GineersNow Engineering Magazine November 2016 Issue No 009

WORLD’S FIRST ENGINEERING NEWS 

FOR YOUNG ENGINEERS 

NOVEMBER 2016 ISSUE NO. 009 

A CLOSER LOOK AT 

THE MINING INDUSTRY: 

• How Mining Companies Give 

Back To Communities 

• 10 Issues and Trends that Affect 

the Mining Industry 

• The Role of Mining in Society 

• 25 Awesome Things You Didn’t 

Know About Gold 

• Latest Trends in the Mining 

Industry 

FEATURE STORIES: 

• Filipino Electronics Engineer 

Motivates Future Engineers 

Through Song 

• Why Engineering Students 

Hate Losing Their Calculators 

• The Six Engineers That We All 

Have to Deal With 

• What Lies Ahead for 

Construction Equipment 

• The Most Dangerous 

Engineering Jobs 

CATERPILLAR INC. 

A Look At The Company's 

Social Impact 

Exclusive Interview with Jean Savage, a Vice President 

and Chief Technology Officer of Caterpillar Inc. 

NOVEMBER 2016 

Mining Engineering and Its Importance 

1

John Vauden 

Senior Editor 

Asia-Pacific 

Hina Sapra 

Senior Editor 

South Asia 

Therese Matheren 

Senior Editor 

North America 

Goran Ćulibrk 

Newsletter Specialist 

Afsana Alam 

Contributor 

Middle East 

Engr. Emmanuel Stalling 

Contibutor 


GINEERSNOW TEAM 

Ems Bagatsing 

Sales & Marketing Director 

Ems@LincolnMartin.com 

Robert Bagatsing 

Editor-In-Chief 

editor@GineersNow.com 

Engr. Alice Hernandez 

Senior Editor-At-Large 

Charity Bagatsing 

Senior Editor 


Engr. Dion Greg Reyes 

Junior Editor 

Engr. Cielo Panda 

Junior Editor 

Lauren Lloyd Del Mundo 

Video Editor 

Creative & Layout 

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Lincoln Martin Strategic Marketing 

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www.LincolnMartin.com 

Raymond Gerard del Valle 

Junior Editor 

Abhishek Tarafder 

Matrix Media 

Information Technology 

Aaron Kesel 

Contributor 


Amanda Pelletier 

Contributor 


Margaret Banford 

Contributor 

United Kingdom 

Patricia Eldridge 

Contributor 

United Kingdom 

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Editor's 

Note 

Mining is not exactly a favorable 

topic in the public eye. It’s 

surrounded with controversies 

and several issues that affect the 

livelihoods of different people. 

Some would argue that mining has a 

negative impact on our environment 

and different organizations and 

agencies have focused on closing 

down several mining operations. 

Others would point out that 

contrary to popular belief, mining 

is essential to our daily lives. The 

minerals and metals mined out 

of the ground have played crucial 

roles in the development of our 

society - from manufacturing to the 

advancement of our technologies. 

This is why mining companies 

have created initiatives that 

would give the public a better 

view of what mining and mining 

companies can do and how different 

communities can benefit from 

them. Through their Corporate 

Social Responsibility programs, 

different mining companies make 

an effort to improve the livelihood 

of different people affected by 

the operations. They incorporate 

sustainable programs that would 

help men and women make a living 

even after the mining operation in 

the area is closed. 

We have to admit that not all 

companies follow responsible 

mining practices and they give 

mining a very bad name. However, 

we must not also ignore the benefits 

the public got from the resources 

extracted through these processes. 

While mining has its cons, it surely 

has plenty of pros. And through the 

right campaign, we would be able to 

inform and educate the public about 

what mining can really do to us. 

In the November issue of 

GineersNow magazine, we are 

sharing several stories about the 

latest technologies developed for 

mining, the latest trends in this field 

and several interesting historical 

facts involving it. We’ve also featured 

stories focusing on corporate social 

responsibility programs - answering 

the “what, where, how and why’s” 

of these programs. This is our 

campaign to give the public more 

information about this unpopular 

field and why it’s important to 

educate ourselves about it. 

Our special cover story features 

Caterpillar, Inc.’s Chief Technology 

Officer and one of its Vice 

Presidents, Jean Savage. In this 

exclusive interview, she discusses 

the latest trends and the future of 

equipment and heavy machinery 

industry. She also discusses the 

importance of their company’s CSR 

programs and how each program is 

helping different individuals. 

With so many stories that focus on 

mining and its related fields, it is 

our responsibility to deliver these 

stories to you. By giving the public 

the positive aspects of mining, 

more people may be encouraged 

to push for better programs, laws 

and practices that not only stop 

illegal mining process but also help 

different communities have more 

sustainable programs during and 

after mining operations. As you can 

see, the mining field is not really the 

villain here. It’s not.

CONTENTS 

PAGE 

TITLE 

PAGE 

TITLE 

06 

COVER STORY 

CATERPILLAR INC.: MORE 

THAN JUST A BUSINESS 

42 

10 ISSUES AND TRENDS 

THAT AFFECT THE MINING 

INDUSTRY 

14 

THE ROLE OF MINING IN 

SOCIETY 

44 

FOUR INCREDIBLE OPEN 

PIT MINES 

21 

IS MINING ENGINEERING FOR 

YOU? 

47 

THE SIX ENGINEERS THAT 

WE ALL HAVE TO DEAL WITH 

23 

WORLD’S LARGEST 

LAND VEHICLE 

48 

THIS IS MINING IN HELL 

ON EARTH 

24 

10 BEST YOUTUBE 

CHANNELS THAT FEATURE 

THE MINING INDUSTRY 

58 

JHARIA, THE HOME OF 

INDIA’S BLACK DIAMONDS 

26 

FILIPINO ELECTRONICS 

ENGINEER MOTIVATES 

FUTURE ENGINEERS 

THROUGH SONG 

60 

WHAT LIES AHEAD 

FOR CONSTRUCTION 

EQUIPMENT 

28 

$30 BILLION MARKET FOR 

CONSTRUCTION ELECTRIC 

VEHICLES 

66 

CIVIL ENGINEERS WHO 

SHAPED THE CONSTRUCTION 

INDUSTRY OF TODAY 

31 

25 AWESOME THINGS YOU 

DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT GOLD 

69 

EXPLORING THE DEEP SEA 

FOR MINERALS 

32 

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE THE 

LARGEST GOLD RESERVES? 

74 

INSIDE THE 


UNDERGROUND MINE 

34 

LATEST TRENDS IN THE 

MINING INDUSTRY 

78 

HOW MINING 

COMPANIES GIVE BACK 

TO COMMUNITIES 

38 

WHAT ARE THE MOST 

COMMONLY MINED 

MINERALS AND METALS IN 

AFRICA? 

80 

BEAUTIFUL MINERALS AND 

STONES YOU WANT FOR 

YOUR COLLECTION

COVER STORY 

CATERPILLAR INC.: 

MORE THAN JUST A 

BUSINESS 

The company has given back to our communities 

since before the Foundation was created in 

1952--philanthropy is a part of our DNA. 

6 


Mining Engineering and Its Importance



7

8 



COVER STORY 

Among the Fortune’s 

Top 100, there is that 

one company whose 

trademark is in the manufacture 

of construction and mining 

equipment, diesel and natural 

gas engines, and industrial gas 

turbines. For the past 90 years, 

that company has committed 

itself in providing machines and 

solutions through its hundreds 

of offices and facilities across 

the world. It has proved to 

be a global leader in creating, 

building, problem solving, and 

innovating, while answering its 

call for philanthropy. 

Caterpillar Inc., that company 

which has shaped the world 

we live in today, has more to it 

than just business. It thrives in 

an engineering industry with its 

exemplar products and services, 

at the same time focusing in its 

sustainability. 

Jean Savage, Chief Technology 

Officer and a Vice President of 

Caterpillar with responsibility in 

the Innovation and Technology 

Development division, tells us 

more in this exclusive interview 

on how the company instills 

its universal mission to the 

employees, what it can provide 

to its customers, what it has 

recently come up with, and the 

company’s social impacts and 

corporate social responsibility. 

About Caterpillar 

Are you an educational 

institution, social enterprise, 

non-profit or private company? 

How big is your company? 

Caterpillar is a public company 

among Fortune’s Top 100. We 

have about 100,000 full-time 

employees globally. Caterpillar 

operates hundreds of offices and 

facilities across the world. 

Describe your mission, vision 

and values. 

Our mission is to enable economic 

growth through infrastructure 

and energy development, and 

to provide solutions to support 

communities and protect the 

planet. The 21st-century world 

you see today has been built with 

the help of Caterpillar machines 

and solutions. We’ve spent the 

past 90 years creating, building, 

problem solving, innovating, 

testing, servicing and improving. 

In the process, we’ve built a 

global leader. 

Our Values in Action unite us 

as a company and serve as the 

foundation that has helped us 

succeed in the past and will 

continue to help us succeed in 

the future. Our Values in Action, 

the Caterpillar’s Worldwide 

Code of Conduct, is a guide 

that defines how we work and 

how we treat each other and 

those with whom we work, 

live, and serve. Caterpillar has 

always taken a leadership role in 

regards to holding itself to the 

highest ethical standards. 

Our core values remain constant- 

• Integrity: The Power of 

Honesty 

Integrity is the foundation of 

all we do. 

• Excellence: The Power of 

Quality 

We set and achieve ambitious 

goals. 

• Teamwork: The Power of 

Working Together 

We help each other succeed. 

• Commitment: The Power of 

Responsibility 

We embrace our responsibilities. 

• Sustainability: The Power of 

Endurance 

We are committed to building a 

better world. 

Where is this company headed? 

What’s your future expansion 

plans? 

The enterprise strategy positions 

Caterpillar to be the leader 

everywhere it does business. 

Everyday, Caterpillar employees 

deliver sustainable solutions 

for customers, enabling them 

to succeed and drive positive 

change around the world. 

In return, this enables us 

to consistently reward our 

stockholders. Over the past 

century, Caterpillar has made 

progress possible. Looking to 

the future, Caterpillar is poised 

to respond to the challenges 

and opportunities of an everchanging 

world and growing 

global population. 

The enterprise 

strategy positions 

Caterpillar to be the 

leader everywhere it 

does business" 

What the Company Can 

Offer 

What are the most successful 

products that you have 

launched and why were they a 

success? 

For 90 years, Caterpillar Inc. 

has been making sustainable 

progress possible and driving 

positive changes in every 

continent. Customers turn to 

Caterpillar to help them develop 

infrastructure, energy and natural 

resource assets. Caterpillar is the 

world’s leading manufacturer 

of construction and mining 

equipment, diesel and natural gas 

engines, industrial gas turbines 

and diesel-electric locomotives. 

More About Jean Savage 

Jean Savage is originally from 

Ohio, now living in Peoria, 

Illinois. She is a retired Military 

Intelligence Officer for the U.S. 

Army Reserve, who holds a 

bachelor’s degree in electrical 

and computer engineering from 

the University of Cincinnati 

and a master’s degree in 

engineering management 

from the University of Dayton. 

She has worked in engineering 

and manufacturing for nearly 

30 years. She joined Caterpillar 

in 2002 and has held leadership 

roles in the company’s Rail 

and Advanced Components 

divisions. Prior to joining 

Caterpillar Inc., Jean spent 

14 years with Parker Hannifin 

Corporation, a leader in motion 

and control technologies and 

systems. 

The company principally 

operates through its three 

product segments - Construction 

Industries, Resource Industries 

and Energy & Transportation - 

and also provides financing 

and related services through its 

Financial Products segment. 

What kind of support do you 

offer to your clients? 

Our vast dealer network helps 

Caterpillar and our customers 

win around the world. Cat® 

dealers share our passion, 

enhance our competitive edge, 

and ensure that our customers 

receive maximum business value 

from our products and services. 



9

Sustainability is 

part of who we 

are and what we do 

every single day" 

Caterpillar provides employee 

equipment training on job sites, 

supplying aftermarket parts and 

service support and offering 

e-business and equipment 

management solutions. 

Where are these products made 

or manufactured? 

Our products are manufactured 

globally. 

The Trends 

What are the latest trends 

in equipment and machinery 

industry? 

Caterpillar has spent over 90 

years committed to innovation 

and technology that help our 

customers succeed. Most of this 

innovation has been, “in the 

iron.” Now, our focus has to be on 

making the iron smart. 

What will be the future of 

equipment and machinery 

industry? How will the products 

look like? 

“Making the iron smart,” means 

bringing digital solutions 

designed to improve productivity, 

efficiency, safety and profitability 

to our customers. This is not 

technology for technology’s sake. 

It is technology that’s focused on 

solving, and even anticipating, 

customer problems. We’re taking 

the machines, locomotives, 

engines and parts we’re so well 

known for and making them 

smarter, while also equipping 

the people who operate them 

with data that makes them more 

productive, enhances safety and 

improves sustainability. This 

includes harnessing technology 

like augmented reality, 

autonomy, connectivity and light. 

At Caterpillar, we win when our 

customers can make more money 

with our products, services and 

solutions than they can with 

any competitor. And that’s what 

Smart Iron is all about. 

Caterpillar’s Social 

Impacts 

Describe the CSR history and 

philosophy of the company? 

The Caterpillar Foundation 

started in 1952, and has 

invested more than $650M 

in communities worldwide. 

Part of our Corporate Social 

Responsibility is also our focus 

on sustainability. Sustainability 

is part of who we are and what 

we do every single day. We 

recognize that progress involves 

a balance of environmental 

stewardship, social responsibility 

and economic growth. 

What are the causes? Who do 

you fight for? What do you 

stand for? 

Our Foundation's mission is to 

alleviate poverty and put 50 

million people on the path to 

prosperity. 

How many employees are 

involved? 

Giving back and being proactive 

members of our communities is a 

natural part of who the company 

and our employees are. We 

encourage our employees to give 

back to their communities via 

volunteering, and the Foundation 

matches employee and retiree 

donations dollar-for-dollar to the 

United Way, colleges/universities, 

arts & cultural, environmental 

and policy organizations. We also 

match their donations to the Red 

Cross for disaster relief. 

When did the company start in 

this endeavor? 

The company has given back to 

our communities since before the 

Foundation was created in 1952 

- philanthropy is a part of our 

DNA. Most recently, we pioneered 

Corporate Social Innovation 

(CSI) work. This is beyond 

Corporate Social Responsibility- 

-we believe this work is more 

than something we ought to do, 

Trivia 

Caterpillar can give 

customers visibility to 

their global, mixed-fleet 

of assets through an asset 

management portal that 

delivers real-time data 

on location, shift-based 

utilization, idle time, fuel 

consumption and more. 

This information helps 

contractors improve 

efficiency and drive 

unproductive time, or 

non-utilized time out of 

their business. 

10 



COVER STORY 

return on investment. We run 

the Foundation like a business. 

We focus on the root causes of 

poverty, which is why we added 

policy work to our portfolio. 

The best grant cannot achieve 

efficient and effective success 

if the policies behind it don't 

support the work. For example, 

if we invest in education in a 

developing country, but there are 

laws that exist making it legal 

for girls to marry when they are 

8 years old, it makes it almost 

impossible for them to get an 

education. So we invest in policy 

in addition to our other initiatives. 

We cannot do this alone - we 

need foundations, corporations, 

governments and non-profits 

working collaboratively to 

address the world's issues. We 

call this approach "Together. 

Stronger." 

but indeed something that can 

address real human needs with 

our innovation via products and 

philanthropy. Giving back is not 

an afterthought. The company 

builds the physical and societal 

infrastructure (roads, bridges, 

energy access and more) and 

the Foundation builds the 

human infrastructure - ensuring 

people have their basic needs 

met (food, shelter, water, energy 

and disaster relief), education 

(literacy/numeracy, workforce 

readiness and mentoring/ 

leadership) and environment 

(restoring natural infrastructure 

as it relays to poverty alleviation). 

Which organizations or 

individuals do you support? Do 

you have a partnership with 

other non-profit organizations, 

government, international 

agencies or schools? If yes, 

why? What are the objectives? 

Starting in 2009, the Foundation 

moved from a transactional 

model to one where we measure 

outcomes (changes in knowledge 

and behavior) in addition to 

measuring outputs. We have to 

measure our PROI - philanthropic 

What are your most successful 

CSR initiatives? Why were they 

a success? 

There are many different 

investments we have made which 

are very successful in alleviating 

poverty. Policy investments can 

affect millions and support larger 

initiatives. We have invested in 

policy work with: 

• One Campaign: investment in 

Agriculture policy in Africa called 

Do Agric! which has been highly 

successful to ensure African 

heads of state maintain or 

increase their commitments to 

investment in agriculture 

• One Campaign: investment in 

energy policy - The Electrify Africa 

act recently passed, impacting 

more than 100 million on the 

continent of Africa, to help them 

get access to energy. 

• United Nations Foundation: Girl 

Up policy grants - the Girls Count 

legislation passed to ensure 

children in developing countries 

are registered at birth regardless 

of their gender 

• Global Poverty Project: The 

Water for the World Act passed, 

helping millions get access to 

water and sanitation 

• Global Poverty Project: the 

Global Food Security Act recently 

passed, helping ensure basic 



11

COVER STORY 

Agile is the 

methodology 

and discipline to 

harness innovation 

and drive, quickly, 

to a commercialized 

solution for 

customers" 

needs are met. 

All of these investments help 

alleviate poverty and make our 

other grants more effective. 

What are the social impacts of 

your CSR initiatives? Can you 

quantify them? 

We have an outcome-based 

measurement process that 

helps us measure the impact 

of our investments. And we 

expect a philanthropic return on 

investment. 

What are your future CSR 

initiatives? 

We hope to continue on the 

path to alleviating poverty. 

And, ultimately, we hope future 

generations ask "What was 

poverty?" 

Advice to the Young 

Engineers 

Always remember who rings 

your cash register! This may 

sound silly, but as careers have 

shifted from the storefront to 

the office, engineers have lost 

sight of what the customer needs 

to be successful. Whether you’re 

designing heavy equipment or 

kitchen sinks, you have to stay 

focused on what the customer 

wants and what they are willing 

to pay for. One tool that has 

helped us in this focus is Agile 

development. Agile is the 

methodology and discipline to 

harness innovation and drive, 

quickly, to a commercialized 

solution for customers. Crossfunctional 

Agile teams 

collaborate – leveraging their 

diverse knowledge, experiences 

and skill sets – to deliver products, 

in small increments, to customers 

and use their feedback to learn 

whether the solutions are 

delivering the desired value. 

