Role of Geology in Mining Industry 1

ROLE OF GEOLOGY IN MINING INDUSTRY

By:
Izhar Mithal Jiskani
Department of Mining Engineering,
Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro
http://miningmuet.webs.com , Email: imjiskani@engineer.com

WHAT IS GEOLOGY?

Geology is the study of the earth's crust and its rock formations, and includes
classifying and mapping of the composition and distribution of mineral deposits
contained in the earth's formations. In the mining industry, this knowledge is
applied to find additional mineral resources and to upgrade existing resources.

ROLE OF GEOLOGY IN MINING INDUSTRY

Geology has the vital role to the mining industry because it helps to ensure that
the minerals are efficiently extracted from the deposit for maximum profit and to
locate deposits of important minerals and determine whether the quantities are
large enough to make mining economically viable.

Typical work activities of geology in mining industry include: mapping, recording

and compiling geological data in and around the mine, exploring, dating and
sampling mineral deposits, interpreting and mapping the geology of a mine,
preparing and presenting data; checking the quality levels of materials produced
for reserve assessment, classifying resources, assessing geo-techniques, and
updating detailed databases etc

Izhar Mithal Jiskani (http://miningmuet.webs.com)

Role of Geology in Mining Industry 2

This provides the mining engineer with details of the location, structure and
distribution of ore in a deposit. Furthermore, it delineates the ore reserves on
which the mine's life depends, using geo-scientific techniques to predict the grade
and structure of ore bodies in unknown areas. It plays a crucial role in the
optimization of the ore body and is intimately involved in the mine planning

Geology provide advice and expertise on the geological aspects of development

and production in mine, pit and quarry sites. In overseeing drilling and surface
exploration programs, and also help to determine likely directions for future
development.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, geology make the mining engineers

to assure the quality of the minerals, rocks and gems extracted, as well as
ensuring the safety of the extraction process. As mine geologists are often
responsible for estimating the mine reserve, numeracy and computer literacy
usually form a key part of the job role.

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http://miningmuet.webs.com

Izhar Mithal Jiskani (http://miningmuet.webs.com)