What's your job about?

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is renowned for producing some of the world's highest quality coking coal. This premium coking coal, when combined with iron ore, plays a crucial role in the production of metallurgical steel, a process that relies on the unique properties of coking coal to create strong, durable steel products.

Mine Geologists ensure we maximise the value of our coal every day and play a key role in providing geological information to support planning and operations.

My daily work involves five core routines that ensure Mine Geologists have exposure pre-mining, at the coal face and post-mining; allowing us to influence decisions, add value and mitigate risk at every stage. Tasks include:

• Delivering geologic information that can benefit the planning and operation cycles. 
• Generating short term, production focused surfaces from the latest available data (production modelling). 
• Inspecting operational areas including top of coal, coal mining and floor of coal, with feedback or emerging issues communicated to the appropriate stakeholders (pit inspections). 
• Mapping of insitu walls and faces through survey scans or flight data which allows the capture of coal intercepts, structures, contacts, etc. (pit mapping). 
• Weekly loss and gain reporting to track how well each section of coal is mined, with data showing trends in mining practices and areas of improvement (reconciliation).

An ideal day would begin by importing the latest measure while drilling (MWD) data to pick top of coal points in order to create an accurate coal surface for the Drill and Blast engineers. I would then read the OCE report to get the latest information on access and hazards, and the 24hr FLASH to gain an understanding of what equipment is mining coal where; take note of the equipment call signs and locations and then head out to pit to conduct my pit inspections. Once these have been completed, I would write up my pit inspections and send them out to relevant stakeholders. The day would finish with me pit mapping or producing the production surface and getting it peer reviewed by the Mine Geology Leads.

What's your background?

Whilst I tell people I grew up in Mount Isa, Queensland, my family did move around a lot. I was fortunate enough to grow up in New Zealand, Samoa then eventually Mount Isa. I started high school in Mount Isa, a small mining town in Northwest Queensland. My Dad worked in the mines, but I was never interested. I wanted to be a dermatologist, so I went into university with that mindset. I thought with exposure that I would be able to overcome my fear of blood, but to no avail so I changed degrees into science majoring in astrophysics and picked up a unit in earth sciences. Dad started advocating for the vacation student programme that Mount Isa Mines had, and I applied with no real expectations.

I was lucky enough to get a role as a vacation geologist, and I fell in love with Mine Geology. I assisted the geologists with orepass, stope and drawpoint inspections, collecting reactive ground samples and managing their results, blend management for the sub-level caving operation, and mapping drives. I completely changed my career aspirations as a result.

As my degree was coming to an end, to develop the most I thought I would apply to somewhere outside of my comfort zone (Mount Isa). So, I applied everywhere I could, and was very lucky to hear back from BMA – I didn’t think I impressed my current supers by mentioning my 5-year running new year’s resolution of watching all the top 100 IMBD movies… But somehow, I did. I started my two-year graduate programme with BHP in late February 2024 and I have loved every minute of it since.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, while it is difficult, it’s not impossible! I know of a few people with operational backgrounds who have excelled as Mine Geologists. The two most important things are being eager to learn and communicating your interests in Mine Geology; even if immediate opportunities are not available, expressing your interests ensures that you will be considered when openings arise.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

“Picking up a unit at uni and then falling in love with geology and following it through to application in real-life on site with BHP has been so great.”

I enjoy conducting pit inspections the most! While I may not have extensive experience in open pit strip mining, I greatly value the opportunity to engage with operations on-site. This experience enhances my understanding of the coal seams being extracted, the challenges faced by the operations team, and the rationale behind the various coal mining methods employed in different scenarios.

What are the limitations of your job?

I personally find prioritisation to be a challenge, as I often become focused on what appears to be the most urgent and important in the moment, which can hinder my ability to maintain a broader perspective. It is essential for a Mine Geologist to effectively prioritise tasks, as many urgent duties arise that need immediate attention. Some of these tasks have more significant implications than others and should be addressed first.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

1. Don’t forget to make time for yourself outside of university and work.
2. Be open to change! 
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for more information if you don’t understand something.