12 





13

THE ROLE OF 

MINING IN 

SOCIETY 

By Engr. Prince Joseph Erneszer A. Javier and Engr. Mae Lean I. Langcay 

14 



Photo by RiskManagementMagazine 

Mining as a process is arguably 

one of two key foundations of 

modern society -- the other one 

being agriculture.The same way 

we get crops and meat from 

agriculture, we get raw materials 

needed to create a whole range 

of products that we use from 

mining. Even during the stone 

age, people have been collecting 

stones and sharpening them 

to make various tools and 

weapons. Today, our demand for 

stones, metals, and other mined 

materials is higher than before 

due to the technologies we use 

-- cars, computers, appliances, 

cell phones, houses, you name it. 

Virtually everything we use today 

need raw materials from mining 

-- either as their components or 

as components of the machines 

that are used to make them. 

Beyond this, mining can 

contribute to social development 

and development of science and 

technology, while mitigating its 

environmental impacts. Many 

modern mining operations 

contribute to national economies, 

community development, and 

environmental enhancement. 

Satisfying the needs of 

communities, following local 

and national regulations, while 

implementing environmental 

programs to mitigate and even 

improve the environment are 

the hallmarks of what is called 

"responsible mining." Science and 

technology benefits from mining 

as well. This is because the 

challenges encountered in mining 

operations encourage creative 

thinking in order to come up 

with innovative solutions. Mining 

also opens up opportunities 

for more detailed study of the 

Earth especially the crust. These 

solutions can spill over to other 

industries and aspects of our 

lives. Society depends on mining 

on plenty of things. 

What is mining and how did 

the materials from mining end 

up in our smartphones? SME 

Mining Engineering Handbook 

defines mining as "the set of 

the processes, the occupation, 

and the industry concerned 

with the extraction of minerals 

from the earth." It involves four 

major steps namely, exploration, 

development, production, and 

finally, closure and rehabilitation. 

The first step in any mining 



15

Photo by InfoMine 

project is to conduct geologic 

investigations to locate the 

deposit. This stage, called 

exploration, involves surveying of 

rocks on the surface and drilling 

for rocks that are hundreds of 

meters below the surface, among 

other things. Based on the 

information gathered, which are 

called geologic data, a 3D model 

of the mineral deposit can be 

generated by a computer. The 

possible economic value of the 

mine based on all the geologic 

data will then be evaluated. 

The next stage of mining is 

development which involves 

construction of surface 

infrastructure, initial clearing 

of mining area, and initial 

excavation or tunneling to reach 

the ore deposit. Production will 

commence after fully developing 

the mine. During the production 

stage, either a large hole is 

gradually opened up on the 

ground creating an open pit 

or the minerals will be mined 

from underground tunnels. The 

excavated ore will be transported 

to the processing plant on 

the surface near the mine. 

Photo by ALS Global 

Photo by TheAusIMMBulletin 

Afterwhich the ore will undergo 

a series of processes of mineral 

concentrating, melting, and 

refining until the final product 

is produced, like copper plates, 

or gold bars. This product will 

then be used by manufacturers 

to make various tools, electronics, 

and machines. 

A mine can operate for decades 

until it runs out of economic 

mineral reserves. When the mine 

closes, it must be rehabilitated 

into the pre-mine environmental 

conditions or into sustainable 

income-generating projects like 

resorts, agroforests, or parks. 

Mining deals with extracting 

minerals from the earth. The raw 

materials dug up from the mine 

undergo a series of processes until 

the final products are produced. 

These final products are finally 

used to manufacture various 

things that we use everyday. 

Mankind has been mining for 

materials since tens of thousands 

of years ago. In fact, mining 

and the development of human 

civilization and culture are so 

intertwined that major stages 

in human history are identified 

by various minerals or their 

derivatives: Stone Age, Bronze 

Age, Iron Age, Steel Age, and 

Nuclear Age. During the Stone 

Age, man used wood, stone, bone 

and ceramics for shelter, weapons 

and utensils. Other materials 

such as ceramics, clay, salt and 

meteoric iron were used as 

ornaments, decoration, jewelry, 

coinage, and components of 

cosmetics.People eventually 

used minerals to make various 

components for shelters as well 

as transportation equipment. 

Copper, discovered in Cyprus in 

2700 BC, became a sought-after 

component of tools, weapons, 

and kitchen utensils. Uranium, 

which was first extracted from 

the Habsburg silver mines in 

Bohemia in the middle ages, 

was initially used to color glass 

and ceramics. The radioactive 

properties of uranium were then 

discovered, eventually leading to 

the development of the nuclear 

bomb and eventually nuclear 

power plants in the 20th century, 

signalling the beginning of the 

nuclear age. 

Metallurgy, the process of 

separating or mixing metals, 

began as early as 7000 BC 

with copper being melted and 

cast into objects, followed 

by lead, silver, gold, and iron. 

Advancements in metallurgy 

made it possible to mix metals 

into their alloys forming bronze, 

iron and brass. During the 18th 

century, iron metallurgy made 

great strides and made Industrial 

Revolution possible, a period 

during which the economy of 

an underdeveloped country 

could be transformed into an 

industrial economy, stimulated 

by the availability of energy and 

metal sources. This developing 

technology was accompanied 

by a revolution in science and 

engineering. The machine age, 

a product of the industrial 

revolution, needed certain 

minerals as raw materials and 

as a source of energy, making 

industrial power a measure of 

nation's political and military 

power, and economic wealth. 

Today, our modern society 

needs these raw materials for 

machineries used in various 

industries, electronics for 

computers and communication, 

and nuclear fission for warfare 

and electrical power generation. 

The demand for raw materials 

from mining is ever-increasing 

in order to sustain our growing 

needs for infrastructure, goods, 

and services. 

Virtually all things we use today 

are products of mining. Copper, 

for example, is used to make 

various kinds of products like 

electrical wire, cookware, pipes, 

car parts, paint, and electrical 

appliances. Iron is a common 

component of paint, cosmetics, 

and fertilizers, and when 

mixed with carbon forms steel. 

Nickel when mixed with steel 

produces stainless steel which 

is used for various objects like 

sinks, kitchenware, and musical 

instruments. Gold is primarily 

used for jewelry but is also used 

for electronics and electrical 

appliances. Chromite is used for 

stainless steel production and 

also in the tanning process of 

16 



Photo by Expatch 

leather. Aluminum is used for 

cans, kitchenware, and airplane 

parts, among others. Calcium 

carbonate, fluoride, and titanium 

are used for toothpaste. Lithium 

is an integral component of the 

batteries of our smartphones. 

Plenty of things we use have 

components that came from 

mining. We can go on for hours 

enumerating them all. 

The raw materials that we need 

to manufacture various products 

come from several mines around 

the world. 

Copper for example comes 

from mines in more than 50 

countries, the largest of which 

is the Escondida Copper Mine. 

The Escondida Copper Mine in 

the Atacama Desert of Northern 

Chile, had an estimated 32 

million tonnes of copper reserves 

in 2012. In 2013, the mine 

produced 1.1 million tonnes of 

copper, equivalent to around five 

percent of total global copper 

production in that year. 

Aluminum comes from the rock 

called bauxite, with Australia as 

the biggest producer, producing 

almost 80 million tonnes of 

bauxite in 2014. This is equivalent 

to around 30% of the world's 

total output for that year. The 

largest bauxite mine in the world 

is the Huntly Mine in Australia, 

which produced 18 million tonnes 

of Bauxite in 2006. 

In the case of the Philippines, 

copper, gold, and nickel are 

mostly mined and exported. The 

largest gold producers in the 

Philippines are Masbate Gold 

Project in Masbate Island, Didipio 

Copper Gold Project in Nueva 

Vizcaya, and Padcal Copper- 

Gold Operation in Benguet. The 

Toledo Copper Operation in Cebu, 

meanwhile, is the largest copper 

producer in the country. And the 

largest direct shipping nickel ore 

producer is the Rio Tuba Nickel 

Project in Palawan. 

There are more mines for 

different materials around the 

world including mines for coal, 

diamond, graphite, gypsum, 

lithium, natural gas, platinum, 

salt, selenium, sulphur, talc, 

titanium, and uranium, to name 

a few. 

Since mining involves intensive 

earth excavation and use 

of various chemicals for ore 

processing, mining, if haphazardly 

done, can negatively impact 

the environment and local 

communities where it operates. 

But such impacts can be avoided 

by practicing responsible mining. 

A responsible mine follows the 

law and uses best international 

practices for its operations, social 

programs, and environmental 

management. Responsible mines 

exist and they play a major role 

in economic improvement and 

community development. 

Three examples of responsible 

mining companies in the 

Philippines are OceanaGold 

Philippines Inc. (OGPI), Rio Tuba 

Nickel Mining Corp. (RTNMC) and 

Silangan MIndanao Mining Co., 

Inc. (SMMCI). 

OGPI, an open pit gold-copper 

mine in Nueva Vizcaya, focuses on 

improvement of local education 

opportunities, community health 

and infrastructure, cultural 

preservation, business and 

development opportunities, 

conservation of the environment, 

and local employment support 

through its 'We Care" Program. 

"OceanaGold is now ready to 

construct our 18-classroom 

building. They also provide us 

with instructional materials, and 

other supports such as special 

trainings. With the support of 

OceanaGold, I believe that 

ENVHS will become a very good 

school. We will meet the standard 

given to us by the Department 

of Education.", Osmundo Espejo, 

school principal of Eastern Nueva 



17

Photo by Phys.org 

18 



Photo by TIBCO

Vizcaya National High School. 

With its exemplary efforts 

to implement development 

programs for the community and 

environment, OGPI received a 

gold award for best workplace 

practice at the 7th Annual Global 

CSR Summit and Awards held in 

Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 

RTNMC, a nickel ore mine in 

Palawan, implements community 

initiatives to modernize health 

centers, eradicate malnutrition 

and decrease infant and 

maternal mortality rate. The 

mine also regularly conducts 

sanitation and health awareness 

campaigns, and medical missions. 

The company allotted funds for 

its Indigents and Indigenous 

Peoples’ hospitalization program, 

giving 45,944 individuals free 

hospitalization and treatment at 

the company’s hospital; Other 

social projects include coffee 

farming projects that provide 

a stable source of income for 

farmer-members from eight 

impact barangays, financial 

assistance to improve school 

facilities, and provision of 

education-related materials. 

RTNMC restores mined-out areas 

as close as possible to its premining 

condition or develop 

them for other uses, where 

the surrounding communities 

will benefit. Because of these 

initiatives, RTNMC was awarded 

the Presidential Mineral 

Industry Environmental Award 

for environmental excellence in 

2015. 

SMMCI, a pre-operating mine in 

Surigao del Norte, administers its 

community assistance program 

by involving the impacted 

communities in activities that 

enhance quality of life, imparting 

them with entrepreneurial skills, 

providing seed capital in smallscale 

livelihood projects, and 

creating organizational forums 

to inform people about the 

positive and negative effects 

of the mining project. Narcita 

Ajoc, a member of a People's 

Organization in the province and 

one of the beneficiaries of the 

program said, "SMMCI provided 

us with financial literacy, 

bookkeeping, entrepreneurship 

and leadership training." In 2015, 

SMMCI selected and funded 11 

academic researches, sponsored 

80 out-of-school youths in their 

Technical-Vocational training, 

and built eight school buildings 

benefiting 4000 students in the 

province. SMMCI also donated 

dormitory buildings, medical 

equipment and ambulance to 

the communities, while at the 

same time improving their water 

systems. Among the recognitions 

and awards SMMCI received 

are the Safest Mine Award 

(Exploration Category) and First 

Runner Up for Best Mining Forest 

(Exploration Category) for its 

reforestation efforts. 

According to the Philippine Mines 

and Geosciences Bureau, as of 

January 2015, mining companies 

in the country have committed 

a total of around $130 million 

for social and community 

projects, which will benefit 711 

barangays. And around $660 

million have been committed 

for environmental management 

and rehabilitation programs. 95 

companies participated in the 

government's Mining Forest 

Program, successfully planting 

around 21 million trees over 

20,000 hectares to date. 

Responsible mining also exists in 

other parts of the world. Sullivan 

Mine, located in Northwest 

Canada, developed a ski hill 

and provided low-cost land for 

a golf course, which were later 

bought by the local government 

after mine closure. The previous 

mining area then became a yearround 

resort, attracting major 

investments. Another is a bauxite 

mine, Alcoa of Australia Ltd, which 

was listed for fifteen consecutive 

years on the UN Global 500 

Roll of Honor for Environmental 

Achievement for its rehabilitation 

works on the Darling Plateau. Its 

rehabilitation works averages to 

600 hectares yearly, and involves 

best practices for landscaping, 

pre-ripping, soil return, fauna 

habitat return, final contour 

ripping and seeding, recalcitrant 

planting, fertilizing, ongoing 

monitoring, and management 

of rehabilitated area. Finally, 

BHP Billiton launched in its 

Science and 

Technology also advances 

through mining 

Mozambique operations in 2014 

the Leadership Enhancement 

and Development (LEAD) Project, 

pledging $8.8 million over five 

years to the new agricultural 

initiative to benefit farmers from 

three districts in the area. The 

project aims to work with more 

than 50 producer organizations 

that represent farms to 

increase their income and 

business opportunities, improve 

production capacity through 

farm-level training and provision 

of facilities, access to financing, 

BHP's project is expected to 

directly benefit 6,500 households 

in the area. To date, around 30 

farmer field schools have already 

been established. 

Responsible mining, defined as 

mining that utilizes best practices 

in community development and 

environmental management and 

rehabilitation exists. 

Some governments are now 

acknowledging their role in 

enforcing responsible mining 

in their countries by ratifying 

and implementing laws that 

require companies to allocate 

funds for social development, 

environmental management, 

and environmental rehabilitation. 

In the Philippines, the Philippine 

Mining Act of 1995 requires that 

companies implement social 

development, environmental 

management, and rehabilitation 

programs as applicable during 

the exploration, development, 

production, and closure stages. 

During the development stage, 

mines are required to allocate 

10% of its total cost for 

environmental management 

programs. Mines in the 

production stage must allocate 

1.5% of their total operating 

cost for social development 

programs as well as 3% of their 

mining and ore processing cost 

for environmental programs. 

Governments should be partners 

in making responsible mining 

a reality, through the laws that 

they pass and implement. 

Mining provides jobs that 

improve the economies and 

quality of life in the nearby 

communities. According to the 

Mines and Geosciences Bureau 

of the Philippines, around 

235,000 workers are employed 

in the minerals industry in the 

country. With a multiplier effect 

of 4, which means that for every 

job generated four more jobs are 

indirectly created in the upstream 

and downstream sectors, roughly 

940,000 jobs are indirectly 

generated by the mining industry. 

A research paper published in 

2014 examined employments 

generated by mines in three other 

countries, namely Escondida 

Mine in Chile, Tenge Fungurume 

Mine in Katanga, Democratic 

Republic of Congo, and various 

mines in Zambia. The study 

found that 2810 workers were 

directly employed in Escondida 

Mine in 2003. And around 11,500 

jobs were indirectly created by 

the mine. In 2012, the Tenge 

Fungurume Mine in Katanga, 

Democratic Republic of Congo, 

directly created 6,600 jobs and 

indirectly created 10,500 more 

jobs. In Northwestern Province, 

Zambia, mining companies 

created around 18,000 direct 

jobs and 26,000 indirect jobs. 

Thousands of jobs generated 

directly and indirectly due to 

large scale mining operations 

can contribute to poverty 

reduction. The paper concluded 

that "the transformation of a 

subsistence economy into one 

that is at least partly monetary 

also creates the conditions for 



19

economic diversification and 

empowerment of the poor." 

Aside from creating jobs, 

implementing community 

development programs and 

implementing environmental 

management and enhancement 

programs, mining also tangibly 

contributes to the national 

and local economy through 

various taxes and royalties. In 

the Philippines, companies are 

required to pay an excise tax 

equal to 2% of revenue and 

corporate income tax equal to 

30% of net income, on top of 

many other local and national 

taxes. The taxes and fees 

collected from mining amounted 

to around $450 million in 2014. 

40% of this fund goes to the 

local government while 60% are 

kept by the national government. 

In Brazil, 3% of the net income 

arising from sales of mineral 

products constitute the Financial 

Compensation for the Exploration 

of Mineral Resources (CFEM). 

The CFEM is distributed to the 

states, municipalities and federal 

government directly affected by 

the mining industry. 

Mining contributes to society 

by providing jobs that can add 

wealth to the communities, 

by implementing social and 

environmental programs using 

best practices, and by paying 

various taxes and fees to the 

national and local governments. 

Science and technology also 

advances through mining. 

The challenges encountered 

in mining encourage creative 

thinking to develop innovative 

solutions to overcome those 

challenges. Such solutions can 

propagate to other industries 

and to our daily lives. Take for 

example the the steam engine 

that propelled the Industrial 

Revolution in Europe and 

paved the way to the modern 

combustion engine. This 

technology was initially used to 

quickly and cheaply pump water 

out of British underground coal 

mines in the 17th century -- 

replacing horses traditionally used 

in dewatering systems. Because 

of the challenge of dewatering 

the mine, some people came up 

with inventions to effectively 

and cheaply drain the mines, 

starting with a man named 

Savery who invented the first 

steam engine for water pumping. 

The steam engine design was 

further improved by others, most 

notably Watt, who coined the 

term "horsepower" when he was 

calculating the number of horses 

replaced by one steam engine. 

In the 1800s, the steam engine 

became portable enough to be 

used in the first steam-powered 

locomotive in Britain. The use of 

the steam engine for locomotive 

was then followed by the use 

of steam engine to propel ships 

in the United States. Initially 

used as a water pump to drain 

water from coal mines, the steam 

engine quickly gained popularity 

in other industries, especially in 

transportation, which quickened 

the trade of goods and propelled 

the industrial revolution. 

Mining opens opportunities 

to gather information about 

underground regions of the 

Earth's crust either through 

drilling or through excavation. 

Such information can help us 

better understand how the world 

works. For example, geologic 

data can help improve our 

understanding of how magmas 

move and cool or how minerals 

are deposited in the Earth's crust. 

