MIWATCH’s Winter Interns

Whilst the change of season brings in cooler temperatures (almost jacket weather now in Brisbane) things are hotting up at MIWATCH in the leaching space as we welcome two new Winter Interns Skye Plenderleith and Jonathan Sayer who have joined Eric Ansah to work on projects focused on low-grade copper ore leaching and carbon dioxide sequestration potential.  I caught up with them both to find out a little bit more about their background and motivations.

Skye is a third-year Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering student. She will be working on a project that will investigate the extraction of copper from complex and low-grade copper ores using protonated brine technology – an emerging method with the potential to improve copper recovery in more sustainable ways. As high-grade copper deposits become increasingly scarce, the mining industry is under growing pressure to develop innovative techniques to process lower-grade and more challenging resources efficiently. This research will contribute to this critical area, exploring how different brines could help unlock value from ores that were previously considered uneconomical, while reducing the environmental footprint associated with conventional extraction methods.

Jonathan is currently a second year student at the University of Queensland where he is completing his Bachelor (Honours) and Master of Engineering, majoring in Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering. He is particularly interested in the sustainable processing of minerals, and how emerging technologies can minimise environmental impact while enhancing operational efficiency. His interest in the resource sector was sparked through the Minerals Council of Australia’s MiEX program, where he gained valuable insights into sustainable mining practises and the industry’s pathway to net zero. At MIWATCH, Jonathan is excited to be contributing to research that supports responsible resource development, while also gaining practical experience in mineral processing and mine waste management.

We are thrilled to have both working with the team for the next weeks, and wish them the very best of luck with their projects.