What the work is
A mining engineer organises the extraction of minerals — ore, coal, building stone — in underground mines and open pits. They plan the mining work, design the workings and pit benches, calculate drilling and blasting, and watch slope stability, ventilation, the production plan and, above all, people’s safety.
A typical day
The shift briefing: assigning machines and crews and checking conditions at the face. Looking into why output is behind plan: equipment downtime, blast quality, geology. Working with the surveyors on the pit’s plan for the month. Checking compliance with industrial safety rules. The shift production report.
How to start
- Study mining, geology, rock mechanics and industrial safety.
- Learn mining and geology software and the basics of working with data.
- Do an internship at an operating mine — much of the profession is learned on site.
- Be ready for rotational shifts and remote sites.
Related professions
Oil and gas engineer, occupational safety engineer, mechanical engineer, power engineer.