Exciting archeological and 

paleontological findings are 

sometimes unearthed because 

of mining operations. In 2011, 

a three-dimensionally preserved 

fossil of an armored marine 

dinosaur (either plesiosaur or 

ichthyosaur) was discovered in 

the Millennium Mine in Australia 

while an excavator was digging 

oil-rich sand. And just this year, 

Namdeb Diamond Corporation in 

Namibia unearthed a gold-laden 

Portuguese ship that sank around 

500 years ago by draining the 

part of the sea where the ship 

was submerged -- a feat made 

possible because of the mine's 

access to large equipment. 

Mining can contribute to science 

and technology by imposing 

challenges that encourage 

innovation, by opening up 

opportunities to study the 

Earth, and by sometimes 

excavating artifacts and fossils 

that can help archeological and 

paleontological research. 

Besides agriculture, mining is 

arguably a foundation of modern 

human society. We depend on 

its products to maintain and 

advance our quality of life. Since 

the stone age, we have been 

Photo by PhilippineLifestyleNews 

relying on mining to acquire raw 

materials that we need to make 

the products that we use.vIn the 

modern world we live in, our 

demand for raw materials is ever 

increasing. We need to mine 

for materials to make our tools, 

weapons, gadgets, appliances, 

vehicles, and communication 

infrastructure, among others. 

Mining also contributes to the 

local and national economies 

by generating jobs and paying 

taxes and royalties. Beyond these 

contributions, mining advances 

science and technology by 

encouraging innovation and by 

aiding geological, archeological, 

and paleontological research. 

We can expect society to 

continue to depend on mining 

for years to come, with more 

mines opening up to meet 

the world's demands. The 

vision then is a much more 

responsible mining industry 

that is increasingly disposed 

to ensure mitigated impacts 

and sustainable enhancement 

programs in the communities 

and the environment around it; 

supported by fair and effectively 

implemented government 

regulations. 

Do you think we can rise to 

the challenge? 

20 



IS MINING ENGINEERING 

FOR YOU? 

Photo by GurukulVidyapeeth 

When choosing the course you’ll 

be taking in college, there’s 

a lot to consider before you 

finally settle with an answer 

for yourself. First, there’s your 

interest in a certain field. 

Then you have to consider the 

opportunities available once 

you graduate. 

Mining engineering involves 

extracting different metals 

and minerals in the most 

efficient way possible. Given 

the concerns people have for 

the environment nowadays, 

mining engineers not only have 

to think of the efficiency, one 

must also consider finding the 

process which least affects the 

environment negatively. Lastly, 

mining engineering involves 

safety as well. So if you decide 

to be involved in mining, your 

role as a mining engineer involves 

finding the safest, most efficient 

and responsible mining methods 

for your company. 

However, before you worry about 

those things, you may want to ask 

yourself these questions: 

1. Do you like being outside 

the walls of an air-conditioned 

building? 

2. Do you excel (or even 

understand) different math and 

science lessons? 

3. Are you curious on how things 

work? 

4. Do you love solving problems? 

5. Are you interested in natural 

resources? 

6. Would you even consider 

working underground? 

7. Can you communicate well with 

other people? 

If you’ve thought long and hard 

and answered “Yes!” to all the 

questions mentioned above, then 

mining engineering may be for 

you! Mining engineering can be 

fun if your interest generally leans 

on math, sciences and outdoors. 

For more details about the course, 

you may want to ask the local 

mining engineers in your area 

or ask your guidance counselor 

to help you decide whether you 

should pursue this or not. 



21

CANADA’S 

URANIUM 

MINING 

CONSIDERED 

CLEANER 

THAN MOST 

Photo by Cameco 

Canada is one of the world’s 

largest producers of uranium 

with an estimated 582,500 

tonnes of it found in the country. 

Most people would give mining 

a bad name. Mining uranium 

has always been looked down 

on by environmentalists due to 

the bad reputation of producing 

high amount of greenhouse 

gases. However, researchers from 

the University of Saskatchewan 

believe that the amount of 

greenhouse gases produced 

from uranium mining and milling 

is little compared to the total 

emissions produced by nuclear 

power generation. 

The study states that only a gram 

of greenhouse gases is produced 

from mining and milling uranium 

for every kilowatt-hour of power 

from the power generated by 

uranium. According to the author 

of the paper David Parker from 

the University of Saskatchewan, 

"This is the first rigorous look at 

greenhouse gas emissions from 

uranium mining and milling in 

Saskatchewan. And it’s more 

detailed than the few studies that 

have been done before.” 

If compared to the production 

of power from coal and natural 

gas, uranium produces 12 grams 

of CO2 emissions per kilowatt 

hour from nuclear power, while 

coal produces 800 grams of CO2 

per kilowatt hour and 500 grams 

from natural gas. This study was 

presented and published last July 

29, 2016. It’s supported by the 

Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre 

for Nuclear Innovation. 

Almost every material now is 

being utilized to be recycled. From 

paper, plastics, tin, and wood, these 

materials compose new products 

that are useful to mankind. But 

how about recycled aggregate for 

concrete? That we haven’t found 

yet. 

Well, until the research led by 

Yahya “Gino” Kurama, a professor 

of civil and environmental 

engineering and earth sciences 

from the University of Notre Dame 

will produce significant results in 

finding alternatives for recycled 

aggregate, civil engineers will 

have to deal with the conventional 

structural concrete with natural 

aggregates. 

Much has been developed about 

partial replacement of the binding 

element in structural concrete, 

which is cement, with industrial 

by-products such as fly ash, slag, 

and silica fume. But no research 

has been forwarded towards the 

replacement of coarse aggregates, 

which Kurama and his team have 

found ground on. 

Their concern lies on the 

conservation of coarse aggregates 

such as crushed rock and gravel, 

which composes a large part 

of a given concrete volume. 

The mining, processing, and 

THE SEARCH IS ON 

FOR CONCRETE 

WITH RECYCLED 

AGGREGATES 

transportation operations for 

these aggregates consume large 

amounts of energy and adversely 

affect the ecology of forested areas 

and riverbeds. They are devising 

ways to find a substitute for natural 

aggregates. 

Of course this won’t be as easy as it 

looks. Initial research of the team 

had studied 16 recycled aggregate 

sources in the Midwest of the 

United States to evaluate their 

capacity as a structural material, 

but to no avail. The study has to be 

expanded to many more sources 

from the eastern, southern and 

southwestern U.S. with the help of 

the University of Texas at Tyler and 

New Mexica State University. 

Factors like durability and lifecycle 

costs are being looked at 

to ensure this upcoming new 

aggregate as a viable alternative. 

More importantly, it will be 

tested to its effects in pre-stressed 

concrete and also in pre-cast. 

There are already existing 

applications of recycled aggregate 

in concrete but they are merely used 

in non-structural construction like 

sidewalks and roadways. That’s an 

old age development. What we’re 

looking for now is a new material to 

be used as an alternative aggregate 

for structural concrete, to be used 

in buildings and bridges. 

Photo by WikipediaCommons 

22 



Photo by TwisterSifter 


LAND VEHICLE 

If you think you’ve seen the world’s 

largest land vehicle and it’s not an 

excavator, think again. 

Currently holding the world’s biggest 

land vehicle is the Bagger 288 

excavator which is built by Krupp 

(now ThyssenKrupp) of Germany 

and now owned and operated by 

RWE AG, a large utility company. 

The bucket wheel excavator is 

intimidatingly humongous at 311 

feet in height, 705 feet in length and 

46,600 tons – in contrast, Titanic was 

46,328 tons. It takes five people to 

operate it having a 70-foot diameter 

bucket wheel, with 20 buckets that 

can scoop earth material of over 530 

cubic feet. In a day, the Bagger 

288 can process 100,000 cubic 

yards of material equivalent to 

2,500 truckloads. 

The original function of this earth 

digger is to work in open-pit coal 

mines in Germany, which might 

be in halt with country mandating 

a shutdown of all German coal 

mining by 2018. Its design and 

manufacture took five years, not 

including the assembly which is 

another five years, totalling to a 

cost of $100 for its production. 

Being a huge vehicle has its 

downsides – it can only go onethird 

of a mile per hour on 3 rows 

of caterpillar track assembles. 

Moreover, every highway it 

crosses needs to be fully rebuilt 

because of its weight, basically 

destroying everything that is in its 

path. It needs tons of people for 

its mobility too, a good 70 men 

to prepare the way. Its preferred 

transferring was through 

caterpillar treads rather than 

disassemble-and-reassemble 

because it is less expensive. 

The Bagger 288 replaced NASA’s 

Crawler-Transporter in the throne 

of the world’s largest land vehicle. 



23

10 BEST YOUTUBE 

CHANNELS THAT FEATURE 

THE MINING INDUSTRY 

In the millions of videos uploaded 

to YouTube everyday, there is 

that very small percent dedicated 

for people who like to study 

and know more about mining. 

Companies and groups involved 

in the mining industry have taken 

to YouTube to educate and reach 

more people through presenting 

videos containing information, 

operations, initiatives and future 

plans. 

If you’re one who likes to discover 

the world of mining, this list of 

YouTube channels is for you (all 

embedded videos are owned by 

the respective channels: 

Newmont Mining 

This YouTube channel features 

videos that range from their 

involvement in the news, the 

history of mining ad Newmont, 

and more importantly the 

economic impact of mining. 

Barrick Gold Corp. 

Being the largest gold producer in 

the world, Barrick Gold has got to 

spread the news through videos. 

They have a small collection of 

video features that might interest 

mining enthusiasts. 

The National Mining 

Association 

If you are looking for Mine Expo 

coverage over the years, this is it. 

The National Mining Association 

has a rich collection of videos, 

including CoreSafety Modules 

that will help you in mining 

management, and personal 

interview that will make you 

understand more about mining. 

NSW Mining 

Making it in this list is another 

association called the NSW 

Minerals Council. It is the leading 

mining association for New 

South wales in Australia, with 

a YouTube channel filled with 

videos on a variety of mining 

topics, with focus on women 

in mining, new technological 

advances and updates for mining 

in Australia. 

International Council on 

Mining & Metals (ICMM) 

With more than 40 videos in their 

channel, International Council on 

Mining & Metals (ICMM) is true 

to its commitment in meeting 

mining with sustainability. 

Its YouTube displays a variety 

of workshops, programs and 

updates on the mining industry, 

which reflects the organization 

composed of 22 large mining 

companies and 32 most 

distinguished association in the 

sector. 

World Gold Council 

The YouTube channel of 

World Gold Council boasts of 

insights about the gold market, 

empowered by interview with 

members of the council. This 

is your go-to channel when it 

comes to gold trends. 

Joy Global 

Joy Global takes their 

manufacturing of mining 

equipment to YouTube. Featured 

in their channel are videos about 

their products and systems 

that can be eyegasmic –worth 

mentioning is the conveyor 

systems. 

Sandvik Mining 

This YouTube channel by Sandvik 

Mining is rich of uploads about 

mining processes. One could 

learn so much through their 

channel with their lots of videos, 

plus it’s more engaging because 

of the organized selections. 

Anglo American 

Probably one of the most 

important YouTube channels 

about mining in this list, Anglo 

American presents videos that 

justify their mark in the world 

of mining. They claim to be one 

of the largest diversified mining 

companies in the world, and their 

uploads align so well with that. 

Caterpillar Mining 

Save the best for last, they say. 

Caterpillar Mining provides 

YouTube users the finest viewing 

experience there is for followers 

of mining, with their growing 

video collection. This channel 

just proves how Caterpillar leads 

in this industry, through their 

videos featuring new equipment, 

updates, and innovative videos. 

24 



3 SIMULATION 

GAMES ABOUT 

MINING 

WORTH A TRY 

Mining is known to be a 

dangerous and dirty work, 

usually involving long shifts. 

Some people might be 

interested in exploring this 

world regardless of that, but 

it can be unsafe because of 

the unfamiliarity of work 

environment. So what better 

way can mining be more 

of a personal experience? 

Simulation games, of course! 

Plunge into the underground 

or open-pit deposits using 

simulators that will give you 

an idea of how life is like 

being a miner or a mining 

engineer. These three games 

will definitely help: 

Underground Mining 

Simulator 

Published by Excalibur 

Publishing, the Underground 

Mining Simulator explores 

mining of coal, iron, salt and 

gold mines. In this application 

for PC, one can experience 

mining through explosives, 

drilling equipment, and face 

tunnelling machine. 

Mining and Tunneling 

Simulator 

Also available on PC, the 

Mining and Tunneling 

Simulator focuses on blasting 

rocks and drill tunnels. You are 

going to excavate materials 

through a shovel dozer, with 

other operations involving 

cranes and trains. You also 

have to steer all vehicles like 

the maintenance van, crane, 

tunnel drilling machine or the 

fire brigade. This is made by 

Libredia. 

Surface Mining 

Simulator 

This PC application embarks 

you on tasks involving mining 

on the surface of minerals like 

coal, turf, gravel, sand and 

rocks using wheel loaders, 

bulldozers, crushing machines 

and conveyors. You are allowed 

to create, edit and exchange 

machines, if you like; but the 

greatest takeaway of this 

Ingress simulator game is you 

will feel like you’re running 

your own mining business. 

Photo by StartSelect 

Photo by Youtube 




25

Photo by youtube 

FILIPINO ELECTRONICS 

ENGINEER MOTIVATES FUTURE 

ENGINEERS THROUGH SONG 

By Cielo Panda 

So, how bad do you want that 

engineering license? 

You’ve done your best in engineering 

school and finally graduated, but 

it doesn’t end there. After that, 

there’s another challenge to face 

that will complete the first step 

towards professionalism—taking 

your licensure examination. 

Reviewing for your licensure 

examination can be very stressful 

mentally. This isn’t just any 

normal exam wherein you could 

procrastinate reviewing for a week 

or two. Usually it takes a few 

months to cram 4 (or more) years 

of your engineering knowledge into 

your brain before you can say that 

you’re ready to take the licensure 

examination. The anxiety is real! 

That’s why Emanuel Gabriel, a 

Filipino engineer, created a cover 

of Travie McCoy’s and Bruno Mars’ 

hit song, Billionaire, to motivate 

future licensure examination 

takers everywhere. 

Engr. Emanuel got the top 

spot in the Philippines’ 2014 

Electronics Engineering Licensure 

Examination, and was one of the 

5th placers in the 2013 Electronics 

Technician Licensure Examination. 

He was also Magna Cum Laude 

in the course BS Electronics 

Engineering at the Polytechnic 

University of the Philippines- 

Maragondon. Currently, he is an 

instructor at Excel Review Center, 

a licensure examination review 

center in the Philippines. 

According to Emanuel, he already 

had the feeling that he would pass 

both exams, and he was aiming to 

be at the top—and he succeeded 

on both examinations. 

He created the cover because he 

was inspired by his students. “I also 

did it to lessen the nervousness 

of all engineers-in-the-making 

who will take the exam, especially 

my students,” Emanuel said. “I 

want to be part of an engineering 

student’s success that’s why I’ve 

decided to choose a teaching 

career. I feel very happy that I will 

always be part of their success.” 

He added. 

Here’s a piece of advice from 

Emanuel for the future batches 

of engineers around the world: 

“Always have a timeline, put more 

effort on your studies, but make 

sure that you also have your 

leisure time. Always take notes, it 

will surely help you.” 

26 



A BIOLOGICAL 

EXTRACTION 

FOR MINING AND 

BIOENERGY 

Juan Enriquez, a futurist 

who professes the changes 

that genomics will bring in 

business, technnology and 

society wants us to change 

how we approach fuel or 

bioenergy. Genomics, or 

a branch in genetics that 

deals with the analysis 

and sequencing of an 

organism's genome, is a 

way in order to deal with 

how bioenergy should be 

utilized. Bioenergy on the 

other hand, is what you get 

when you use agricultural 

or forest residues, organic 

wastes and crops as a means 

of extracting energy to 

produce heat, electricity and 

fuels. And genomics come 

into play when the DNA 

component and the biology 

of the biomass resources are 

altered to produce energry 

instead of the usual massive 

extraction (and destruction). 

According to Enriquez, 

mankind has always 

resorted to brute force in 

acquiring natural resources 

and it would be better if 

the thinking jumps from an 

engineering approach, to 

a chemical and to finally a 

Photo by TEDTalks 

biological one. Let's say 

for example the works 

of the Nobel Prize and 

Congressional Medal of 

Honor winner Norman 

Borlaug. He developed 

and taught people a 

more efficient war of 

growing grains as part of 

the Green Revolution. So 

in order to grow plants 

with just massive land 

cultivation and employing 

machineries for faster 

production, the biology 

behind the grains must 

be utilized first. Enriquez 

said that a huge part of 

the destruction brought 

about by coal mining 

will be lessened if a 

more biological way of 

extracting it is developed. 

How is coal produced? 

How can the gases be 

collected? Bioenergy 

should transition from 

a brute force method 

of acquiring biomass 

resources into a biological 

force. 

HUGE GOLD 

NUGGET FOUND BY 

LUCKY AUSTRALIAN 

Imagine having the shock of 

your life when you find a real 

gold nugget using a metal 

detector. This Australian 

prospector thought he 

was just looking at an old 

horseshoe when he saw a 

4.1kg gold nugget at the 

southern edge of Central 

Victoria’s Golden Triangle. It 

is located in South Australia. 

He said, “I thought it was 

rubbish at first, maybe an old 

horseshoe. About 12 inches 

below the ground, I could 

just barely make out the top 

of something.” Later on, he 

realized it was real gold as 

he dug deeper. “It wasn’t 

an old piece of steel in front 

of me. I had just unearthed 

a colossal gold nugget – a 

once in a lifetime find! (…) 

I didn't think nuggets of this 

size were still around.” 

He then named the gold 

“Friday’s Joy.” 

Photo by Minicab 

The lucky Australian has been 

doing this during weekends 

for the past ten years. As 

soon as he discovered the 

gold, he went out for a few 

drinks with his friends (whom 

he’ll be sharing the money 

they’ll get with), wrapped 

the gold in foil and placed it 

inside an oven. 

How much do you think the 

discovered gold will sell? 

Minicab reports that it is 

expected to sell for more 

than US$190,000. It was a 

lucky find indeed. 



