A Mine Geologist is defined as a geologist that is responsible for using ore body knowledge for short-term mine planning and deciding material movement for ore or waste. Mine geologists are typically located at an active mining operation. Their day-to-day job is to collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate geological and assay data to operational teams and engineers. It’s the mine geologist who typically decides where to dig, extents of blasts, and where volumes of material go: ore, waste, or a stockpile. Typical duties of a mine geologist include: blasthole sampling and logging, pit mapping, data analysis and management, u/g channel sampling, and producing daily or weekly plans to ensure the mine operates effectively and efficiently.
One critical role of the Mine Geologist is to perform production reconciliation which is a measure of planned tonnages & grade to what was modeled and actually produced. Determining how well models predict the ore body is a key component to the economic viability of a mining operations and ensuring models perform adequately for mine planning purposes.
Mine geologist need to work closely with mining engineers to meet mine schedules and plans, with metallurgists to ensure the right types of ore properties are being fed to the mill or plant, and geotechnical engineers as design and stability is typically related to structure and rock types.
Video Overview of Mining Methods:
A mine geologist must wear many hats. One of the most important is understanding mining methods and how a deposit's geology controls mine planning. MGHQ recommends the following videos as brief summaries of various mining methods:
Open Pit (video courtesy of Vale)
Block Caving (video courtesy of CMOC)
Cut and Fill (video courtesy of Twin Metals Minnesota)
Room & Pillar (video courtesy of Epiroc)
Longwall (video courtesy of Cat Mining)
Sublevel Stoping (video courtesy of Atlas Copco)
Sampling, Ore Control, and Reconciliation References (free):
Blaster training module from the U.S. Dept of Interior, OSM:
Download (Blasthole-drilling.pdf)
References:
A Textbook on Mining Geology for the use of mining students and miners
(1906) Park, J., Charles Griffin and Co., Ltd. Provided by the University of California.
An Introduction to Geology and Hard Rock Mining
(2015) Lacy, W., Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, Science and Technology Series.
The Importance of Dilution Factor for Open Pit Mining Projects
(2013) Ebrahimi A., SRK Consulting, presented at World Mining Congress, 2013.
Understanding the components of the fundamental sampling error: a key to good sampling practice
(2007), R.C.A. Minnitt, R.C.A., Rice, P.M., and Spangenberg, C., The Journal of The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), Vol. 107, August 2007.
Ore Grade Reconciliation Techniques - A Review
(2015) Richard, A. and Sulemana, A., Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics, Vol. 3, No. 5, 116-121 p.
Modeling Blast Movement for Grade Control
(2014) Isaaks, E., Barr, R., Handayani, O., Proceedings of 9th International Mining Geology Conference - AusIMM, 433-439p. Provided courtesy of Ed Isaaks at isaaks.com
Optimum Dig Lines for Open Pit Grade Control
(2014) Isaaks, E., Treloar, I., Elenbaas, T., Proceedings of 9th International Mining Geology Conference - AusIMM, 425-432p. Provided courtesy of Ed Isaaks at isaaks.com
Reconciliation principles for the mining industry
(2012) Parker, H.M., Mining Technology, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 121, No. 3.