What's your job about?
Byrnecut is a contracting company and we look after the underground mining operations for the mine owner. I work at a site called Carrapateena, which is in South Australia. Here they mine copper, gold and silver using a sub-level caving method. Sub-level caving is a mass mining method in which the ore is drilled and blasted while the waste rock caves and fills the space created by the extraction of ore (Cokayne Citation1982).
As a Graduate Project Engineer, my role in a nutshell involves developing business improvement initiatives to reduce costs, maximise productivity and improve safety. That means I work closely with the Project manager and Superintendents to communicate and track our business targets. Essentially the role evolves looking after the project as a business to generate income efficiently and safely within the confines of the contractual requirements/agreement with the client (mine owner). In that respect, I have to prepare daily and monthly reports while ensuring appropriate records are maintained of the day-to-day operations of the business. As you can imagine safety is a major focus when working in a mine, it comes first before anything. Everything we do, ought to be done safely and according to the procedures set in place to ensure everyone goes back home the same way they came.
What's your background?
I grew up in a small mining town in Zimbabwe, which aroused my interest in minerals and metals. I remember there was a railway that used to run through the town to go to an iron ore smelter. As it would call past, sometimes the train would drop coal on the side of the railway so I would pick up the coal thinking it had gold in it. It turns out that it was pyrite, fool’s gold!
I moved to Australia in 2016 and started my 5-year Petroleum and Mining Engineering degree at the University of Adelaide as an international student. When I got here, I didn’t know anyone, so the first year I spent acclimatising to the environment and making friends. While I was studying, I ran my own landscaping business which I enjoyed.
In 2019, I got a summer vacation job with a mine owner/operator in Western Australia. That was my first time working on a mine, doing day-to-day development designs. This was when I realised the importance of safety, which is something that you don’t often learn at university. Safety governs what we do and what we’re able to achieve.
In the Summer of 2020, I did some more vacation work as an Underground Truck Operator for the owner of Carrapateena, which is the mine I currently work at. At that time, a different contractor was operating the site, so when Byrnecut won the contract, I was offered a position in their Graduate Program.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
My role is not that complicated, I would like to believe anyone can be able to do this job if they are willing to learn. However, the main requirement is to have a degree in Mining Engineering or something related. I had a colleague once doing the same job as me who held a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. First, you need to ask yourself where you need to be in the next 5 years and from that follow the pathway you are most passionate about to develop yourself.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
I like the projects that I get to work on. Helping other people and making their life easier motivates me and I wake up in the morning knowing that I’m making a difference and achieving something.
Working underground is also really cool. As a Graduate of Byrnecut, you will spend some time underground gaining practical experience. Some of the roles I did include Trucking, Service Crew, Nippering, Production and Development Charge up and Production Drill. I enjoyed Development Charge-Up the most. It’s very fast-paced and busy. At the end of the day, you walk out feeling like a hero! As a Project Engineer, I am based in the site office, but I try to go underground when I can.
What are the limitations of your job?
As a Project Engineer, I work in the site office. It isn’t as active as when you are underground which was something that I enjoyed when I was gaining practical experience.
I also work two weeks on, and two weeks off the roster. I would prefer a shorter roster, however, my back-to-back flight from interstate, so this suits him better. In saying that, although I am at work for two weeks, I also get to enjoy two weeks break! It gives you enough time to go on holiday and see new places.
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