27

Photo by komatsu 

$30 BILLION MARKET FOR 

CONSTRUCTION ELECTRIC 

VEHICLES 

Electric vehicles for 

construction, agriculture and 

mining will be a $30 billion 

market in 2025. Komatsu, John 

Deere, Caterpillar, and others 

manufacture the big vehicles 

- mainly hybrid - while other 

manufacturers offer smaller, 

pure-electric versions. 

Pure electric is a legal requirement 

indoors. Outdoors, fuel saving 

and better performance attracts. 

Cranes and man lifters have 

many applications. Their 

production volumes are larger 

than most people realise. So it is 

with the electric versions set for 

253,000 to be sold in 2025. 

This is an industry about to 

change radically. For example, in 

mining, over 90% of the world's 

mines are open cast. They are 

often in remote places up to 4000 

meters above sea level, where 

shipping diesel can cost more 

than buying it. Consequently, 

there is now a move to have 350 

kW giant haul trucks working 

the floor and separately the top of 

the mine with electric rail-veyors 

lifting the ore from bottom to 

top. In an all-electric solution 

new pollution laws can be met, 

image improved and money 

saved, the electricity coming 

from the mine's own wind 

turbines and photovoltaics. 

Battery swapping and fast 

charging of those batteries 

means 350 kWh batteries 

suffice - big but no larger than 

those in other EV sectors. 

28 



Photo by CleanAgency 

SCOTTISH RESEARCHERS 

FOUND BETTER WAY TO 

RECOVER GOLD FROM E-WASTE 

Gold can be found in today’s printed 

circuit boards (PCBs) so it makes 

sense that researchers would find 

a way to extract them from used 

PCBs.This recycling method is crucial 

in today’s gold recovery processes 

as mining companies are having a 

hard time in exploring new sources 

of this precious metal. According 

to researchers, around 7% of the 

electrical waste the world produces 

is gold. 

Now, Scottish scientists from 

University of Edinburgh have 

released their new findings on a 

better way to extract gold from 

old gadgets. Published in the 

journal Angewandte Chemie, 

their method of recovering gold 

is safer and more effective than 

current techniques. They have 

estimated a total of 300 tonnes 

of this precious metal recovered 

from used electronics each year 

if implemented. 

Funded by the Engineering 

and Physical Sciences Research 

Council, the method involves 

dissolving the metal parts of the 

PCBs in a mild acid, then adding 

an oily liquid, which contains a 

chemical compound from the 

team. This allows the gold to be 

extracted from the other metals. 

Professor Jason Love, the 

research leader, said, "We are 

very excited about this discovery. 

We have shown that our 

fundamental chemical studies on 

the recovery of valuable metals 

from electronic waste could have 

potential economic and societal 

benefits.” 



29

FIND OUT WHAT 

DRONES SEE 

WHEN FLYING 

THROUGH A 

MINING STOPE 

Drones find another purpose as miners 

develop their own mining drones. 

by Cielo Panda 

Photo by Rio2016 

Newmarket Gold has 

designed their own drone 

to inspect open stopes for 

misfires and to map the 

surrounding walls inside 

a mine. Ion Hann,Mine 

Manager of the Fosterville 

Gold Mine, said that the 

mine had already been 

built and developed last 

year and is providing 

remarkable advances in 

mining today. They hope 

to reach the stage where 

drones enter the mining 

industry as a standard 

for emergency responses, 

which includes search 

and rescue scenarios 

underground. 

There are numerous 

possibilities of this type 

of technology being 

introduced in the mining 


industry. It can be used 

to aid with operator 

training during field work, 

where a live feed can be 

sent to the trainer while 

operator plans a heading. 

Hann commented that 

their ultimate goal is to 

get the drones into an 

autonomous state so the 

risks of site inspections and 

re-entries would lessen as 

operators would be able to 

do it on the surface. 

WHAT THE 

2016 RIO 

OLYMPIC 

MEDALS ARE 

MADE OF 

What you see is not always what 

you get. 

The most-coveted medal for the 

2016 Summer Olympics to be 

held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil 

is not exactly what its name 

implies: the 500-g gold medal 

barely contains the precious 

yellow metal, only about 6 grams, 

with the rest, 494 grams, as silver. 

But its maker assures that the 

gold is to have a certain amount 

of purity and of very high quality 

amid the lustrous coat. This 

medal costs US$568.02. 

The other medals also have the 

same weight. The silver medal is 

92.5% pure silver, according to 

the production manager of the 

Olympic medals at the Brazilian 

Mint, Victor Hugo Criado 

Berbert. It is worth about $315. 

The bronze medal, on the other 

hand, is made in part from the 

same copper that are in Brazilian 

coins. 

The gold and silver medals have 

their silver coming from mirrors 

and plates. A total of 1.6 tonnes 

of silver was used in 812 gold 

medals and 812 medals. On the 

other hand, about 172 ounces of 

gold were used to create all 812 

gold medals. 

In total, the makers Brazilian 

Mint spent over $228,000 worth 

of gold and over $1 million worth 

of silver at current prices. 

Best of the best athletes in this 

year’s Rio Olympics will take 

home medals 85 mm in diameter, 

11 mm high in the center and 6 

mm high on the edges. 

30 



25 AWESOME THINGS YOU 

DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT GOLD 

by Cielo Panda 

Gold was used as a currency of choice in the past, but even though it isn’t used as currency anymore, it still 

retains its value. Here are 25 awesome things you didn’t know about gold. 

Gold is one of the substances 

that are equated with 

extreme value. Have you 

ever wondered why? Why is 

gold considered one of the 

most valuable metals in the 

universe? One of the reasons 

could be because it’s one of 

the rarest metals on earth, 

but there are other metals 

that are even rarer. So what’s 

the deal? Well, out of all 

the rare elements like silver 

and platinum, gold has one 

distinction that makes it 

stand out—it’s yellowish. 

Also it doesn’t react with 

other elements so it doesn’t 

tarnish. All the others are 

grayish. Gold was used as a 

currency of choice in the past, 

but even though it isn’t used 

as currency anymore, it still 

retains its value. Here are 25 

awesome things you didn’t 

know about gold. 

#25 A ton of old cell phones 

will give you more gold than 1 

ton of gold ore 

#24 If all the gold in the 

ocean was taken out, there 

would be enough for every 

person on Earth to have 9 

pounds. 

#23 Hungarian chemist 

George de Hevesy melted 

down the gold Nobel Prizes 

of German physicists Max 

von Laue and James Frank 

so that Nazis wouldn’t 

confiscated them. They were 

recast after the war. 

#22 Have you ever 

wondered why sailors often 

wore gold earrings? It’s so 

that if they drowned and 

washed up on the beach, 

the earrings would serve 

as payment for a proper 

Christian burial. 

#21 The Olympic gold 

medal is only 1% gold. 

#20 In Dubai, there are 

ATM’s that dispense gold 

bars! 

#19 Most of the gold that 

is found in the Earth’s crust 

was placed there by asteroid 

strikes. 

#18 Most of the gold on 

Earth is in the core because 

it sank to the center while 

the Earth was being formed. 

#17 In 1859, gold miners in 

the Rocky Mountains woke 

up at 1am to eat breakfast 

because the aurora was so 

bright that they thought it 

was morning. 

#16 Did you know that 

ice cream testers use gold 

spoons so that they would 

avoid the after taste of using 

regular spoons? 

#15 Roman politician Gaius 

Gracchus has a bounty put 

on his head of its weight in 

gold. The head was delivered 

but the bounty wasn’t paid 

because the person who 

captured the head filled it 

with lead. 

#14 Did you know that 

aluminium used to be the 

most valuable metal on 

Earth? Rich people would 

eat using aluminium cutlery 

will poorer people would use 

gold! 

#13 Mansa Musa, the ruler 

of the Mali Empire, spent 

so much gold in Egypt that 

he devalued it and almost 

destroyed the economy. 

#12 According to list25, 

Chinese prisoners are forced 

to mine gold in the game 

World of Warcraft. There are 

sources that report nearly 

100,000 virtual gold farmers 

throughout the country. 

#11 LEGO used to give a 

25.65 gram brick of gold to its 

employees who completed 

25 years of service. 

#10 Did you know that gold 

is actually edible? 

#9 Gold can be found on 

every continent. 

#8 Gold is usually forcibly 

extracted from water during 

earthquakes because of the 

pressure deep within the 

Earth’s crust. 

#7 The leaves of the 

eucalyptus tree have been 

found to contain some 

traces of gold. 

#6 All the gold ever mined 

in human history can fill 

up three Olympic-sized 

swimming pools. 

#5 Almost half of the gold 

came from Witwatersrand, 

South Africa. 

#4 The fear of gold is called 

Aurophobia. 

#3 Indian housewives hold 

almost 11% of the world’s 

gold. That’s more than the 

US, Germany, Switzerland 

and the International 

Monetary Fund combined. 

#2 The largest gold bar in 

the world weighs 250 kg or 

551 pounds. 

#1 Your body contains 

around .2mg of gold which 

is mostly found in your 

bloodstream. 

Photo by MIT 

Photo by Envirotect 



31

WHICH COUNTRIES HAVE T 

LARGEST GOLD RESERVES? 

Photo by Mining 

32 



HE 

“Who owns most of the 

world’s gold?” 

When this question was 

asked by the people 

behind Karus Chains, which 

obviously uses so much gold 

that asking where most of 

the gold comes from matters 

so much to them, it only 

opened to more questions 

about our resources of gold. 

Should it be a question of 

which countries mine the 

most gold and not just who, 

as if a person? Or a question 

of which countries buy the 

precious metal? Maybe of 

the export and imports of 

gold? But when the company 

who offer high quality silver 

and gold chains for men got 

to their senses, they found 

the perfect question: which 

countries have the largest 

gold reserves? And so they 

also found the best answer. 

With data coming from 

International Financial 

Statistics 2016, Karus Chains 

detailed a map to that will 

determine which nations 

hold the most gold reserves. 

In the map, one can find 20 

countries, which hold 88% 

of the total gold reserves, 

with their corresponding 

share in the world’s gold. 

Check the map: 



33

34 



Photo by IndustrySA

LATEST TRENDS 

IN THE MINING 

INDUSTRY 

Latest Trends in the Mining Industry 

GineersNow Feature Admin 28.03.2016 76 

Share minus Via Mining Your Future TV 

Show The new Certiq machine monitoring 

system from Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB 

is now the standard for the company's 

construction and mining machines. The 

Certiq system is based on telematics, i.e. 

wireless data transmission. It allows the 

owners and operators of above and belowground 

drilling equipment for example to 

monitor the performance of their machines 

at any time and from any location. With 

the real-time data available, owners and 

operators can optimize their machines' 

equipment to ensure that they achieve 

maximum productivity and profitability. 

The Certiq software collects and records a 

huge amount of data while a machine is 

operating. These data are then shown on 

a special web portal in the form of easyto-understand 

graphics. Users can easily 

log on to the portal with their unique login 

data in order to monitor an individual 

machine or an entire fleet. The system not 

only tells users how a machine is currently 

being used or was used in the past but 

also gives details of machine availability 

rates, maintenance requirements and 

much more. The system even produces 

performance reports automatically and 

sends them via e-mail to the owner or 

operator of the machine. 

Bell Equipment has complemented its 

E series generation of articulated dump 

trucks with a total of four new models. 

With the current Bell B25E and B30E dump 

trucks, the new mid-range B35E and B40E 

models and the new B45E and B50E large 

dump trucks, Bell continues to focus on 

the “classic” categories and still offers the 

world's largest 6x6 program. The Bell B35E 

and B40E models are following the general 

market trend with considerably higher 

nominal loading capacities. Bell Equipment 

has made the step towards EU4/Tier4 

final with new six cylinder engines from 

Mercedes-Benz optimized by MTU for offroad 

operations. 

Trackman rubber caterpillar tracks from 

Continental AG help to ensure safe driving 

in the construction sector. They resemble 

closed drive belts with a tread profile 

on which heavy equipment and traction 

machines such as transporters or road 

building machines run. Thanks to the new 

Armorlug technology, the rubber caterpillar 

tracks offer even better performance and 

last longer. A number of layers of material 

embedded in the drive studs strengthen the 

material and thus increase its durability. 

The conveyor belt solutions for the efficient 

transport of goods are reliable, economical 

and environmentally friendly too. 

Visitors to the trade fair will be able to 

find out about the latest product solutions 

in the area of inclined conveying, closed 

belt systems, heat-resistant conveyor 

belts, energy-optimized transport or 

lightweight PVC belts. Cummins Inc., 

Columbus, Indiana, USA, will present the 

next generation of ultra-clean engines 

which meet the EU's Stage V emissions 

regulations for construction machines and 

mining/materials handling equipment 

which are due to come into force in 2019. 

The engines which produce anything from 

55 to 300 kW not only satisfy the “virtually 

zero emissions” requirement of the Stage 

V regulations but also offer an increase in 

power and torque of up to ten percent. The 

improvements in engine power for Stage 

V are achieved thanks to an innovative 

approach when it comes to combustion, 

airflow and fuel injection systems which 

allows Cummins to exploit the full potential 

of the four-cylinder QSF3.8 and QSB4.5 as 

well as the six-cylinder QSB6.7 and QSL9— 

with no increase in cubic capacity. 

Zetros is a range of HGVs from Daimler AG's 

Mercedes-Benz brand. They are primarily 

designed for heavy off-road use. With their 

Photo by Siemens 



35

conventional bonnet design, they offer 

very good off-road performance and are 

low in height. To allow easy maintenance, 

the engine is accessible without having 

to tip the driver's cab. The Zetros has 

a long-bonnet design and is available 

exclusively with permanent all-wheel drive. 

Its standard wading depth is 800 mm, 

while 1,190 mm is optionally possible. The 

Zetros features an OM 926 LA six-cylinder 

diesel engine with a cubic capacity of 7.2 

l and a power output of 240 kW. Engines 

with Euro3 and Euro5 emissions values are 

available. The drivetrain has permanent 

all-wheel drive as well as a transfer case 

with an off-road gear ratio of 1:1.69. The 

Zetros comes as standard with a ninespeed 

manual gearbox. However, it is also 

available with a fully automatic gearbox 

from Allison. 

Construction machines, vehicles and 

equipment as well as mining machines are 

the principal applications for engines from 

Deutz AG. The manufacturer will unveil its 

newly developed TCD 2.2 diesel and gas 

engine as well as the established TCD 2.9 in 

a gas version. With up to 55 kW, the TCD 2.2 

is a further option for materials handling 

and compact construction machine 

applications in particular. Unusually, the 

engine will be launched in both a diesel and 

a liquid gas (LPG or fuel gas) version. The 

gas version will produce 42 kW and is an 

innovation within Deutz's otherwise dieseldriven 

product range. The TCD 2.2 will go 

into production in 2019 to coincide with 

the EU Stage V emissions norm coming 

into force. All TCD 2.2 and 2.9 models use 

the same engine platform. This means 

numerous synergy effects for customers 

when it comes to integration, for example 

with regard to connections or the supply of 

spare parts. 

With the LF-21H, GHH Fahrzeuge GmbH 

is launching a high-performance LHD with 

a 21 t loading capacity. The so-called 

Efficient Drive System (EDS) was optimized 

specially for mining applications. The 

environmentally friendly Deutz engine 

satisfies the highest EU Stage IV emissions 

norm, as a result of which the need for 

underground ventilation is minimized. In 

addition to the standard version, the LHD 

is available in various cab versions, thus 

allowing it to be used even in situations 

with a roadway height of just 2.5 m. A 

Z linkage designed for ore mining allows 

the very highest breakout forces and is 

designed for loading corresponding dump 

trucks. 

The Hazemag Group develops and 

manufactures machines and other systems 

for the construction and mining industries. 

The products and systems are used to 

prepare and enhance raw materials in 

the construction industry and to travel 

underground routes in coal, salt, potash, ore, 

platinum and diamond mines for example. 

The Lehigh Cement Company (Heidelberg 

Cement Group) has ordered a semi-mobile 

limestone crusher from Hazemag for its 

Union Bridge site. The system will process 

up to 2,500 t of limestone per hour—with a 

feed size of up to 2,000 mm. The material is 

discharged from a 400 t feed hopper using 

an HAF 25160 apron feeder. The fines in 

the feed material are screened at 100 mm 

using an HRS 2638 roller screen. 

Herrenknecht AG supplies tunneling 

machines with diameters of 0.10 to 19 m 

for all geologies worldwide. The company 

also supplies deep drilling rigs and drilling 

machines for vertical and inclined shafts. 

One innovation which is to be presented 

at bauma is a slant directional drilling 

(SDD) rig. Slant directional drilling is an 

alternative drilling technique which allows 

shallow, conventional or unconventional 

oil and gas deposits to be exploited. It is a 

symbiosis of horizontal (HDD) and vertical 

directional drilling (VDD). While the entry 

angle with HDD is between eight and 18 

degrees, it is 90 degrees with respect to 

the earth's surface with VDD. Deposits at 

low depths for example can be reached 

quickly using an angle of 30 degrees, while 

the angle allows a horizontal deflection for 

further drilling. 

Keestrack N.V. will present the new H4 

caterpillar mobile cone crusher (35 to 50 

t transport weight). At the heart of the 

model designed for high-quality secondary 

or tertiary production with a handling 

capacity of between 120 and 200 t/h 

is the proven cone crusher technology 

which was optimized specifically for 

mobile use. According to Keestrack, the 

innovative crusher control and monitoring 

solutions which have a direct influence 

over the output capacity and product 

quality are particularly groundbreaking. 

As the successor to the Galleon range, 

the Keestrack H4 has a completely new 

frame design which allows not only highperformance 

pre- and post-screening 

Photo by ResolveImmix 

36 



equipment but also the use of innovative 

drive technologies. As a result, the Keestrack 

H4 is the world's first mobile cone crusher 

to offer a highly efficient three-deck postscreening 

module with an oversize material 

recycler for the production of three highgrade 

end products in one pass. Keestrack 

is offering a choice of two economical drive 

combinations: direct diesel drive of the 

crusher with electrical or electro-hydraulic 

peripherals (conveyors, screen units etc.) 

or the fully hybrid/“plug-in” version with 

an electrical crusher drive system powered 

by an on-board diesel generator or mains 

electricity. 

