Mining and Scientific Research

Think "Mining" - and you would probably think of big trucks and draglines.

Think "Scientific Research" - and scientists with white, spotless lab coats may come to your mind. Mining definitely has nothing to do with scientific research, right?

Well, think again.

The minerals industry has long faced commodity specific research challenges that span across various stages of production - exploration, mining and processing. These technical challenges often define the sustainability and profitability of any mine sites. A few examples of the challenges include:

- Can we increase the chances of discovering new metalliferous resources in the vast surface deposits of Australia, all without significantly increasing the costs of exploration?

- Can we just remove the ore and keep miners out of hazardous environments as much as possible?

- Can we enable mining and processing to have minimal surface expression?

- Can we add value to lower grades of iron ore by advanced processing that increases its purity without significantly increasing processing costs?

To address these challenges, in 2005, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) launched a discussion with government, industry and research institutions on developing a new initiative called Minerals Down Under. The purpose of Minerals Down Under is to identify and solve scientific and technical challenges that hinder the future competitiveness of our resource base in an increasingly globalised industry.

More info on CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship can be found here.

Over the last summer holidays, I have had the opportunity to work at CSIRO for my vac work. The experience opened my eyes to the intimate and productive relationship between scientific research and mining. I will post more on my exciting experience shortly. Stay tuned :)