4. Background
o Born/raised in Margaree Valley, Cape Breton Island, NS.
o 5th year Mineral Resource Engineering Co-Op at Dalhousie
University (Halifax, NS).
o Fall semester in September 2016; expected to graduate in May
2017.
o Previous employment: Stantec Inc. (Calgary), Dalhousie
University, Toyota Boshoku Canada Inc. and Cape Breton
University.
o Interests: music, sports,
volunteering, learning,
travelling, history, geology,
cooking and spending time
with family and friends.
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6. Survey Support – Overview
• Member of the Survey Department for 7 months (10/15 - 04/16)
on F Shift, 4x4 days;
• ½ of total time supporting in the office and the other in the field;
• Accumulated survey knowledge and experience from working
with and learning from Kyle Duhamel and Anna Mihalj, my F-
Shift co-workers;
• Acquired relevant field experience
within a mining environment and
working with mining operations
groups;
• Now capable of solely covering
all daily survey responsibilities.
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7. Survey Support – Office Duties
Daily duties include:
• Picking strata and issuing loading instructions in DABS;
• Sending drill patterns to drills;
• Creating various types of maps, including weekly’s, blast
evacuation, DPRM, and fuel island locations for contract drivers;
• Calculating blast volumes and creating WENCO dig blocks;
• Monitoring equipment and associated projects;
• Creating dozer and shovel projects;
• Reconciling survey data for
ME and surface generation;
• Liaising between Mine Ops
and the Engineering
department.
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8. Survey Support – Field Duties
Daily duties include:
• D&B:
o Staking limits, holes and guidance;
o Surveying BPRMs, PHs, LRBs;
o Assisting Blast Engineer in providing
drilling, blasting and pattern priority;
o Assisting Blast Foreman in
surveying and resolving misfires;
o Assisting in clearing and guarding
during blasts;
o Troubleshooting drill issues.
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9. Survey Support – Field Duties
Daily duties include:
• Ops & Engineering Support:
o Staking limits, designs, cut/fill, grade;
o Monitoring spoils, designs and pit walls;
o Lidar scanning of stockpiles
and various pit features of
interest;
o 6pm Foreman meeting;
o Surveying water
elevation;
o Availability, speed and
precision to ensure all down
is avoided.
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11. Office Support / Special Projects - Overview
• Remaining 5 months (04/16 – 08/16) in an office-based role,
providing Survey support when requested;
• Assisted the Long Range and Dispatch Engineers in configuring
site-specific TALPAC model for GHO;
• Supporting the Dispatch Engineer and their morning checks;
• Compiled WencoDB coal seam quality database for each
excavated dig block of CG4 & CG6, to be used for future
stockpile movement and quality tracking.
• Assisted Geotech with completing Site B & E coarse reject
stockpiles and West Dam surveys; also assisted in Geotechnical
analysis of PH6 FW and Slot N wall.
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12. Office Support / Special Projects - Overview
• Special Projects:
o Cellbusters RF detector prototype
trial at GHO (3-month);
Verified proof of concept,
Beta-prototype (2017 budget).
o MAXAM product under-loading
product reconciliation;
Cost savings > $30,000 (Sept
01/16 to Oct 12/16),
Truck calibration resolved.
o Coal seam HW recovery study;
Coal seam HW loss = 4%, based
on CG4 070/100 seams,
HW cleaning procedure to be
reviewed.
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13. Office Support / Special Projects - Overview
o Corner speed analysis for curve
type classification;
GHO avgs 8kph faster than
SHM max loaded speed, per
curve type (10kph for empty),
SHM curve criteria not valid
for GHO.
o MAXAM emulsion product gas
rise in achieving targeted charge
collars;
86% of BH %gas rise ≠
targeted %gas rise (6%),
Produced citric acid trials at
GHO.
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14. Office Support / Special Projects - Overview
o WENCO actual vs TALPAC
planned haul truck travel time
analysis;
Planned total travel times =
0.43% (0.05min) greater than
actual total travel times,
Seasonal trends in
overestimation of planned times
during spring break-up and hot-
tire season.
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16. Moving Forward
• Return to Dalhousie University (Sept ‘16), graduate (May ‘17)
with B.Eng (Mineral Resource);
• Secure F/T EIT (New Grad) employment
with industry leading mining company;
• Complete min. 4 years practical work
experience, apply for P.Eng registration;
• *Long term goal =
Pursue EMBA in Strategic Mining
Management from UBC.
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