With the Mobicone MCO 11 PRO mobile 

cone crusher, Kleemann GmbH, a Wirtgen 

Group company, is heralding the launch of 

its newly developed PRO Line. It offers quarry 

operators particularly robust machines 

for high-performance applications. The 

machine is driven by a powerful yet 

economical diesel-electric drive system 

which allows operation with an external 

power supply. The cone crusher with a 

maximum feed capacity of up to 470 t/h is 

equipped with the innovative Continuous 

Feed System (CFS) which ensures efficient 

use of crushing capacity. The MCO 11 PRO 

is also ideal for use in linked combinations 

of machines. In addition, the machine can 

be transported in one piece and can be 

quickly put into operational position thanks 

to hydraulic moving machine components. 

Kögel Trailer GmbH & Co. KG will present 

the new Kögel Multi. This versatile trailer is 

particularly suitable for transporting building 

materials and for weather-resistant freight. 

The platform semi-trailer has a reinforced 

chassis and a semi-trailer load capacity of 

15 t to meet the heavy-duty requirements 

in the construction industry. Depending on 

the application, the trailer's aluminum walls 

can be removed. This makes the Multi ideal 

for transporting various building materials. 

In response to customers' requirements, 

Komatsu Mining developed the new 

PC7000. Komatsu designed the 677 t 

machine with a view to creating the safest 

and most efficient large hydraulic excavator 

in its class. The PC7000 is powered by two 

1,250 kW diesel engines and is optionally 

available with an electric drive system. With 

its 36 m³ shovel or backhoe bucket, the 

PC7000 is designed for use in a range 

of conditions. The PC7000 is tailored to 

the 240 to 290 t 830E and 860E dump 

trucks from Komatsu. Drivers will notice the 

machine's improved control system. After 

Photo by Africa 

all, Komatsu has optimized both the shovel 

design and the hydraulic system. As a result, 

the machine can swing around more quickly 

and the shovel can penetrate the material 

more easily. 

To coincide with bauma, Liebherr- 

International Deutschland GmbH will 

launch the Liebherr PR 776, the first 

infinitely variable hydrostatically powered 

crawler tractor in the 70-ton category. 

Designed for the most demanding mining 

and quarrying applications, it is powered 

by a Liebherr twelve-cylinder diesel engine 

with a maximum power of 565 kW. It 

has a maximum operating weight of 74 

t and can be equipped with blades with 

a capacity of 18 m³ (semi-U blade) or 22 

m³ (U blade). Thanks to its modern drive 

concept, the new PR 776 crawler tractor 

is extremely economical. The infinitely 

variable hydrostatic drive system which 

is used in all Liebherr crawler tractors is 

an innovation in this class of machines. 

Another advantage of the modern drive 

concept is the needs-based feed pressure 

supply. If, for example, the full feed pressure 

supply is not required during operation, this 

is automatically returned. 



37

WHAT ARE THE MOST 

MINERALS AND META 

While there are people who object to mining, 

those who support it are actively campaigning 

for responsible mining in their areas. The world is 

full of resources that we can use to advance our 

technology and provide a supply to our daily needs, 

so people should see that there is importance 

in mining. However, governments and private 

companies should only allow practices that includes 

rehabilitation of the mine. If they tolerate mining 

companies who just leave mines as they are after all 

the resources have been taken away, communities 

will have to suffer from different consequences later 

on. 

Minerals mined are used for different purposes, but 

they all have one thing in common: everybody needs 

them. These minerals are mined and processed 

later on so that the public can use them for the 

production of the latest technology, for vanity 

purposes and even for the toothpaste we use to 

brush our teeth with. You see, mining is crucial for 

human kind and these minerals mined have played 

important roles in our lives now. 

Gold Photo by MarketWatch 

Silver Photo by Wikipedia 

In this list, we’ll be giving you the minerals commonly 

mined in Africa. 

Quartz Photo by UniversityOfPittsburgh 

38 



COMMONLY MINED 

LS IN AFRICA? 

Cobalt Photo by Roger'sMinerals 

Bauxite Photo by Geology 

Tin, tantalum and tungsten 

Photo by Emaze 

Platinum Group Metals 

Photo by SpecialtyMetals 

Fluorspar Photo by Minmat 



39

AUSTRALIAN 

MINING ACTIVITY 

INCREASES URANIUM 

CONCENTRATION IN 

THE ANTARCTIC 

Photo by ABC 

40 



Researchers from the University of 

Maine believe that the increasing 

mining activity in Australia 

causes the increase of uranium 

concentrations in the Antarctic 

today. The mining activity involved 

is the open pit mining in Australia. 

The results of this study will be 

published later on in the next 

issue of Atmospheric Environment 

Journal. 

Australia has around 40% of the 

world’s uranium reserves but 

despite the high percentage of 

reserves, this industry is not a 

major employer in Australia. The 

country exports almost 7,000 

tonnes of yellow cake annually. 

According to the lead researcher 

Mariusz Potocki, who is a doctoral 

candidate and research assistant 

with the Climate Change Institute: 

“Uranium concentrations in the 

ice core increased by as much 

as 10^2 between the 1980s and 

2000s, accompanied by increased 

variability in recent years.” 

He and his team also adds: 

“Since other land-source dust 

elements don’t show similar 

large increases in the ice core, 

and since the increased uranium 

concentrations are enriched 

above levels in the Earth’s 

crust, the source of uranium is 

attributed to human activities 

rather atmospheric circulation 

changes.” 

If the uranium concentration 

continues to increase, this will 

surely affect a lot of health issues 

including genetic mutations, 

cancer and other major health 

problems. 



41

10 ISSUES AND TRENDS THAT 

AFFECT THE MINING INDUSTRY 

by Dion Greg Reyes 

Photo by Decanter 

The mining industry has 

been in a complicated 

position in recent years. 

Several mining companies 

have been affected by 

many trends that have been 

inconsistent, causing fears 

that the business might 

collapse anytime. Some 

days, there is hope for them; 

but mostly they fall to the 

downward spiral. 

That is the reality in mining 

right now. Down cycles in the 

industry have been endless, 

with commodity prices 

getting weak, declining 

grades, and demand falling 

off. This causes companies 

to come short in capital and 

slow down in exploration 

spending. On top of that 

are the regulations, tax 

burdens and stakeholder 

expectations which are 

nowhere near the end. 

Yet amid all that weight 

on the shoulders of these 

mining companies, they 

continue to operate. They 

look at opportunities of 

growth, and track the trends 

to change the way things 

are. 

Deloitte, a company that 

provides business insights, 

listed the top 10 issues 

mining companies had 

and still to face with the 

rest of this year. It tackles 

trends that cover all aspects 

affecting the mining 

industry. 

Operational excellence 

If mining companies want 

to survive, they have to 

maintain the good parts in 

their industry. They need 

to push strategies including 

energy efficiency programs, 

adoption of lean practices, 

investment in innovation, 

and data integration. 

Efforts should also be done 

in supply chain optimization, 

back office outsourcing, 

operating model review, 

improved capital allocation, 

working capital efficiency, 

42 



greater collaboration, and 

accountability. 

Innovation 

There is new technology 

everyday and mining 

companies seem to not 

embrace modernization. 

But when they do, if at all, 

they don’t engage with it 

externally and only adopt 

with the old techniques. 

Mining companies need to 

take advantage of networks, 

machine learning, genomics, 

wearables and hybrid 

ships that will drastically 

improve operations. In the 

manufacturing side, it’s 

possible to have collaborative 

ecosystems, digital workforce 

engagement, improved asset 

management, 3D printing 

and modularization. 

Photo by Bolour Kavir 

China’s pivot 

Being a powerful nation 

with a global impact, China 

has domestic trends that 

change the miners’ markets 

– especially now that they 

decided to change the way 

they manage currency 

value. Large-scale mining 

companies should be 

aware of the repercussions 

of China’s decisions, and 

develop plans relative 

to China’s investment 

initiatives and leveraging 

Chinese expertise in design, 

construction, and financing. 

Adjustment to the new 

normal 

It’s likely that the trends 

won’t change for a while, 

so miners should be able to 

adopt somehow. One way 

to do that is to ramp up 

in production, in an attempt 

to reduce unit costs and to 

consolidate market shares. 

Finding that balance 

between current and future 

demand factor require the 

ability to scale production, 

labor and other inputs and 

outputs. 

Global energy mix 

The biggest threat for mining 

companies is renewables. Its 

flourish has been apparent in 

recent years, losing the gains 

of miners. 

But ironically, fossil fuels are 

needed in the production of 

alternative power sources. 

What mining companies 

could do is pay close attention 

to global energy demand 

patterns and shift to the likely 

stronger demand for uranium 

(for nuclear generation) and 

commodities used in battery 

storage (to address the 

intermittency of renewable 

generation). 

Stakeholder dialogues 

Miners are also affected by 

the increased expectations 

from stakeholders, making 

it harder to survive in the 

thriving industry. 

The challenge is to find a 

way for new tactics that 

work, because the old ones 

will no longer do. They need 

to explore a new form of 

stakeholder engagement to 

meet demands of multiple 

groups 

Capital crisis 

For an industry going 

downwards, it’s difficult 

to attract capital. Mining 

companies will be at 

risk if they don’t seek for 

alternative sources of 

financing to push through 

their operations. 

They have to be creative for 

sure in finding new financing 

options. Suggestions include 

commercializing dormant 

assets, pooling resources, 

pursuing debt reduction 

strategies, considering 

crowdfunding, and seeking 

government funding. 

Tax management 

There are new regulations 

that change the tax 

implications associated with 

a range of business activities. 

This affects miners through 

heightened scrutiny of their 

tax compliance, substance 

and transfer pricing policies. 

Miners could assess their 

operational and corporate 

structures, on top of 

understanding the financial 

implications of the new tax 

rules. 

Mergers & acquisitions 

Contrary to predictions, 

the mining M&A has been 

disappointing. Deals in the 

mining industry are mostly 

divestments and rescue-type 

deals in the recent years. 

But amid the situation, 

today is the best time to 

make acquisitions, especially 

uncontested assets. 

Safety, security, and 

health 

Workers should never be 

discounted in the equation. 

Actually they have to 

be empowered, through 

expanding their safety, 

security and health. Mining 

companies need to enhance 

safety records and security 

postures, by strengthening 

their safety analytics, 

adopting more robust mental 

health policies, improving their 

security protocols, employing 

risk monitors, conducting risk 

assessments and improving 

crisis management. 



43

FOUR 

INCREDIBLE 

OPEN PIT MINES 

Mining is a demarcated topic. Do 

you know the reason behind it? 

Just because on one hand mining 

provides you with all the essential 

materials that are needed for the 

civilization to move forward, while 

on the other hand, it can lead to 

some damaging effects on the 

environment. No matter what 

effect it has, you will just be awed 

if you take a look at some of the 

mines that have been listed here. 

The Moab Mine 

This mine is situated 20 miles 

west of Moab in Utah. This is a 

distinctive mine. You might ask 

why. Because it has a unique 

method to extract out potash. This 

mine began operating in 1965 as 

a conventional underground mine 

which later transformed into an 

amalgamating solution mining 

in order to extract potash. It also 

uses solar evaporation in order to 

re-crystallize the product that was 

taken out. 

Photo by jpgmag 

Diavik Diamond Mine 

This mine started its production in 

the year 2003. What’s incredible 

about this is its location. It is 

situated in the island just in the 

center of Lac de Gras. You will be 

able to travel to this mine through 

the seasonal winter road only 

for two months of the year. The 

amazing fact is that this winter 

road is build over a frozen lake. If 

not by road, you can access this 

mine through air. 

Photo by Mining.com 

44 



Bingham Canyon Mine 

This mine is in operation since 

1906 in USA and has a pit of more 

than 0.6 miles depth and about 2.5 

miles width. It is absolutely hard 

to believe that this mine covers an 

area of about 1,900 acres. This is 

such a significant development of 

USA that it has been designated 

as a National Historic Landmark in 

the year 1966. 

Photo by SquareSpace 

Mir Mine 

This is an open pit diamond mine 

which is presently inactive. This 

mine located in Mirny of Russia 

covers an area of 525 meters and 

has a depth of 1,22 ft and width of 

1,200 meter. 

Photo by AmusingPlanet 



45

Why 

Engineering 

Students 

Hate Losing 

Their 

Calculators 

Photo by PicsArt 

Photo by PaulAllenEngineering 

If it was just an ordinary day 

for a student who majors 

in business or art, it really 

wouldn’t ruin his day if he left 

his calculator with him. In fact, 

if there’s any calculations he 

needs in the university, he really 

wouldn’t need a calculator. He 

can just pull out his smart phone 

and tadaaa, he can move on to 

the next problem easily. 

But if you ask an engineering 

student what he/she can’t 

survive without, without a doubt 

one will answer a scientific 

calculator. Amazing how one 

scientific calculator can make or 

break an engineering student’s 

academic path. One wrong 

input and boom! you’re going 

to have to tell your parents 

that they will have to wait for 

the next year to see you march. 

Clearly, engineering students 

are synonymous to a scientific 

calculator. 

I remember taking an exam 

once. Before the exam started, I 

was outside the room panicking 

heavily as soon as I figured 

out that I wasn’t able to 

bring my calculator with me. 

I could feel myself sweating 

hard because failing this 

exam was going to take a toll 

on my academic status. If I 

didn’t bring a calculator with 

me, I was doomed. And just 

like any engineering student 

who badly wants to pass an 

exam, I started running around 

the halls and randomly asked 

people if they have a “handydandy” 

calculator they can 

let an unfortunate student 

borrow. Luckily for me, most 

students that day knew what 

one’s fate will be if one forgets 

a calculator in an engineering 

exam so people were willing to 

let me borrow theirs. Of course, 

I was able choose one. 

You see, our scientific calculators 

are considered the most 

important thing we can ever 

have in our bags. We all know 

we cannot leave and start the 

day in class without one. This is 

why every engineering student 

absolutely hates it when it’s 

left in the house. This is why 

engineering students dreads 

losing it. Scientific calculators 

are LIFE. The more complicated 

the buttons are, the better the 

chances of an engineering 

student gets in passing… 

maybe. But it doesn’t give 

away the fact that a scientific 

calculator is an engineering 

student’s best friend. 

So if you happen to see a poor 

unfortunate soul looking for a 

calculator to borrow, pity the 

student and let him/her use 

yours. Remember, it could 

happen to you and you need 

someone to help you as well. 

46 



Photo by SheKnows 

THE SIX 

ENGINEERS 

THAT WE 

ALL HAVE TO 

DEAL WITH 

by Randy Williams 

Working at an engineering 

firm is like living in a tiny 

microcosm of society filled 

with unique and unusual 

characters. No matter 

where you work, we’ve all 

experienced these folks. Some 

weird, some funny, some 

goofy, some brilliant, some 

annoying, some adventurous, 

some opinionated, and the 

list goes on. Here are some of 

the most common caricatures 

that you’ll find at the office. 

1. The young, overachieving, 

go getter. We’ll call this person 

Arnold. This guy is new to the 

working world having recently 

graduated from college or a 

graduate program. He takes 

his work VERY seriously. His 

hobbies include studying, 

asking questions, and working 

unpaid overtime. Regardless 

of how much his boss puts 

on his plate, he asks for 

more. This person is always 

on the phone, always gets 

flustered when you interrupt 

his critically important train 

of thought, and never misses 

an opportunity to suck up to 

management. 

2. The overpaid, lazy, one foot 

out the door retiree. This lady’s 

name is Cathy. You know this 

person very well because 

you’re always having to do 

her work. She overpromises 

and underperforms. But what 

does she care. She’s about 

to retire and play with her 

grand kids all day. She’s only 

hanging around the office 

to collect that sweet life 

insurance and those delicious 

health benefits. Only one 

more year until she reaches 

full pension and then SHE’S 

GONE. No one is quite sure 

why the supervisors don’t 

demand more from Cathy. 

She no doubt collects one of 

the largest paychecks, but the 

value she adds just isn’t there. 

Who can blame her? She’s 

been working at the company 

for over 30 years. She’s put in 

her time. She knows exactly 

what she needs to get done 

and doesn’t do a lick more. 

3. The oversocial, oversharing, 

chatty Cathy is actually not 

named Cathy. This person’s 

name is Gary. Have you 

ever been crushing your 

work, getting things done, 

feeling motivated and full of 

energy from that Starbucks 

you treated yourself with, 

then everything comes to 

a screeching halt. In comes 

Gary. Well at least you got a 

lot done this morning because 

now you find yourself in a 

never ending conversation 

with the guy that doesn’t 

know when to stop. No matter 

how many ways you try to 

exit the conversation, this guy 

just won’t take a hint. How 

can he continue to weather 

through the storm of your one 

word responses? Wait, what’s 

he doing now? Oh no, he’s 

busting out family pictures of 

their most recent trip to the 

Colorado Railroad Museum… 

Let’s see if I can text someone 

and have them call me so I 

can escape the torture that is 

this conversation. 

4. Harold is the office weirdo. 

No one is quite sure what’s 

going through his mind. He’s 

creepily quiet and never 

speaks up unless directly 

spoken to. It’s painful to go to 

his office because you know 

there will be at least three 

and a half awkward silences 

every time. His empty stare 

is haunting and often causes 

you to avert your gaze and 

look at the ground. Everyone 

wonders what this guy does 

in the evenings or on the 

weekends. Is he sitting quietly 

reading on the couch, playing 

dungeons and dragons 

with a Meetup group in his 

basement, or simply watching 

Game of Thrones reruns with 

his wife. He is the mystery 

man of the office. The only 

mystery is that you don’t 

want anything to do with him. 

5. Then there’s the cool guy. 

He knows the office gossip 

and knows how to work the 

system. This guy’s name is 

Nick. Nick is a great coworker. 

You get along, work well 

together, and you’ve even 

hung out a couple of times on 

the weekend. One time you 

even went on an overnight 

camping trip with his wife and 

a handful of their friends. It 

seems like everyone in the 

office likes Nick. How could 

you not? He’s friendly, funny, 

adventurous, and always 

comes into the office on 

Monday with entertaining 

stories. It’s funny that on one 

hand you wish everyone in 

the office were as cool and 

easy going as Nick, but what 

a boring world it would be 

if that were the case. Weird 

coworkers are the spice of life. 

6. Rounding out the list is 

the over enthusiastic parent. 

This lady’s name is Barb. 

Barb loves her life, but mostly 

loves her family. She works 

the minimum hours so she 

can always pick up her kids 

from school, take sick days 

whenever it’s needed, and 

participates in all of her 

children’s activities. 

