"I am looking for new ideas and concepts that have the potential to unlock new search spaces for exploration," he told Australia's Mining Monthly.

"This could come from new concepts and tools that materially change the way we explore, but could also be linked to how we mine and process ore."

Gauthier is one of the presenters at the Future of Mining Sydney conference from May 14-15.

He believes the answer to his problem may come from new concepts and tools that materially changed the way miners explored, but could also come from existing sources.

"It is not necessarily about finding new tools and technology, but more about how we apply technology effectively," Gauthier said. 

"One fundamental core issue that we always grapple with is that we generate and manage huge datasets. 

"How we can optimise and generate value out of these datasets is one of our biggest challenge and opportunity at the same time?"

Gauthier (pictured left) believes the mining industry faces a wide array of difficult challenges including social, environmental, safety, regulatory and political to name a few.

"These compound the fundamental issue of diminishing easily accessible resources," he said.

"Incremental improvements can only go so far in addressing these challenges and we have to think about material step changes in order to have a thoroughly sustainable mining industry in the future. 

"The reality is that the way we currently conduct our business, through the mining life cycle, from exploration to eventual mine rehabilitation has to materially improve to meet current and future expectation of the communities."

• Join us at the Future of Mining Sydney on May 14-15 for two days of independent, curated content with the world's leading experts and the most influential keynote speakers, guaranteed to bring fresh new perspectives on the future outlook for mining. For further information on the Future of Mining Sydney and our incredible speaker line up please visit: http://www.future-of-mining-sydney.com/