A 6-week work placement at MMG Rosebery, West Coast Tasmania

Earlier this year, I completed a 6-week work placement at the MMG Rosebery Mine in Tasmania. Working at a mine site was something I always wanted to do but never had the opportunity to do it. Therefore, I am very thankful to my supervisor, Anita Parbhakar-Fox and Rick Valenta, Sustainable Minerals Institute and MMG Rosebery for giving me this opportunity supported by the Trailblazer program.

In honesty, it was a conflicting feeling when I was told I could do this placement, after all, it has been almost 6 years since I last visited the mine as an honours student. I was excited for the learning opportunity but I was also worried about my lack of experience – could this slow down the geologist team’s work? This was imposter syndrome, I suppose. I had never worked professionally at a mine even though, with MIWATCH, I had been to at least ten mine sites mine waste sampling over the past two years. Thankfully, all my worries melted away as soon as I got to site, I had such a great time with the team.

There were multiple work rosters offered, and I chose 8:6. In my first roster, I learnt the importance of being disciplined. I needed to be well rested to work a 12-hour shift (with a lunch break included) for eight days. Not only that, but safety is also the highest priority at the Rosebery mine. This was shown in the poem stuck on the back of every toilet door – Don Merrell’s “I Chose to Look The Other Way”. Complacency is not tolerable. Everyone has the responsibility to look after your own and others’ safety at work, especially in a high risk work environment.

During my first roster I was taken underground to learn the day-to-day tasks of a mine geologist. The environment underground is very different to the surface. Two-way radios, high alertness to the surroundings and great driving skills are essential as there are many dynamic interactions between operators working on maintenance, ore and waste bogging, developing pathways and drilling, cleaners, surveyors, mine and exploration geologists and engineers.

The role of a mine geologist at the Rosebery Mine includes grade control, rock face mapping and environmental sampling. Every day was jam-packed with new skills for me to learn. This included interpreting rock faces in the underground mine. This work helped explore and describe new geology structures. As part of this, I learned how to use 3DM CalibCam and 3DM Analyst for interpreting the 3D rock face models.

After spending one full and one half roster with the mine geologists team, I then learned how to core log and drone spot with the exploration geologists who were also managing a drilling campaign. As an exploration geologist, it is important to identify future resources for the mine as part of the effort in extending the mine lifespan. A highlight was conducted a rig inspection at Hercules alongside an exploration geologist where we were monitoring the drilling condition.

My placement also had some sweet surprises. I had the privilege to visit the run-of-mine operations and mineral processing plant. A metallurgist explained to me their daily tasks, e.g., scheduling ore transportation and managing the chemistry of the ore blend. In my opinion, strategic planning and the ability to overcome impromptu and last-minute changes in the ore stockpiles received are essential to becoming a metallurgist. My highlight of spending time with metallurgists was the chance to visit the gold making process, a truly magical and memorable experience.

You might be thinking my placement was all about mining? Not really. On my off shifts, I went on a few hikes to enjoy the pristine environment Tasmania offered. I strongly believe mining is essential to humans’ daily lives. Therefore, sustainable mining is essential in maintaining the balance between human needs and ecosystems.

In conclusion, I learned a great deal from my placement and made some meaningful connections at the Rosebery Mine. Key skills demonstrated by the members of the mine included excellent communication and teamwork. I will bring these learning experience with me for my future career development.

Thank you, once again to the Mine Technical Services team, shift bosses, operators, admins and employees from the MMG Rosebery Mine for giving me this opportunity and to the Sustainable Minerals Institute for supporting me to undertaken this industry placement.