In addition to fondling over 

her kids, she also enjoys taking 

care of her fellow coworkers. 

She’s the office mom. She 

sets up the lunch platter 

whenever food is brought into 

the office. She refills the paper 

in the printer. She makes sure 

everyone is having a great 

day. There’s nothing better 

than having a kind and loving 

office mom around. 

Disclaimer: All characters and 

events portrayed here are 

entirely fictional. No feelings 

were hurt during the creation 

or reproduction of this article. 

About the author: Randy 

Williams: Student of Life. 

Professional Engineer. Skeptic. 

Explorer. Reader. Listener. 



47

Photo by Wikipedia 

THIS IS MINING IN 

HELL ON EARTH 

by Robert Bagatsing 

Can you imagine yourself carrying 

90 kgs of sulfur three to four 

kilometers away from the mining 

area everyday? 

Nope, I don’t think so. 

In Java, Indonesia, miners put 

their lives in danger in order to 

collect sulfur at the Kawah Ijen 

Volcano. These miners place long 

pipes to allow the liquid sulfur 

to drip out of the volcano and 

solidify once it comes in contact 

with the air. There is smoke almost 

everywhere in this place. Using 

crowbars and metal poles, they 

break off huge chunks of solidified 

sulfur and place them in baskets 

using only their hands. They carry 

these baskets down to the base of 

the volcano twice (or thrice a day) 

to earn $8-15 each day. 

The sulfur collected is commonly 

used for different manufacturing 

companies such as production of 

batteries, sugar, cosmetics and 

insecticides. 

The working environment in this 

mining site is so dangerous that 

the average life expectancy of a 

miner only reaches up to 50 years 

old. Lack of personal protective 

equipments may contribute to 

the poor health of these miners. 

It has been reported that around 

70 miners have died in the past 

four decades due to work-related 

accidents. 

If you reach the age of 70 working 

here, consider yourself lucky. 

How about this: Can you imagine 

yourself taking a dip in the largest 

(very) acidic lake on Earth? Of 

course not! Nobody in his right 

mind would swim in a pond with 

a pH of 0.5. 

Inside the volcano, a sulfuric acid 

lake can be found in the middle of 

the crater. This lake is said to be 

highly acidic that the pH obtained 

is around 0.13 – 0.5. What makes 

it more interesting is the turquoise 

color of the lake, which makes the 

place look very picturesque. 

If you want to know how 

dangerous this lake can be, 

imagine a tin can soaked in the 

lake. It can be easily dissolved in 

less than thirty minutes. Now, 

imagine yourself swimming in the 

lake for thirty minutes. Nope, just 

don’t. 

Despite its hazardous 

environment, the Kawah Ijen 

Volcano attracts a lot of tourists 

daily. 

You must be thinking, why would 

anybody want to go to ‘hell’? 

This volcano, despite its terrible 

working conditions, produces a 

bright blue glow (only obvious 

when seen during night time) 

due to the reaction of the sulfuric 

gases emerging at high pressure 

and the air at a temperature of 

360oC. At night, this sight would 

leave anyone at awe. 

So, if you still want to visit this 

place, go ahead. Be very careful 

thoughl. Avoid taking selfies. 

48 



RICHEST DIAMOND 

MINES IN THE WORLD 

As the saying goes, “Not all 

that glitters is gold”, but it may 

very well be a diamond, or a 

diamond mine. There are quite 

a few diamond mines in the 

world. However, how much do 

you know about them? There 

can be some pretty fantastic 

stones waiting to be found in 

some of the richest mines of 

the world. 

India was once home to the 

richest mines in the world. 

This is no longer the case. Now, 

the richest mines are located 

in Africa and Russia. Want to 

know about the richest mines 

in the world? Read on then. 

Mir Mine Photo by Amusing Planet 

Photo by SEALSwimSafe 

Udachny Mine Photo by Mining 

The Catoca is located in 

Angola, Africa and it comes 

fifth in the list of largest 

diamond mines in the 

world. It has been estimated 

that the mine contains 130 

million carats of diamonds 

that can be mined. Sounds 

a whopping quantity? That’s 

nothing compared to the 

rest. The mine in Argyle, 

Australia supposedly contains 

more than 140 million carats. 

Production started in 1983 

and it’s set to continue till 

2020. 

Russia, on the other hand, is 

home to the top three largest 

diamond mines in the world. 

The Mir mine was once the 

largest in the world but it has 

dropped to the third largest. 

Estimates put the carat count 

at 141 million. The second 

largest in the world is the 

Udachny mine, with an 

estimated capacity of more 

than 152 million carats. The 

trophy for the largest diamond 

mine in the world, goes to 

the Jubilee Diamond Mine 

which contains more than 153 

million carats of diamonds. In 

2012 alone, 10.4 million carats 

were produced by this mine. 

That’s a lot of shiny stones for 

sure! 



49

AUSTRALIA ADVANCES CHANGE: 

FROM MINING TO DINING 

A multitude of people attended 

a lunch meeting at Sydney’s 

Randwick Racecourse on 

Saturday to discuss China’s 

demand for Australian produce 

and Australia’s desire to supply 

it. 

This event was hosted by the 

Australian Turf Club (ATC), 

as part of its inaugural Chinese 

Racing Festival, a new strategy 

to attract the lucrative Chinese 

market for its long term viability. 

According to the ATC Executive 

Darren Pierce, Chinese like 

luxury experiences and fashion. 

While watching the racetrack, 

Australia-China Primary 

Industries Council headed 

the discussions between the 

two countries’ government 

dignitaries and businessmen, 

they also included Federal Trade 

Minister, Andrew Robb. 

Since the mining resource 

industry in Australia has come 

to a halt, a kick-start for the 

Australian economy is needed. 

Their next best bet is agriculture. 

According to organizer Edmund 

So, Australian farmers have the 

capacity to produce more but 

aren’t, because they don’t know 

how to sell overseas. He added 

that the key concerns from the 

Chinese perspective were secure 

supply chains so buyers can 

depend on a constant flow of 

produce and secure prices. 

This will be a great opportunity 

for the Australian economy. More 

job opportunities will be available 

for the masses. 

Photo by AustralianTurfClub 

50 



MAN-MADE DIAMONDS: 

TURNING THE DEAD 

INTO GEMS 

“The diamond’s evolution has 

ended” says the successful 

company behind the manmade 

diamonds now trending 

in the market. In the Forbes 

interview of the company’s 

leader, Harry Burl, he detailed 

how he have come up with 

the business idea and shared a 

quick overview of the company. 

In 2010, while looking for 

domains to purchase and 

engage lucrative ventures, 

he came across to a not yet 

registered domain – manmadediamonds.com. 

From 

there, he researched a lot about 

it and figured out to keep the 

domain for himself. After six 

years, he is running the most 

successful business in the 

diamond making industry in 

the country. 

As we all know, diamonds are 

purely carbon based crystals 

and we can get it naturally 

from diamond mines mostly in 

Africa. But did you know that 

we can now make diamonds in 

the lab that are as pure as the 

natural ones? 

Yes! You will need a carbon seed 

and blast them with hydrogen 

and methane gas to grow 

the crystal. Voila! Diamonds 

produced will be just like long 

lost twin of the mined ones! 

These synthetic diamonds can 

be grown in the laboratory for 

about eight to twelve weeks. 

Some say that these diamonds 

also cost 30 percent less than 

that of the natural ones. 

But what if we say that they get 

these diamonds from the dead? 

Would you wear it? 

Harry Burl says that the 

company gets its feed from 

the cremated ashes from the 

funeral homes. Basically, we 

can extract carbon from our 

hairs and dead ashes. In fact, 

it is more economical and 

environment friendly especially 

to anti-mining movements. It 

is also more ethical than the 

blood diamonds made out of 

Photo by forbes 

child labor and exploitation. 

Although creating diamonds 

from our loved ones is a 

sensitive market, Burl said that 

they have a special approach 

that us both intellectually and 

emotionally appealing when it 

comes to their customers. They 

are cautious in the process with 

the customer’s peace of mind as 

the uppermost priority. 

Diamonds should be as pure 

as their own content, the 

company says. 

They are also producing 

diamonds for wedding and 

engagement rings. You can 

also order a conflict free ring 

with no personal carbon ashes. 

Designs and orders of these 

diamonds are available on their 

website. And I can say that they 

really protrude adamantine 

luster. 

Indeed, diamonds are forever. 



51

NICKEL VALUE 

TO LESSEN 

IN 2017, BMI 

REPORTS 

Photo by flickr 

Experts predict the decline in nickel value in the 

next 3 months. 

Business Monitor International 

or BMI released a research 

report indicates that the nickel 

market will loosen in 2017. 

They also predicted that refined 

nickel prices will reach $10,000 

- $11,000 per tonne in the 

upcoming quarter. This is due 

to the shortage of 3.1 thousand 

tonnes from the Philippines and 

other contributing factors from 

high Chinese imports. Analysts 

commented that the best price 

that nickel would reack then 

would be at $12,000 - $13,000 

per tonne. 

That said, BMI forecasts that 

as soon as 2017 starts, the 

value will start to lessen as 

the global market moves into 

27.2 thousand tonnes over. 

The study also mentions that 

China’s consumption will grow 

lesser in the next year for two 

reasons. First, nickel pig iron 

from Indonesia serves as a 

more economic alternative as 

compared to refined nickel. 

Second, the effects of the losing 

hype from the housing stimulus 

in 2017 will cause deterioration 

in steel production causing it to 

revert to its previous lows. 

Photo by flickr 

QUEBEC SAYS 

‘HELLO’ TO THEIR 

FIRST DIAMOND 

MINE 

Curtains rise as Quebec welcomes their first 

diamond mine. 

Photo by Imgur 

Stornoway Diamond 

Corporation has announced 

the opening of their Renard 

diamond mine in Quebec 

last week. Although the 

mine has already been in the 

production stage since mid- 

July, it wasn’t until Thursday, 

Oct 20, when they opened 

their curtains officially. The 

ceremony was attended by 

Quebec’s minister of energy 

and natural resources, 

Pierre Arcand, who is also 

responsible for the plans 

of revitalizing northern 

Quebec’s infrastructures, 

Plan Nord. 

The ceremony marks the 20 

years of work on the Renard 

Project, which started from 

a green-field exploration to 

a full operational mining 

system for diamonds. Other 

dignitaries that attended the 

event were Richard Shecapio, 

Chief of the Cree Nation of 

Mistissini, Manon Cyr, mayor 

of Chibougamau, Jean 

Boucher, member of the 

Quebec National Assembly 

for Ungava, and Steve 

Gamache, mayor of Chapais. 

The mine is situated 250km 

north of the Cree Nation of 

Mistissini and 350km north 

of Chibogamau in northcentral 

Quebec. 

52 



Photo by ABCAustralia 

URANIUM EXPORTS IN 

AUSTRALIA MAY TRIPLE 

BY 2040 

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal 

Commission is positive that 

South Australia’s uranium 

exports could triple by 

2040, if they could simply 

maintain its market share of 

the global uranium supply 

sector. The commission 

also predicts that it would 

potentially increase by a 

factor of three as nuclear 

energy had doubled. 

The findings of the 

commission indicate an 

increase in uranium mining 

and milling would add 

more than $300 million to 

state GSP; and despite that 

increase, job generation 

would go high as much; only 

about 800 jobs on a fulltime 

basis are expected to 

be created over the next 14 

years. 

If the growth in value of 

the uranium mining industry 

steadies at 32% by 2029- 

2030 in South Australia, it 

would represent significant 

growth in activity in regional 

areas, but little effect on real 

gross state product on an 

economy-wide basis. 

South Australian uranium 

production in 2014-2015 

amounts to about $346.5 

million, with associated 

royalties of $15.9 million. 

Photo by AustralianInvestmentEducation 

Photo by LucaraDiamond 

NOBODY WANTED TO PAY 

$70 MILLION FOR THIS 

DIAMOND 

Last year, Lucara Diamond 

- a Canadian mining 

company - was able to 

discover the three-billionyear 

old diamond at the 

Lucara’s Karowe mine. The 

diamond was called “Lesedi 

La Rona” which means “our 

light”. The diamond was 

said to be the largest type 

IIa diamond discovered in 

100 years. 

It’s a huge 1,109-carat stone 

that is the size of a tennis 

ball. The company expected 

to earn $70 million from it 

however, the bid was lower 

than what was expected 

during a Sotheby’s auction 

in London last Wednesday. 

The highest bid it received 

was only $61 million. Reports 

say that trading with Lucara 

was 16% down in Toronto 

recently. 

Photo by LucaraDiamond 



53

Will Hodgman 

Photo by TheAdvocate 

TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT 

WILL TAKE OVER 

AUSTRALIA’S OLDEST MINE 

The Tasmanian government 

has seen a new opportunity 

to bring back to life an 

Australia’s oldest mine. In 

an interview with NDTV, the 

premier of Tasmania Will 

Hodgman announced that 

the Tasmanian government 

plans to restart a copper 

mine that was once the 

property of Australia. This 

announcement came after 

Hodgman's trade mission to 

India. 

The Mt Lyell copper mine 

is set to restart next year. 

He said, "It is a sizable 

operation and at its peak 

could employ well over 

300 Tasmanians. So it is 

an important opportunity 

for us to demonstrate our 

support to Vedanta, the 

Copper Mines of Tasmania.” 

The copper mine started 

operating back in 1896 as a 

gold mine. It has produced 

around 62 tonnes of gold, 

1,300 tonnes of silver and 

over 1.8 million tonnes of 

copper. Hodgman said 

the mine has the capacity 

to produce around 30,000 

tonnes of copper per year. 

The Mount Lyell mine has 

been under maintenance 

two years ago due to the 

accidents which led to the 

deaths of three workers. One 

died from a mudslide while 

the other two were killed in a 

mine shaft accident. 

Photo by TheMercury 

TURNING ASTEROIDS INTO 

SPACECRAFTS FOR MINING 

Since our mineral resources are starting 

to run out, a lot of companies are looking 

into the possibility of asteroid mining. 

But wait, it’s not that easy. There are still 

a lot of challenges ahead as companies 

develop the right technologies for outer 

space mining. At least the US has already 

worked on the legal aspect of mining in 

asteroids though. 

But how is it possible for asteroid mining 

to occur when it’s not very economical 

for companies to send spacecrafts to 

space and collect minerals? 

A 3D printing company (based in 

Mountain View, California) just had a 

brilliant idea. Made In Space suggested 

that we’d let the asteroids come to 

us instead. According to Mike Wall 

from Space.com, this concept is called 

Reconstituting Asteroids into Mechanical 

Automata, RAMA. This technology uses 

3D printing that turns asteroids into selfflying 

vehicles. An unmanned spacecraft 

would be launched into space and 

goes to an asteroid. It’ll mine minerals 

and uses these samples into a 3D print 

simple propulsion, then sends them to 

our planet. As soon as it’s done with the 

asteroid, it’ll move on to the next one. 

NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts 

program gave $100,000 to the concept 

to provide funds for its feasibility studies. 

We’ll just have to see if this becomes a 

reality for all of us. 

Photo by Space.com 

54 



10 SURPRISING 

TRIVIA ABOUT THE 

MINING INDUSTRY 

When people hear about the mining industry, the first thing that comes into their mind is, yes, you’ve guessed it—gold and 

diamonds. Well, you’re not wrong, but it isn’t simply limited there. Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals, and other 

useful geological materials from the earth that our world uses for different applications. It’s a profession that has helped 

and given work to countless countries for hundreds of years. The mining industry has a rich history, and there are a lot of 

aspects about the mining indu`stry you might not yet be familiar with. 

#1 

Mining has been proven to have occurred as far 

back as 4000 B.C. 

#2 

The oldest mine in the world, “Lion’s Cave” 

is located in Swaziland. By using radiocarbon 

dating, they were able to find the age of this 

iron oxide mine—43,000 years old. 

#3 

The gold mines of Nubia were not just the 

largest in ancient Egypt, it was also the most 

extensive. 

Gold mine to expand in Nubian Desert 

Photo by Blogspot 

#4 

The Romans were the ones to develop mining 

on a larger scale. They devised methods such as 

hydraulic mining and hushing. 

#5 

The first record of the usage of black powder 

for mining was in the year 1627, in what is 

now Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia. Back then, the 

location was called Selmecbánya, Kingdom of 

Hungary. 

#6 

The first academy for mining was established in 

in Selmecbánya, Kingdom of Hungary in 1762. 

#7 

Along the Lake Superior are, there are several 

early copper mines that are estimated to be 

around 5000 years old. 

3-ton copper nugget found in Lake Superior 

Photo by Blogspot 

#8 

Did you know that Spanish gold was not 

necessarily from Spain? There was a great deal 

of gold and silver that came from the colonial 

Americas and then was brought to Spain. 

#9 

The most commonly used form of excavation 

type in mining today is surface mining. 

#10 

The Bingham Canyon Mine located in Utah is 

the largest man-made excavation in the world. 

Its pit is greater than 0.75 mile in depth and 

it is 2.5 miles in width. It was turned into a 

National Landmark in 1966. 

Bingham Canyon Mine 

Photo by Wikimedia 



55

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS WHO 

SHAPED THE MECHANICAL 

INDUSTRY OF TODAY 

Mechanical engineering is known as one of the oldest and broadest disciplines that applies and connects 

the fields of engineering, physics, and material science to be used in design, manufacturing, analysis as 

well as maintenance of mechanical systems. 

This field of engineering requires a deep understanding of mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, 

material science, structural analysis as well as electricity. 

Here are some notable mechanical engineers who shaped the mechanical industry of today. 

James Watt FRS FRSE 

1736-1819 James Watt, 

was a Scottish inventor, 

mechanical engineer, 

chemist and scientist who 

significantly improved 

Thomas Newcomen’s 

1712 Newcomen steam 

engine with the Watt 

steam engine in 1736. 

His new team engine 

was a very important to 

the changes that were 

brought about by the 

Industrial Revolution in 

both Great Britain and the 

whole world. He is now 

called the Father of the 

Steam Age, as well as the 

Founder of Mechanical 

Engineering. 

He is responsible for the 

concept of horsepower, 

and the SI unit of power, 

Watt, was coined after 

him. 

