Many questions runs through my mind in 2016 when I was about to start the journey of my 5 years mining engineering study in Federal University of Technology Akure. I kept asking myself, which field is wealth host as far as Engineering is concern?
Why?
Because I am aware of how many graduates have nothing doing after NYSC than to start from square one"learning peti trade"
The first thing that comes into my mind was the abundant availability of mineral resources in Nigeria my country.
I know From economics, establishment of companies in any country depend vividly on the availability of raw materials. I also understand from news that, the chance of getting job in my country is narrow if the wrong course is study but wide if the right course is study.
But to be candidly speaking, there is no wrong or right department, the only problem is that most final year student produced from most institutions are usually valueless. Some may study Geology without any useful Geology mineral incense in their head.
The problem when it comes to education is that, "Is not always the amount of the dog in the fight, but the amount of the fight in the dog". The mineral appearance in terms of color is not the employee concern but the streak produce when strike on operation streak plate. As a Mining Engineering student, what color will you produce in labour market, what can you offer ? What can you do in a unique way? What can you contribute to change the stope and the productivity of a mine?
As a graduate of any department, you most have some skills and things you can answer to, things you can handle yourself in your own way.
Who is a Miner?
A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, or other mineral from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, or otherwise working and removing the rock.
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually from an orebody, lode, vein, seam, reef or placer deposits. These deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to the miner.
Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay. Mining is required to obtain any material that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or created artificially in a laboratory or factory. Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water.
The gold that we buy, sell and use for occasions was formed millions of years ago in in the outer space, when a star exploded or became a supernova. During the formation of Earth, asteroids carried masses of gold and it was spread across the crust of the earth's surface.
Gold is from outer space. Isn't it interesting to think about how something that came millions of miles away is being used for daily use, and our stock exchange depends on the buying and selling of it. Even the technology we use and many medical purposes include the use of gold. All of this is possible because of mining.
Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay. Mining is required to obtain any material that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or created artificially in a laboratory or factory. Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water.
Scope of Mining
The earth has its many resources. The rich layers of minerals have helped us survive for centuries now. These resources are found in a very different form in the earth's atmosphere compared to the forms in which we use them.The gold that we buy, sell and use for occasions was formed millions of years ago in in the outer space, when a star exploded or became a supernova. During the formation of Earth, asteroids carried masses of gold and it was spread across the crust of the earth's surface.
Gold is from outer space. Isn't it interesting to think about how something that came millions of miles away is being used for daily use, and our stock exchange depends on the buying and selling of it. Even the technology we use and many medical purposes include the use of gold. All of this is possible because of mining.
Key skills for mining engineers
- Confidence.
- Problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Organisation and efficiency.
- Independence.
- Strong technical skills.
- Teamworking skills.
- Managerial and interpersonal skills.
- IT skills.
- Technological skills
- Workplace Knowledge
- Inter-personal skills
What differenciate Mining field from every other Engineering feild is that, Mining is the mother board of Engineering. The field interaction with all other Engineering fields.
mechanical engineer
Mining field involve the use of heavy equipments like excavator, payloader, trucks, dumpers among other.
Civil Engineer
Mineral deposit are situated in remote area which is usually an undeveloped area, mining industry needs to construct an access road for hauling from the mine site to the beneficiary plant.
Mentioning few of Engineering fields.
For a mining Engineer to survive, he/she must have the knowledge of all this feilds so as to work with them economically.
As an aspiring Mining Engineer, getting knowledge from other Fields, geology, mechanical, electrical,civil, metallurgical engineering among other Fields is not a waste but a treasure for better days.
