mining - underground and open-cut

[RooFlyer]

@juddles reflections have long given me pause to think about starting a similar one on my experiences in the mining industry. Mining is much in the news but the day to day operations are so foreign to the person-in-the-street it might be useful to illustrate it a bit (and not ignoring the disasters such as the Brazilian tailings dam bursts) ... at least now I'm safely retired, after 37 years in the industry (10 years investment banking in the middle, but it was resources investment banking and still required mine visits).

A reply by @Vic to a post I made in the QF706 tread needed replying to, if for professionalism's sake if nothing else, but I didn't want to send that thread off-topic, so here we are.

As I've said a number of times, I am, or was a geologist; I've worked across Australia, the US, Canada and a little in Africa and the middle east. "hard rock" - gold, base metals, sand etc , not petroleum or coal. (Not that I've got anything against coal ). I was also in exploration geology, not mine geology, but my first company, Western Mining Corporation, believed that you can't find a mine until you know what one looks like, so they sent all their new geos underground for a few years first.

So, this was my first 'office' -or the top of it:



A nicer shot here (won a competition )



It was a small mine - in size and capacity; high grade gold, which we followed with 'drives' (tunnels) abt 2m x 1.5m and then 'gallery stoped' (dug out rooms), then dropped the floor and ceilings between the rooms. Mining was by 'airleg' - a souped-up jackhammer, driven pneumatically and which makes a noise like the end of the world itself, especially in a confined space (which this pic isn't, relatively). The machine was turned off for this pic, else there would be water spray and ground rock going everywhere. I also worked a bit in a larger, 'mechanised' mine with diesel trucks etc driving around.



We lived in a little mining town in WA, 6 hours from Perth and 3 hours from Geraldton:



Anyway, that sets the scene. Now, a slight diversion now to address Vic.

 

[RooFlyer]

Here, Vic challenged what I had written about working underground.

RooFlyer said: ↑
I used to work underground. If I took you and a bunch of others down to my work place, I reckon you'd be pooping yourself when the explosions went off nearby and you weren't ready for it, - its still very loud, and you can feel it and then smell the gas. Taking the school teachers down was the best bit. It wasn't just the girls who screamed.

Down there, once you'd changed underwear, you'd be wondering if you needed to put on your 'self rescuer' mask when you smelled the gas, scared about walking under all those big loose rocks and dodging 50 tonne trucks as they back up in the dark. All while the noise is akin to standing next to two jackhammers going full tilt. I wouldn't be telling you its all OK, because I'm not with you, and because I know there isn't a problem. OK, that bits not true - we keep underground visitors on a tight leash, but first timers still end up somewhere between worried to terrified. Please forgive those in their first time 'air incident' if they have similar reactions.

Vic, I hope you are were pulling my leg - apologies if so, but as you impugn my professionalism and safety consciousness, let me say:

As someone who has worked underground for a number of years. I am astounded by your commentary about conditions. Underground is NOT something to be scared about. I was never scared underground.

* Bully for you in not being scared; neither was I; the point I was making (I thought rather obviously) was that people not familiar with underground ops can be scared there.

You look to be an accident waiting to happen if you're taking visitors under unsecured ground or into areas with inadequate ventilation. Not wearing hearing protection! Certainly that would violate all safety procedures in the mines were I've worked.

* Did you notice the bit that says "OK, that bits not true - we keep underground visitors on a tight leash". To most people, that would have indicated that I was employing the technique of exaggeration to make a point.

* But in any event, I have yet to visit a mine - and I would have visited maybe 50+ different underground mines, around the world - where it's 'fresh air' underground. The mine I was at first, in the early 1980s, was small, with anfo and gelignite-like plastic explosives able to be detonated at the end of small drives or stopes while people were still underground, say at crib at the end of the development. Even with the vent-bags driving the fumes back towards the vent rise, there was no mistaking the smell of the fumes afterwards (let alone the almost constant diesel fumes in the larger mine). The crack and vibration at these times were a 'treat' for our visitors! I remember when a young drill off-sider was underground on his first day on the job, having crib (lunch). Tough young bloke, he actually dived under the crib table as the firing went off.

Not wearing hearing protection!

* Who said anything about not wearing ear protection? Ever stood next to two air-legs going full blast, in a 2x2m space, even with hearing protection? Wearing ear protection doesn't stop the loud noise - it merely tones it down.

I'm sure you worked for a time in a nice, modern mine, and that's as it should be. Sounds like you might be as intrigued as other may be I recall life in the mines in the early 1980s ... it was a bit different to most experiences (but let me say, the Canadians were still mining like it into the 2000s

 

[RooFlyer]

For a few months in the '90s I worked at Hog Ranch open cut gold mine in NW Nevada as an exploration geo.

Being temporary, one of these cabins was home (nearly everyone else commuted to the nearest town, in California):



The general lay-out:



Not so good in winter:



Drilling for gold:





I worked 10 on, 4 off, which allowed me 4 days (with the company SUV and fuel) to go exploring northern California - like Mt Shasta



It was a great gig, filling in time before I went to Uni in Canada for 18 months (at company's expense ) to do a Masters.

 

[RooFlyer]

Another diversion, to Queen's University in Ontario, where I spent 18 months, soaking up the culture ... like football on 'Homecoming' Day..



Why these chaps have their faces dyed purple (and it was a serious, not a temporary dye), it would take too long to explain, but the call of "Pass up a frosh" comes to mind. . Ah, those were drunken and debauched good times.



The campus was nice, even in winter:



... although someone forgot to tell the geologists:



... but never too far away from mining heritage:

 

[RooFlyer]

I just found these, but decided not to post them.





