The course and practices are concerned with earth materials that can be used for economic and/or industrial purposes.
Basic geological processes will be reviewed. Industrial production of these materials will be described.
These materials include precious and base metals, nonmetallic minerals, construction-grade stone, petroleum minerals, coal, and water. The techniques employed by earth science disciplines (such as geochemistry, mineralogy, geophysics, and structural geology) might all be used to understand, describe, and exploit such deposites.
The discpline is usually nicknamed economic geology and is primarily practiced by geologists. However it is of prime interest to investment bankers, stock analysts and other professions such as engineers, environmental scientists, and conservationists because of the far-reaching impact that extractive industries have on society, the economy, and the environment.
(source in parts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_geology)

Understanding basic geological, exploitation and production processes and relate them to global economy.

seminar talk

Kesler, Stepen F. & Simon Adam C., Mineral Resources, Economics and the Environment (2nd edition), 2015, 434 pp, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-107-07491-0 (hardback),
£49.99
Pohl, Walter L. Economic Geology Principles and Practice
1. Edition - April 2011 51.90 Euro 2011. 680 Pages, Softcover
ISBN-10: 1-4443-3663-0 ISBN-13: 978-1-4443-3663-4 - John Wiley & Sons

Dill, H.G., 2010. The "chessboard" classification scheme of mineral deposits: Mineralogy and geology from aluminum to zirconium. Earth-Science Reviews, 100(1-4): 1-420, doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.10.011.