Sandpit

I'm working in a very large sandpit. This was how my career was summarized by my loving friends and family. The fact that I'm no longer in contact with any of them is a completely different matter, of course :-).

The Sandpit I Call Home

Open cut coal mining is all about balancing the sand or dirt to get to the black gold underneath. I've only been at my new open cut mine for three weeks, but I've learnt so much already. The diagram below illustrates the basics of open cut mining (as seen through the eyes of a geologist :-).

Open Cut Coal Mining

The first stage is clearing the area (after the correct environmental procedures and plans have been followed). Then comes the removal of the overburden. There are different methods of open cut mining. For example, strip mining or terrace mining. The method used depends on the geology of the area. How deep are the coal layers? How many coal layers are present? Are the rock strata horizontal or at an angle? Are there any structural features likes folding affecting the strata?


One of the biggest challenges is to remove the dirt above the coal without damaging or destroying the coal and then to manage the space available for dumping the dirt. This is done by deploying the correct machinery to the right stage in the process. The dirt is typically moved to sites where the coal has already been removed. One big thing I've learnt is the dragline never touches the coal. It only removes the overburden. The bucket on the dragline is too rough of a tool and easily scrapes away valuable coal.


I sometimes feel a bit silly at work when I don't know what the hell is happening or what people around me are talking about. But, the guys I work with are amazingly helpful. The geologist I'm learning from has been sitting with me and slowly teaching me the modelling software and how open cut mining operates. It's been wonderful. And, I'm loving being in the sun.


So it is a bit like playing in a sandpit :-).

Under, Down Under

I'm typing this from an internet kiosk in a small town near the Queensland coast in Australia. I've just started my new job this week and wow. It's been wonderfully overwhelming! I'm loving the new office and I'm learning so much already about open cut geology and mining operations.

My trip to Australia was great. The company paid for business class seats and I had to get used to the air hostess calling me by my name. The food was amazing and your whole body could actually fit in the seat. My first stop was Brisbane at the head office. A small glitch in baggage labels resulted in my suitcase only arriving three days later. This meant I appeared at the corporate head office, on my first day, with a wonderfully colourful bunny t-shirt. Cue hilarious laughter! My HR contact at the office was very understanding and we had a good laugh about the entire situation. Especially after we realized I was also wearing purple Winnie-the-Pooh socks featuring the adorable Eeyore. I dressed comfortable for the long flight, all right? :-)


Other than my lost baggage, which was luckily recovered just in time for my flight to my future town, no other major travel hiccups occurred. It'll just take a bit of time to get my new house and mobile sorted out. In the mean time, I'm staying at the single quarters camp. This is great since I get fed three times a time and don't need to clean anything.


I've found it amazing how similar the geologist's role is from underground to open cut operations. The principles are very much the same - daily mapping, checks between actual and expected geological conditions, short- medium- and long-term planning and modeling, working with engineers and production teams. It's only the setting which is different. And I'm really enjoying being out in the sun versus the dark underground, but I can imagine that the hotter weather apparently coming in February is going to be a bit of a challenge.


Being away from home (and really away, not just a short 2 hour flight) is definitely an adjustment. But, with technology these days I keep in contact and it helps with the homesickness :-).


It's time to head back out into the heat - there's a reason Queensland is known as the Sunshine State!

To the wizard!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'll be relocating to Australia soon to start my new job at an open cut coal mine in Queensland. I'm really looking forward to the new mine and different way of doing things.

One of the biggest things which struck me throughout this entire job-hunting and relocation process was change and the lack thereof. I had a chance to visit my potential job for the interview and could experience first-hand what it would be like to live there and what my colleagues would be like. I was amazed by how much things are different and how some things never change. I mean the entire setup is similar to what I've been doing - small mining town, half of the town works at the mine, the bigger cities and shops are at least an hour away, many 20 to 30 year olds come from other places to work at the mine. But, how the people view life and work is completely different from what I'm used to. It's amazing! It's like two sides of the same coin.

What also really impressed me is the incredible level of tolerance. Religious views, sexual orientation - these are non-issues. There's actually a complete lack of perceived tolerance because no-one believes there's a problem with what you believe or who you're attracted to. It was refreshing and made me realize how much even I still need to learn to accept people without judgement.

I'll be a bit quiet for a while on the blog, depending on how soon I can get my internet access sorted out. I'm off to see the Wizard of Oz! Woohoo! Wish me luck :-).

Unemployed and Homeless

View from my window

I am currently unemployed and homeless. But, since the view from my window is of a beautiful beach and ocean, I can't really complain :-).


For the past few months, I've been itching to move onto something new in my career. That's the reason for being so quiet on the blog - the job hunting has been hectic. I've been working at a great company as a chief geologist at one of their underground coal mines. It's been wonderful, but I needed a change and want to gain experience at an open cut coal mine. I started looking for opportunities in South Africa, but then I thought of going overseas. I have a friend who's working in Australia and had a chance to visit the country. I could experience what it would be like to work there and had the chance to visit some of the potential jobs while I was on holiday. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of opportunities there are for geologists.


The job applications, interviews, online psychometric tests and the final work visa process was quite lengthy. But, it's definitely yielded great rewards. I'm starting my new career next week as a mine geologist at an open cut coal mine in Queensland, Australia. The company employing me has made all my relocation arrangements and I should be moving into my new place at the end of February.


I'm really looking forward to the new job, people and town. I can't wait to sink my teeth into open cut geology and exploring Queensland. Until then, I'll just enjoy being unemployed and at the beach for my last few days in South Africa :-).

Undone

Be brave, dear one.
Be changed or be undone.
My Brightest Diamond, All Things Will Unwind 2011

All Things Will Unwind