Ooops. The latter two might be titled 'Before & after - Swamp race'. I think I'll leave it there, except to say alcohol was involved.

 

[Major]

I'm glad you didn't post them

 

[Katie]

Interesting! I've spent 17yrs working in or near mining-related software, and never been on-site.

 

[RooFlyer]

Interesting! I've spent 17yrs working in or near mining-related software, and never been on-site.

From some of jb747's comments, sounds like the situation with aeronautical software designers and aircraft

 

[RooFlyer]

I found a couple more pics from the swamp race.

So what was the swamp race? Well, there were a few Aussies on the degree course I was doing so we decided to enter, even though we had no idea what was involved. We were advised to wear 'old clothes' however.

The morning started with the 'warm ups' in the 'Ghetto' - the high density student accommodation area of Kingston, Ontario where Queen's University is. As you can see it was a popular venue. A couple of the people in this pic I'm still in touch with - 25 years later.



Then, suitably 'warmed up', we were loaded into the back of a van & taken to a secret destination, which turned out to be, not surprisingly, a swamp. Canadians do swamps really well.

You get a bunch of 4 person teams entering, and they enter in rounds of pairs of teams to navigate two-by-two around a diamond shaped course through a swamp. Teams are eliminated on time, until there are 2 teams left, and then they 'face off' and the fastest for all 4 team members to get round the course, wins.

Easy, huh? Well, the catch was that while team A's team members were running around the course, the members of team B were waiting in ambush and could tackle the Team A members anywhere, anytime. The later in the day, the better the swamp became.

So here is a typical scene:



(Note the purple face again - a frosh)

There was, of course the necessity for the winning team of any round to have a dry sherry or three between rounds, so there was less and less pain being felt as the day wore on.

So how did we do? We came second behind the '4th year girls'. I don't remember anything else.

 

[RooFlyer]

After finishing my additional degree in Ontario, my bosses at WMC wanted to extract some value for their expense.

Can you speak French? They asked.

No, I replied (honestly).

Perfect - we want you to spend a year in Chibougamau, Quebec, where you can look at new exploration techniques to find more gold for our mine there which is struggling.

Great - where the hell is it? Well, lets say you'll be a long way from Kansas, Toto. About 8 hours drive north of Montreal.



From having lived in Canada for a while, I knew that Quebec may not be the best place to go for a non French* speaker:

* its not French, but Quebecois, sort of an 18th century dialect.




Anyway, the place was beautiful:



The mine was actually under this lake





My job was to go round the forests on the exploration titles, prospecting and exploring for new gold deposits. Typical ride to work:



Or maybe this:



Forests were great - fresh blueberries on hand for lunch:



But I wasn't that impressed with the way the locals kept their drill core stored:

 

[RooFlyer]

Of course the winters were serious - plenty of -30 to -40 degree days; petrol would freeze in the lines in your car. Because of all the boggy ground and lakes, winter was the preferred time to do heavy exploration with drill rigs & vehicles. Skidoos and sometimes snowshoes:





The annual big race in town:



Great way to see the country:



Have to get a bit of mining in:




Locals still have an issue with their drill core:



As I did with my driving:



And a long walk home when the skidoo broke down (yes, I got a lift...)

 

[juddles]

Rooflyer, am loving this thread. Despite all the shiite I hurl at geologists, I am also aware that they often get to go places and experience things most would never dream of. (sort of why I do a similar thing, but without having to perve at rocks )

I agree with what you say about being underground. Anyone who thinks underground is great has clearly not experienced less-than-modern workings. Underground is where just being 20 metres from the surface can seem like another planet. I have done my time going into old workings and in new but not modern mines. Every single time I got back to the surface was like being born - relief. In a certain area of Colombia I spent a fair bit of time underground - in informal mines. The air was thick with gasses and smoke - you could not even take a photo as the flash would get reflected by the steam/etc. The tunnels were only about 5 foot high at most - so you crawled more than walked. The ambient water rained down down on you constantly, the tunnels all had literal rivers running in them. Many had access shafts where the timber stairway was many years old.

At the entrance to most mines there they had a shrine. Somewhere you prayed before going below. I am not religious but I learned to daly at these temples and pray

 

[kookaburra75]

Rooflyer, am loving this thread. Despite all the shiite I hurl at geologists, I am also aware that they often get to go places and experience things most would never dream of. (sort of why I do a similar thing, but without having to perve at rocks )

I agree with what you say about being underground. Anyone who thinks underground is great has clearly not experienced less-than-modern workings. Underground is where just being 20 metres from the surface can seem like another planet. I have done my time going into old workings and in new but not modern mines. Every single time I got back to the surface was like being born - relief. In a certain area of Colombia I spent a fair bit of time underground - in informal mines. The air was thick with gasses and smoke - you could not even take a photo as the flash would get reflected by the steam/etc. The tunnels were only about 5 foot high at most - so you crawled more than walked. The ambient water rained down down on you constantly, the tunnels all had literal rivers running in them. Many had access shafts where the timber stairway was many years old.

At the entrance to most mines there they had a shrine. Somewhere you prayed before going below. I am not religious but I learned to daly at these temples and pray

Ditto - my experience in mines was during a previous life as a Surveyor, working underground and open-cut in Western Australia, Northern Territory & Tasmania in the 70's and 80's - all pre GPS. You certainly learned a lot about safety, as there could be something around the corner that could kill you. I wasn't in situations where I was scared, but I was always wary. I'll have to dig out my old photo collection and see what I have - but I'll skip the student days photos from RMIT