Photo by Britannica 

James Hall Nasmyth 

1808-1890 James Hall 

Nasmyth was a Scottish 

engineer, artist and 

inventor who is well known 

for his development of 

the steam hammer. He 

was the co-founder of 

Nasmyth, Gaskell and 

Company manufacturers 

of machine tools. 

Photo by TodayInSci 

William George 

Armstrong 

1810-1900 William George 

Armstrong, 1st Baron 

Armstrong CB FRS was 

an English industrialist, 

scientist, inventor and 

philanthropist who is the 

founder of Armstrong 

Whitworth manufacturing 

concern on Tyneside. 

He worked together 

with the architect 

Richard Norman Shaw in 

building the Cragside in 

Northumberland, which 

was the first house in 

the world that was lit by 

hydroelectricity. He is 

the inventor of modern 

artillery, the hydraulic 

crane, hydroelectric 

machine, accumulator, 

as well as the Armstrong 

Gun. 

Photo by 

WondersOfWorldEngineering 

Nikola Tesla 

1856 –1943 Nikola Tesla 

is more well known in 

the field of electricity, but 

he is a great mechanical 

engineer as well. He is 

also an electrical engineer, 

physicist as well as a 

futurist. He is well known 

for his contributions in 

the design of the modern 

AC (alternating current) 

electricity supply system. 

He has designed and 

invented numerous 

machines that has helped 

the world, some of these 

are the induction motor, 

rotating magnetic field, 

the Tesla coil, as well as 

the Radio remote control 

vehile (torpedo). 


56 



Kate Gleason 

1865-1933 Kate Gleason is 

known as the first female 

member of the American 

Society of Mechanical 

Engineers. She did not 

have any detailed training 

in the field of engineering, 

but she was able to make a 

name for herself as one of 

the very few accomplished 

women engineers in 

her era. She is also 

known to be a successful 

businesswoman, and is a 

role model for many other 

career women in the 19th 

century America. 

Photo by EngineerGirl 

Gustaf Dalén 

1869-1937 Gustaf 

Dalén was a Swedish 

Nobel Laureate who 

is responsible for the 

invention of automatic 

regulators, AGA cooker, 

the Dalén light, and 

many others. He founded 

the AGA company, an 

industrial gas company 

which later was combined 

into Line AG. His automatic 

regulators were used with 

gas accumulators that 

were used for illuminating 

lighthouses and buoys. 

He then was called "the 

benefactor of sailors." In 

1912, he won the Nobel 

Prize in Physics for his 

work. 

Aurel Stodola 

1859-1942 Aurel Stodola 

was an engineer and 

inventor in Slovakia. A lot 

of his work centered on 

thermodynamics and has 

contributed to several 

scientific fields. He spent 

almost half of his life 

teaching at the Institute 

of Technology in Zurich 

and during that time was 

consulted for help on the 

improvement of the gas 

turbine. His work as an 

educator has helped a 

lot of young minds into 

engineering, including 

those of the greatest 

minds of our age. 


George Stephenson 

1781-1848 Known as 

the ‘Father of Railways’, 

George Stephenson 

was a pioneer inventor 

in the fields of civil and 

mechanical engineering. 

The British inventor led 

to the creation of the 

world’s first inter-city 

railway line that ran using 

steam locomotives which 

was available for public 

use. Aside from that big 

innovation, Stephenson 

is also credited with the 

creation of Rocket, the 

most famous railway 

locomotive of his era. 

Photo by History 




57

JHARIA, THE HOME 

OF INDIA’S BLACK 

DIAMONDS 

Jharia, The mining central 

of India in the Dhanbad 

district of Jharkand, is 

responsible for the highest 

concentration of coal in 

India. Although this region 

is considered one of the 

wealthier parts of the 

country due to the quantity 

of natural resources, the 

locals who live here are one 

of the most underprivileged 

in the country, and are 

trying to adapt with the 

consequences that India’s 

rapid growth has brought. 

According to state 

government, because of 

Jharia’s uncontrollable 

coal mine fires, the town of 

Jharia will be shifted. These 

coal mine fires have led to 

loss of property and lives. 

The government thinks that 

shifting the town will help 

in exploiting coal, which still 

remains unmined, worth 

around RS. 60,000 crores 

($12 Billion) 

Since the fire started 

burning in Jharia, the whole 

town has been shrouded in 

a cload-mix of toxic fumes. 

This has put the lives of 

nearby villages and towns in 

danger. A number of people 

have already died and been 

displaced, but some are still 

stubbornly staying in the 

town. 

Photographer Seb Heseltine 

visited Jharia town in 2015, 

to complete his photo 

portfolio project for London 

College of Communication. 

His photo shows the lives of 

the towns people in Jharia. 

Photos by SebHeseltine 

58 





59

WHAT LIES AHEAD 

FOR CONSTRUCTION 

EQUIPMENT 

by Dion Greg Reyes 

Photo by WalleniusWilhelsemLogistics 

Every Caterpillar, Komatsu, 

Case, Volvo, and Deere 

equipment in use at 

construction sites today 

are products of a careful 

developmental study in 

manufacturing. Ever since 

industrialization began, 

builders and engineers sought 

for advanced construction 

equipment and machines 

that will render smooth site 

operations at minimum costs. 

Today, we have all the basic 

construction equipment 

we need. Using excavators, 

backhoes, loaders, cranes, and 

rollers, among others we have 

formed and built engineering 

marvels. Engineers always 

find a way to maximize the 

use of these equipment. 

And yet, we could take 

advantage of modern 

technology to further exploit 

the use of these equipment, 

and to develop more machines 

that will help in forwarding 

construction methods. 

There are essentially three 

areas which are the focus 

of construction equipment 

manufacturers in relating 

its past, present, and future. 

Once these three – hydraulics, 

engines, and computer 

systems – are engineered 

to be better than its current 

state, they lead to lower 

maintenance costs, decreased 

operation costs, improved 

efficiency and reliability, and 

longer machine life. 

Excavators, backhoes, and 

loaders have hydraulics 

embedded in them to lift, 

load and unload materials 

and objects. Mobility of 

these equipment relies in 

this system. What emerging 

hydraulic technologies can 

do is optimize both hydraulic 

flow and pressure, including 

the ability to modulate both. 

They will largely affect the 

equipment’s efficiency, 

versatility, and lifting 

capabilities. 

60 



Photo by HSCBSG 

There are still so much to 

forward with engine controls, 

fuel injection systems, and 

the engine combustion 

process. When engineers 

work to improve these 

areas about the engines in 

construction equipment, 

it will yield increased fuel 

efficiency and decreased 

amount of harmful emissions 

into the air. The greatest 

impact in redesigning the 

engine is in the environment, 

being a critical issue in the 

construction equipment 

industry. 

Computer systems are only 

a recent integration with 

construction equipment, 

but they make waves for 

enhanced site performance. 

Digitization, including GPS 

navigation, allows more 

effective monitoring in 

machine operations, more 

analyzed fuel efficiency, much 

controlled hydraulics, and 

reliable reporting of machine 

performance – all of which 

are in the end part of the 

construction process. 

While these three are existing 

areas that seek improvement, 

there is also a room for 

creativity in the manufacture 

of construction equipment by 

producing hybrids and using 

3D printing. 

There are already existing 

hybrid excavators and hybrid 

bulldozers, which will continue 

to flourish as manufacturers 

look in this area to accelerate 

site operations. 

But there’s a more current 

technology, the 3D printing 

or additive manufacturing, 

which takes production of 

construction equipment to an 

entirely new level. It allows 

modelling of equipment parts 

like cabs, booms, and buckets, 

as 3D printing provide design 

allowances not found in 

conventional manufacturing. 

Efficiency, quality, and safety 

are the cores of construction 

equipment. And they remain 

to be so in the future, just 

catching up with modern 

technology. 



61

Photo by SaskatchewanPolytechnic 

GETTING TO KNOW: 

THE WORK OF A 

MINING ENGINEER 

The field of mining engineering is 

all about searching for deposits of 

natural resources and extracting 

them efficiently while minimizing 

risks. It is that discipline in 

engineering where natural 

resources like gravel, coal, copper, 

iron, tungsten, gold, and silver are 

unearthed. 

Other than what the name 

suggests, it is the job of mining 

engineers to ensure the safe 

and efficient development of 

mines and other surface and 

underground operations. Mining 

engineers should be familiar 

of these structures on their 

surrounding environment paired 

with the technical knowledge and 

management skills. 

The scope of work of mining 

engineers covers assessment 

of mining ventures up to the 

site operations, and even 

distribution. Mining engineers 

undertake feasibility studies, 

model or design potential mine 

sites, and prepares plans for 

mines like tunnels and shafts 

for underground mines. In the 

operations, mining engineers are 

tasked to ensure that procedures 

run smoothly, activities are being 

monitored, and more importantly 

the safety of the workers and 

the site or mine is upheld. This 

job has high risks especially 

when underground, so mining 

engineers have the responsibility 

to oversee underground issues 

like lighting and ventilation. 

Being able to work as a mining 

engineer, one needs to have a 

degree in one of these courses: 

civil engineering; geology; mine 

and quarry engineering; minerals 

surveying; and mining and mineral 

engineering. 

Mining engineers can be 

employed in mining companies, 

mining finance and consultancy 

companies, environmental 

consultancies, quarrying and 

extraction companies, and major 

manufacturing and construction 

companies. They can earn a 

median annual salary of $90,160 

in May 2014 according to U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

62 



The Most Dangerous 

Engineering Jobs 

All jobs have its potential dangers, 

and with developing technology and 

computers in our workplaces, injuries 

and accidents at work are decreasing. 

However, some jobs in the 

engineering and technology field are 

more dangerous than others. Many 

engineering jobs still involve huge 

machinery which needs to be used 

safely to avoid accidents. 

Here’s a list of some of the most 

dangerous engineering industries. 

Construction 

Photo by Linkedin 

The construction industry is known 

for its strict approaches to health 

and safety. If proper safety rules are 

not followed or are taken for granted, 

accidents may happen and this can 

lead to injuries or even death. In the 

construction industry, one has always 

have to be alert when working. Most 

injuries and deaths was due to falling 

from heights and being trapped by 

something collapsing. 

Manufacturing 

Photo by SRMax 

The manufacturing industry can be 

dangerous if process manuals are 

not followed or if manufacturing 

machines are not operated properly. 

Accidents like electrocution, falling 

debris, and machine overload could 

lead to injuries or worse, death. 

Such accidents can also happen 

if employees do not wear proper 

protective equipment. 

Mining and quarrying 

This sector can be considered as 

one of the most dangerous jobs for 

engineers. Different accidents can 

happen, such as cave-ins, flood, gas 

explosions, chemical leakage, and 

even electrocution. 

These days, it is important to be able 

to work proficiently with both heavy 

machinery and computers while 

making sure that health and safety in 

the workplace is a top priority. 

Photo by FirstPeopleSolutions 



63

Photo by ETHZürich 

THIS IS HOW MUCH A MINING AND / 

OR GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER EARNS 

What exactly is the difference between a 

mining engineer and a geological engineer? 

What does each one of them do? Do they 

get paid enough? How much do they earn 

annually? Does working as a mining or 

a geological engineer mean working in 

isolated areas in mountains? Will one still 

have a social life when working? 

A geological engineer usually does the 

research in order to locate where the 

possible mineral deposits are. They go to 

these sites and evaluate them. If any of 

the places becomes a site where they can 

extract valuable minerals, a geological 

engineer plans how to extract them in the 

most efficient and most environmental 

friendly way. 

The mining engineer specializes in one 

particular mineral and also does the same 

job as the geological engineer in finding the 

most efficient way to extract the minerals 

from the mining site. 

Their work may sound easy but in real life, 

the work is hard and dangerous. Mining 

sites can go deep down under the ground. 

With lack of ventilation, power and water, 

it’s the engineer’s job to plan also a safe way 

of getting the work done efficiently. These 

engineers also work with geoscientists and 

metallurgical engineers. 

To become a mining and /or a geological 

engineer, one must earn a bachelor’s degree 

in an accredited engineering program and 

pass the licensure exam (which vary from 

state to state and country to country). There 

are states that require engineers to continue 

earning education credits to keep their 

licenses. 

One must hone in on their analytical skills, 

decision-making and problem solving skills. 

These engineers also use a lot of advanced 

math principles, so that’s a lot of math for 

them. They also need to develop their writing 

skills since they must prepare reports and 

instructions for everyone in the company. 

These engineers work in offices of consulting 

companies or mining firms so they most 

likely live in urban areas. Some of them have 

to work in remote areas where minerals are 

usually found. Don’t worry, locals from the 

community will entertain them. 

How much are they earning? 

Engineers earn different annual wages 

in different fields. For those who offer 

engineering services, the median annual wage 

is around $78,560. Those who are part of the 

metal ore and coal mining industry, they earn 

around $85,000. While engineers who work in 

the oil and gas extraction field are earning the 

most with $115,860. 

For the mining and geological engineering 

students, the future is bright for them because 

by the year 2024, many engineers will retire 

by then. Also, not everyone can easily become 

one because of the educational and licensing 

requirements, so there won’t be too many 

competition in the field. 

64 



HOW DO I BECOME A MINING 

ENGINEER? 

Mining engineering is one of the smallest fields in engineering but it is one of the 

most important jobs in our world today—and it is still growing. 

Photo by forbes 

Mining Engineering jobs are projected 

to rise in the next years, that’s why 

many are pursuing a course in this 

field. Relatively, mining engineering 

is one of the smallest fields in 

engineering but it is one of the most 

important jobs in our world today— 

and it is still growing. To understand 

the nature of this field more, here 

is a short description about mining 

engineering. 

What is a Mining Engineer? 

Mining engineers are responsible for 

designing safe and efficient mines 

for removing coal and metals. They 

are responsible for optimizing mines 

for extracting resources in the most 

efficient and effective way that is 

possible. They also make sure that 

they extract as much of the resource 

as possible. 

Mining engineers, more often than 

not, have their own specialization 

in a certain metal or mineral. There 

are those that work together with 

geologists so they will be able to find 

and evaluate new ore deposits. On 

the other hand, there are those that 

specialize in developing or improving 

mining equipment, manage 

processing operations that segregate 

and refine minerals. 

There are mining safety engineers 

as well. They implement the best 

practices in the field, conduct mine 

and equipment inspections, monitor 

the air quality, and make sure that 

their company complies with all 

the safety regulations to keep the 

workers safe. 

What do Mining Engineers Do? 

Mainly, mining engineers design 

underground mines as well as 

open-pit mines, they supervise the 

construction of structures in the 

mines, planning of transportation 

of minerals to processing plants, 

monitor production, and do reports 

as well. 

These professionals assess the 

geological characteristics of mining 

sites to find the best structures and 

equipment as well as process that fit 

the mine best. 

They also make sure that the 

operations conducted are 

environmentally sound. 

Get a Mining Engineer Degree 

To become a mining engineer, 

the first step you have to take is 

to finish a bachelor’s degree in 

mining engineering or geological 

engineer. Since there are very few 

schools around the globe which 

offer mining engineering programs, 

students who do not have access to a 

university that offers such may need 

to specialize in this area from within 

general engineering programs. Some 

programs in mining engineering 

include geology, mine design and 

safety, physics, and mathematics. 

Where do Mining Engineers Work 

Many mining engineers work in 

mining operations in locations 

that are remote. However, there 

are some that work in sand-andgravel 

operations that are found 

nearby cities. As time goes by, some 

may work their way up to officebased 

positions in mining firms or 

consultation companies which are 

in business districts or metropolitan 

areas. 

Most mining engineers work full time. 

Those who work in remote locations 

have schedules with different shifts 

that exceed 40 hours per week. 



65

CIVIL 

ENGINEERS 

WHO 

SHAPED THE 

CONSTRUCTION 

INDUSTRY OF 

TODAY 

From sturdy bridges to 

enormous skyscrapers, 

all these are here in 

our modern world 

thanks to the efforts 

of civil engineers. 

Civil engineering has 

been one of the oldest 

professions in the 

world, their roots date 

back to between 4000 

and 2000 BC in Ancient 

Egypt, the Indus Valley 

Civilization, as well 

as Mesopotamia, 

when nomadic people 

decided to settle and 

build permanent homes 

as their shelter. 

Many civil engineers 

have revolutionized 

the world with their 

creations, and though 

a lot of people take 

these creations for 

granted, everyone 

should recognize that 

almost every modern 

day structure you see 

today are all thanks 

to the genius of these 

engineers. 

Here are some civil 

engineers who shaped 

the construction 

industry of today. 

John Smeaton 

1724 – 1792 John 

Smeaton was an English 

civil engineer (the 

first self-proclaimed 

civil engineer) who 

was responsible 

for the design of 

numerous bridges, 

canals, harbours as 

well as lighthouses. 

He is commonly 

called as the Father 

of Civil Engineering. 

Thanks to his research 

and innovations on 

waterwheels and 

windmills, he was 

able to contribute to 

the efficiency of the 

industrial revolution. 

Smeaton was also a 

mechanical engineer 

and a well-known 

physicist. 


Benjamin Wright 

1770 – 1842 Benjamin 

Wright was an American 

civil engineer who was 

the chief engineer of 

the Erie Canal and the 

Chesapeake and Ohio 

Canal. He started his 

career as a surveyor and 

planner before being the 

chief engineer of these 

canals’ construction. 

In the year 1969, the 

American Society of 

Civil Engineers declared 

Wright as the "Father 

of American Civil 

Engineering". He had 

9 children, wherein 5 

of them followed his 

footsteps and became 

civil engineers as well. 

Photo by 

ConnecticutHistory 

Squire Whipple 

1804 – 1888 Squire 

Whipple was a civil 

engineer who was 

born in Hardwick, 

Massachusetts, USA. 

He has become wellknown 

as the Father of 

iron bridge building in 

America. His designs 

have been used across 

the globe, including 

Benjamin Wright’s Erie 

Canal. His patents are 

as follows 

U.S. Patent 2,064 – 

Bowstring iron-bridge 

truss (1841) 

U.S. Patent 134,338 – 

Lift draw bridge 

Photo by 

Oneidacountyhistory 

Isambard Kingdom 

Brunel 

1806 – 1859 Isambard 

Kingdom Brunel, an 

English mechanical and 

civil engineer, has been 

considered to be one 

of the most ingenious 

and prolific figures in 

engineering history", 

"one of the 19th 

century engineering 

giants", and "one of the 

greatest figures of the 

Industrial Revolution, 

[who] changed the face 

of the English landscape 

with his groundbreaking 

designs and ingenious 

constructions". He 

built dockyards, the 

Great Western Railway, 

numerous steamships 

which include the 

first propeller-driven 

transatlantic steamship, 

and a number of 

important bridges and 

tunnels. His designs 

have revolutionized 

public transport as well 

as modern engineering. 

