode deposits (Candelaria, Punta del Cobre, Mantoverde) are closely associated with Cretaceous Atacama fault system, and are characterized by the typical Na-Ca-K alteration with the early-stage magnetite (or hematite) and the following Mg alteration with copper-sulfide and gold mineralizations. Fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies suggest that the IOCG deposits were formed by high-temperature hypersaline magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. If the IOCG deposits are generated from FeCl₂-bearing magmatic fluids, the spatial-temporal relation between the IOCG and iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposits is well explained by the magmatic magnetite-bubble segregation model (Knipping et al., 2015b; Simon et al., 2018). Nevertheless, a few problems still remain unsolved in the genetic model including contribution of basinal brines.

This one year from September 2023 to August 2024 was characterized by high temperatures, wild fires, and heavy floods similar to or more than the preceding years. Even if most people realize the global warming, we should continue the exploration of mineral and energy resources to secure them. Though COVID-19 cases are not going down still, the economics have backed to normal activities. Some fruitful results have been reported accordingly in the exploration fields: 1) the Côté project in Ontario, Canada, started to produce gold dorés, and had an opening ceremony, the Quebrada Blanca copper mine also has an opening ceremony, the Mantoverde mine commenced to produce copper concentrates, 2) oil and gas was found at the PL636 block in Norway, and commercial oil and gas production was commenced from the Seagull, the UK North Sea, 3) the Tangguh LNG Project started LNG production from the third line, and 4) three geothermal power stations started commercial operation at Appi, Iwate, and Mori and Minami- Kayabe, Hokksido. Many projects have studied and acted in the CCS/CCUS fields for the decarbonization.

Topics was limited from September 2020 to August 2021 compared with the previous years, because of the COVID-19 crisis. Remarkable topics should be taken up, however, for the exploration of mineral and energy resources in and by Japan as follows: 1) a Canadian exploration company drilled high-grade gold ore in southern Kyushu, while another Canadian exploration company in Hokkaido, 2) production of natural gas dissolved in water which was rich in iodine was commenced in Niigata, 3) high grade Cu-Au mineralization was found in the Mt Isa east area, 4) commercial oil and gas production was commenced from the Snorre and Duva oil and gas fields in Norwegian North Sea, and 5) oil and gas was found at an offshore oil and gas field in Malaysia.

This annual review presents many topics from September 2017 to August 2018. North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test on September 3, 2017, and the world was hitted by an etreme heat wave in July and August 2018. In contrast, topics of mineral and energy exploration are not so sensational. However, we had several remarkable topics as follows: 1) initiation of the development of Los Gatos Ag-Zn-Pb Project in Mexico, 2) commencement of crude oil production from Western Isles Development Project, U.K. North Sea, and first oil delivery for the Kaikias deep-water project in the Gulf of Mexico, 3) commencement of LNG Production at Australia's Wheatstone LNG, and Ichthys LNG Project, 4) world’s first success in continuous ore lifting test for seafloor polymetallic sulphides conducted by JOGMEC.