Vincent Lagneau awarded the 2023 BRGM Dolomieu Prize

Vincent Lagneau is an internationally-renowned geochemist, whose research focuses on understanding and quantifying the interfaces between water, gas and rock in porous geological formations.

Vincent Lagneau wins the 2023 Dolomieu Prize for his work on in-situ recovery mining

Vincent Lagneau's work on in-situ recovery mining (ISR) has been instrumental in establishing and quantifying the hydrogeochemical mechanisms involved during and after ore-mining operations. The results have enabled progress to be made in terms of optimising operations, controlling environmental impacts and extending the technique for new types of deposits. As regards the storage of nuclear waste, Vincent Lagneau's research has helped to improve the definition of safety models in areas close to geological storage sites for nuclear waste, as well as the long-term effects of CO₂ storage on underground reservoirs.

An industrial research chair for uranium mining

Vincent Lagneau was also behind the initiative to create the ANR/ORANO industrial research chair devoted to "uranium mining by in-situ recovery". He also coordinates and is actively involved in developing the HYTEC platform, which is used to model water, gas, heat and solute transfer mechanisms in porous formations, as well as the geochemical reactions. The platform's simulations and developments explore relationships that could modify the behaviour of these highly-coupled, non-linear systems.

Vincent Lagneau graduated as an engineer from the Ecole Polytechnique in 1996 and has a PhD in quantitative hydrology and hydrogeology from the Ecole des Mines de Paris (2000). He has chaired the French Commission for Evaluating research (CNE _ Commission Nationale d'Evaluation) on the management of radio-active materials and waste since 2023 and has also been the chairman of BRGM's Scientific Committee since 2020.