In 2002, a public poll 

named Brunel the 

second greatest Briton. 

Photo by PrimaryFacts 

66 



Ellen Swallow 

Richards 

(1842 – 1911) Ellen 

Swallow Richards was 

an American pioneer in 

engineering. She was 

the first woman ever 

to be admitted into a 

school of science and 

technology she was also 

the first woman to earn 

a degree in chemistry. 

She was a key founder 

of environmental 

engineering. Her 

contribution in the field 

of civil engineering is 

her efforts in research 

on soil quality. 

Photo by What-when-how 

Dr John Job Crew 

Bradfield 

1867 – 1943 Dr John 

Job Crew Bradfield is a 

prominent Australian 

engineer who 

supervised the design 

and construction of 

the famous and iconic 

Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

Photo by Newsapi 

Emily Warren 

Roebling 

1843 –1903 Emily 

Warren Roebling is 

considered as the 

world’s first female field 

engineer. She is known 

for her contribution to 

the completion of the 

famous Brooklyn Bridge 

after her husband, 

Washington Roebling, 

had developed caisson 

disease. Her husband 

was a civil engineer, 

as well as the Chief 

Engineer during the 

construction of the 

Brooklyn Bridge. Emily, 

who studied alongside 

her husband and 

capable of the task 

at hand, took over as 

chief field engineer of 

the construction of the 

Brooklyn Bridge. 

William LeBaron 

Jenney 

1832 – 1907 William 

LeBaron Jenney, an 

American architect 

and engineer, is wellknown 

for building the 

first skyscraper in the 

year 1884. He became 

to be known as the 

Father of the American 

Skyscraper. 

In the year 1998, he 

was ranked as number 

89 in the book “1,000 

Years, 1,000 People: 

Ranking the Men and 

Women Who Shaped 

the Millennium”. 

Catherine Anselm 

Photo by Pinterest 

"Kate" Gleason 

1865 – 1933 Catherine 

Anselm "Kate" 

Gleason was an 

American engineer 

and entrepreneur who 

is known for being an 

accomplished woman 

in the engineering 

field where males 

were dominant. 

She is responsible 

for inventing massproduced, 

low cost 

housing built out of 

concrete. 


Photo by Wikipedia 



67

68 



Photo by: Express

EXPLORING 

THE DEEP 

SEA FOR 

MINERALS 

We already have lots of 

mines on land to meet 

the demands of mankind 

when it comes to mineral 

resources. But it seems 

that they are not enough, 

and so many countries and 

companies now look at the 

deep seafloor as new sites 

of mining. 

Seabed mining is perhaps 

the youngest form of 

mining. There are only few 

technologies that explore 

the deep seafloor, under 

the permission of a special 

body concerned in seabed 

mining exploration called 

the International Seabed 

Authority. 

This organization is created 

by the United Nations 

to control the activities 

of countries interested 

in mineral riches in the 

ocean. It has so far granted 

over one million square 

kilometers of claims for 

mining exploration in the 

high seas of the Pacific, 

Atlantic and Indian Oceans 

to at least 16 countries. There 

are parts of the seas, most 

of which have the minerals 

and biodiversity, which are 

outside the legal jurisdiction 

of countries and therefore 

considered heritage global 

resources over which we 

are all trustees. The group 

is responsible for delegating 

the protection of these areas. 

Deep sea mining is a relatively 

new industry, and there are 

fears that this will be abused. 

With the use of robotic bulk 

cutters and other heavy 

mining machines, it is likely 

that the marine environment 

will be affected once the 

seabed mining activities 

will not be regulated or 

monitored. The worst things 

that could happen with the 

marine ecosystems are the 

loss of unique species and 

the destruction of sensitive 

deep sea habitats. 

But ocean scientists around 

the world are suggesting 

precautions, like explore 

current and future areas of 

mining interest as to identify 

proactively which species are 

at risk; plan out which mining 

regions need to be preserved 

at most; and carefully observe 

the intensity and scale of 

the disturbances caused by 

seabed mining once they start 

operations. 

If mining companies will not 

be careful with the rich, fragile 

marine life that exists deep 

in our seabeds, the damages 

are irreversible. The challenge 

is to take out the minerals 

from the seabed, while still 

preserving the marine life – 

and that can only be done if 

we understand how species 

and ecosystems on that part 

of the Earth work. 



69

THIS COMPANY 

WANTS TO MINE GOLD 

AND PLATINUM ON 

ASTEROIDS 

70 



Photo by PlanetaryResources 

We all know that our resources of 

gold and platinum are only limited so 

scientists and engineers want to mine 

these elements inside asteroids. Yes, 

you read that right. People are planning 

to mine asteroids! 

The Deep Space Industries (DSI) is 

teaming up with the Luxembourg 

government to work on its project, 

Prospector-X. This project involves 

designing and deploying a hunting 

spacecraft for mining explorations. 

Although the project doesn’t have a 

specific date for release, the people 

behind the project wants it to launch 

soon. 

Prospector-X isn’t exactly the giant 

space vehicle you’d expect it to be. It’s 

as small as a size of a loaf, about 30 cm 

long. It really wouldn’t be landing on 

any asteroids though. What scientists 

and engineers plan to do is to have 

Prospector-X spend time around a low- 

Earth orbit and tests the system designs 

provided by DSI. Equipped with a dualcamera 

optical navigation system and an 

electrothermal thruster, it will test the 

technologies developed by DSI. 

Aside from Deep Space Industries (DSI), 

another popular company known for its 

space projects is Planetary Resources. It 

launched a similar project called Arkyd 

3R from the International Space Station 

last year. 

Although both companies don’t have 

the technology to mine from an asteroid 

yet, it is legally prohibited to do so as 

well. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 

bans countries from launching weapons 

of mass destruction on space. 



71

Photo by ProjectsIQ 

WORLD’S 40 

BIGGEST MINING 

COMPANIES 

Listed in PwC’s report called Mine 

2015 showed the largest mining 

companies in 2015. Not only 

that, the report also presented 

devastating statistics about the 

mining industry. 

Mine 2015 indicated that the 

top companies suffered their first 

collective net loss in history which 

accounts to $27 billion; a decline 

in collective market capitalization 

of 37%; the lowest return on 

capital ever; asset impairment 

totalling $53 billion; record high 

leverage of 46%, and operating 

expenditure cuts of $83 billion. 

The top 40 list is composed of 

re-entries, that moved up and 

down, and new entrants. The 

market capitalization threshold 

of the companies remained 

consistent at $4.5 despite the 

said declining statistics. 

Twelve Chinese companies are on 

the list and six are from Canada. 

Two notable companies that fell 

off the list are Canada’s First 

Quantum and Teck Resources. 

It’s not entirely bad news 

though, as there is a sector that 

had an increase in market value, 

which was the rare earths with 

the world's top producer of the 

17 elements jumping 23 places 

in the ranking. 

Here are the top 40 biggest 

mining companies as of 2015: 

72 



Photo by PwCMine2015 



73

INSIDE THE 


UNDERGROUND 

MINE 

74 



In the Chilean community of 

Machali in Cachapoal Province, 

in the Andes mountain 

range, lies the world’s largest 

underground mine. Called the El 

Teniente, it holds underground 

copper operations, which is the 

sixth biggest in the world by 

reserve size. Codelco, the stateowned 

copper miner and the 

world’s largest copper producer, 

owns and operates El Teniente. 

As of 2015, the underground 

mine has more than 3,000 

kilometers of tunnels and about 

1,500 kilometers of underground 

roads. It yields more than 

400,000 metric tons of refined 

copper per year – in 2013, they 

managed to reach a 450,000- 

tonne output; and in January 

to November of 2014, about 

423,100 tonnes of copper were 

mined. It comprises six mining 

blocks around the Braden Pipe 

at different elevations including 

the Esmeralda, Reservas Norte, 

Diablo Regimiento and Pipa 

Norte. 

The operations of Codelco are 

divided into seven, namely 

Chuquicamata, Radomiro 

Tomic, Ministro Hales, Andina, El 

Teniente, Salvador, and Gabriela 

Mistral. 

Massive ores are hauled daily 

through a railroad system, 

leading to the surface. They are 

crushed in plants and conveyed 

to a concentrator where a 

copper concentrate is produced. 

This is sent to a nearby smelter. 

This underground copper mine 

boasts as one of the first mines 

to deploy a semi-automated 

load haul dumpers for ore 

extraction. They did it in 2004. 

El Teniente’s huge copper 

deposit was discovered early in 

the 19th century. It was in 1905 

when U.S.-based Braden Copper 

Company started operations on 

the site, with block caving used 

for extracting ore. 

All Photos by CodelcoViaMining.com 



75

OLD COUPLE WOKE UP TO 

SINKHOLE CAUSED BY OLD 

MINING SHAFT 

What if you wake up one day to find 

out that your simple garden had a 

huge sinkhole on it? 

That is exactly what happened to 

a retired couple’s backyard one 

Monday where a sinkhole suddenly 

appeared and grew to a diameter 

of 15 meters on Tuesday night. This 

was the result of an old mining 

shaft which wasn’t used for decades 

already. 

Lynnette McKay and her husband 

had people from the mines 

department review the sinkhole to 

find out who should be responsible 

in repairing the hole. According to 

McKay, people were bringing in 

pumps and other things to check 

the situation. She adds, “ “We were 

seriously shocked. It was 1885 

apparently all the mining started out 

around these areas. I just got that 

bit of information from a person 

[whose] father worked in the mines.” 

While the sinkhole happened 

because of a shaft used for mining 

below the ground, this isn’t the first 

time that sinkholes and collapsed 

surfaces have occurred in Ipswich. 

The place used to be known for its 

underground mines but has been a 

residential suburbs for some time 

already. 

According to Jim Leggate, a former 

mines department environmental 

officer, “The engineering of those 

mines was pretty good but part of 

their operations was the collaptive 

roof supports [timber pillars and 

beams that inevitably rot] and in 

certain locations that would cause 

surface subsidence. And it was an 

inevitability that was conveniently 

ignored in the [mining leases].The 

problem is a lot of those underground 

mines there were operated under 

mining leases that didn’t extend to 

the surface.” 

These days, Ipswich no longer has 

a mining industry. But it definitely 

shows everyone that the past finds a 

way to haunt us. 

Photo by QuietCorner 

Photo by BrisbaneTimes 

76 



LITHIUM DEMAND 

BOOMS AHEAD 

by Farrel Pinto 

Photo by EarthsPhysicsTeaching 

Lithium Australia mulls deeper 

project and funding in lithium as 

potential demand grows in the 

emergence of renewable and 

portable storage technology. The 

Pilgangoora project in Western 

Australia is expected to expand 

its scope for mining lithium as 

the area was confirmed to be a 

pegmatite zone. Pegmatite is the 

ore containing lithium 

“I think we’re talking about a 

paradigm shift in the way people 

think about power”, Adrian 

Griffin, Managing Director of 

Lithium Australia, said pertaining 

to renewables and storage like 

lithium-ion batteries. 

The company recently completed 

a $6.55 million share replacement 

in one of the worst weeks in the 

trading history. This however 

added potentials to its business 

model for a $29 million fundraising 

drive. Lithium Australia’s stock 

trading jumped 13.3% higher, 

representing 80% more since the 

mid-January. 

The company’s confidence for plan 

expansion was led by its recent 

successful production of lithium 

hydroxide. Lithium hydroxide is an 

added chemical used in production 

of batteries and represents a big 

market at the back of increased 

electric car manufacture. Adrian 

Griffin believes that lithium can 

be traded either as carbonate or 

hydroxide and that the market is 

hungry for both. 

He also added that the lithium 

carbonate is at $10,000 per ton 

and the lithium hydroxide at 

$14,000 per ton spotting a very 

significant price increase in the 

late 2015. For instance, Lithium 

carbonate was at low trade in 

early December for $10, 0540 but 

increased highly late in December 

at $14,362. 

It is expected that more 

companies will be investing in 

lithium production as stocks have 

been increasing due to forecasted 

demands of lithium batteries in 

the future. 

Photo by Weebly 



77

Photo by ResolutionPossible 

Photo by SMI 

Photo by BritanniaMining 

Photo by RoyalBafokengPlatinum 

How Mining Companies 

Give Back To Communities 

Mining companies get a bad reputation 

for most people who do not understand 

the importance of what they are doing. 

For anti-mining activists, the extraction of 

minerals and metals from different lands 

lead to the destruction of the environment. 

This is what some people would like to 

believe. Forget the importance of the 

metals and minerals extracted to supply 

society’s demands - mining is bad for the 

environment, mining is bad for us. That’s 

exactly what anti-mining organizations 

want us to believe. 

But through responsible mining and 

proper information dissemination, mining 

companies can shed some light on the 

benefits of the activity and how it’s not 

necessarily bad for the environment at 

all. Another thing they do is to involve the 

communities where mining companies 

are located in their activities through 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) 

programs. These are voluntary actions 

that will help benefit the communities 

involved. Whether it benefits the locals 

socially, economically or environmentally, 

mining companies would take the initiative 

to offer programs that could help people 

and have a better relationship with them. 

As we all know, the future of a mining 

company depends on the relations 

between the company and the locals. If 

the locals don’t support a mining company, 

chances are there will be delays on future 

projects and problems in getting permits 

for an operation to push through. 

So what exactly do these companies offer 

in their CSR programs? 

There are a lot of choices for different 

communities. The most common 

program involves development of 

different infrastructure. Roads will be 

built to provide better transportation 

while hospitals and schools will become 

available for the community as well. Since 

mining companies are found in rural areas, 

electricity may also be prioritized for the 

community. 

Jobs are also given to the locals. Not 

only are the jobs available to provide 

people with income, some companies 

offer jobs that involve training to prepare 

these people for a sustainable living. 

These programs may be beneficial to the 

community even if mining companies 

leave them after operation. 

Lastly, CSR programs may involve building 

social capital. To give back to communities, 

companies can provide free education 

for the children to go to school to. They 

can provide families on different types 

of information including family planning, 

HIV prevention, proper hygiene and many 

more. 

While some people still question the 

ulterior motives of mining companies in 

having the initiative to do these programs, 

we really can’t help but approve of these 

CSR programs. After all, they still get to 

help different communities improve their 

way of life. 

78 



South Africa 

Photo by 911Metallurgist 

MINING 

DISASTERS YOU 

NEVER WANT 

TO WITNESS 

France 


China 


Wales (United Kingdom) 

Photo by WalesOnline 

Working in a mining site is not an easy job. In fact, working in one means 

knowing you may never get to live to see the bright skies and your families if 

you’re not too careful at your job. Sometimes, unfortunate accidents happen 

and cause a lot of consequences to different mining companies. Given the risks 

involved in mining, a lot of companies make sure that they practice safe work 

ethics. 

Of course, one still couldn’t avoid an accident. The world witnessed a lot of 

horrifying accidents that caused a lot of lives. If there’s one thing people can 

learn from these events, it’s that companies should invest a lot on making sure 

everyone who works for them are safe in the workplace. It also pays to hire the 

best crisis management team in case of emergencies. 

In this article, we list down some of the mining industry’s worst accidents that 

ever happened: 

In South Africa 

The mine disaster in Coalbrook, South Africa urged the South Africans to change 

the way companies dealt with the work safety issues. Back in 1960, 437 miners 

were trapped in a section of the Coalbrook mine because of a rock fall. Due to 

methane poisoning, only 20 people survived because no equipment was able to 

take the workers out of the mine. This lead the companies to invest on a suitable 

rescue drilling equipment. 

In France 

Around 1099 people died when a coal-dust explosion destroyed the Courrieres 

mine in 1906. Two-thirds of the miners working there died. Children also died in 

the explosion. Those who survived suffered from burns and got sick by the gases. 

In China 

In the Benxihu Colliery, a coal-dust explosion occurred back in 1942. The 

accident cost 1,549 lives and it took around 10 days to remove all the bodies. 

In Wales (United Kingdom) 

Back in 1913, the famous Senghenydd Colliery disaster happened. A methane 

explosion occurred which ignited a coal dust. Around 439 miners were killed and 

is considered the most deadly mine accident in United Kingdom. 

In Japan 

An accident occurred in the Japanese Mitsubishi Hojyo coal mine. Back in 1914, 

a gas explosion killed around 687 workers. Another accident occurred in 1963 

which killed 458 miners in the Mitsui Miike coal mine from carbon monoxide 

poisoning. 

Japan 




79

BEAUTIFUL 

MINERALS 

AND 

STONES 

YOU 

WANT 

FOR YOUR 

COLLECTION 

Contrary to popular belief, not 

everything you dig out of land 

is dirty and ugly. Some of the 

jewelry most powerful men and 

women wear came from the 

ground. Before it went through 

all the refining and polishing 

processes, miners, scientists and 

engineers had to use different 

processes to extract these 

minerals and gemstones from 

the deepest parts of Earth. 

Back in college, we had to 

identify different types of 

minerals and stones in order for 

us to pass. What was once an 

assumption that these types of 

classes would be boring turned 

into one of the best classes 

we’ve ever had. You see, most of 

us believed that these minerals 

and stones would only be boring 

to look at. We expected to see 

different shades of gray and 

black. When the professors 

started showing us the minerals 

and stones they’ve collected 

around the world, we were 

amazed at how beautiful they 

are. Some of my classmates even 

wanted to steal them given their 

value and beauty. 

Now, we see more of them on the 

internet. As we surf the internet 

and search for beautiful minerals 

and stones, we see beautiful ones 

that really exist! Here are some 

of the most beautiful minerals 

and stones we found on the 

internet. 

80 



Azurite 

Photo by BoredPanda 

Rose Quartz Geode 

Photo by BlazePress 

Uvarovite 


Bismuth 


Opal Fossil 


Fluorite 


Titanium Quartz 


Amethyst Geode 


Tourmaline 


Opal 


Chrysocolia in Malachite 




81

GineersNow Engineering Magazine November 2016 Issue No 009

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