California, Mining and Career Opportunities

Mining is everywhere.

There's no doubt mining is intimately intertwined with the Australian economy. Across the Pacific Ocean in California, this is no different. In fact, it was the Gold Rush in the 1800s that kick-started the economic prosperity of California.

During the days of the Gold Rush, San Francisco grew from a small settlement of about 200 residents in 1846 to a boomtown of about 36,000 by 1852. Roads, churches, schools and other towns were built throughout California.

New methods of transportation were developed and used to carry miners. Steamships were used to carry miners 125 miles (201 km) up the Sacramento River to Sacramento, California. By 1869, railroads were built across the country from California to the eastern United States. Agriculture and ranching expanded throughout the state to meet the needs of the settlers.

The mining and resources sector is no less relevant and influential today in Australia than it is back in the days of the Gold Rush. Although, thankfully, the equipments and safety standards have certainly dramatically improved.

Therefore, for young people today, the resources sector promises an invaluable opportunity to be in demand and to make a difference.

So for those high school students deciding their career options, I humbly offer my advice: if you are going to spend the next 4 whole years doing a degree at University, study a major that allows you to make a positive impact in the world. Study a major that enables you to leverage your knowledge to build and connect societies. Study Engineering.

And being an Engineer in the resources sector represents so much more than just a financially rewarding career. It is about being the change you want to see in the world. It is about delivering resources profitably, while keeping social and environmental responsibilities as your upmost priority. Most importantly, it is about seeing the outcome of your hard work improve the lives of people around the world.

For more info regarding mining related degrees and career opportunities in Queensland, Australia, visit drillin.com.au

Below: the Hearst Mining Circle, and Hearst Memorial Building at UC Berkeley. There used to be a notable view of the Golden Gate from this location.

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 :)