What's your job about?
As an exploration geologist, the aim is to prospect areas of interest for mineral deposits. We locate, identify, and quantify the deposit.
I work mainly in the field on the reverse circulation drill rig (RC drilling) and I have also spent some time in the office compiling reports, GIS mapping and validating work that has been done in the field. I have worked in iron ore and most recently in lithium. A typical day on the field would be logging and sampling rock chips on the rig. Simply put, I analyse the rock samples, identify the minerals they contain and record that into a software called Acquire. The samples are then picked up and sent to the lab for chemical analysis. Doing this work is fun as you get to learn the interesting geology of the area, sometimes you spot significant structures on the rocks. I love working as a geologist as it’s all in your eyes, it's about what you see and attention to detail.
What's your background?
I was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa where I completed high school and university. I completed my first degree, a Bachelor of Science majoring in Geology and Geography, at the University of Witwatersrand. In my last year of university, my family relocated to Australia. In 2014 there weren’t a lot of mining jobs going therefore I found my very first job working at a Maccas in Alice Springs while I made plans to study further. When the time was right, I made the move to Perth to do a Master of Environmental Science at the University of Western Australia where I graduated in 2018. I worked as an intern and also a field technician before I applied for a graduate role in 2021 with MRL.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes absolutely! I believe however that one should have the fundamental skill which is the understanding of geology.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about my job is that it’s dynamic, I get to work at different sites every couple of months. I love the variety it’s the spice of life therefore I’m always more than happy to go to new locations and learn more interesting facts about that area.
What are the limitations of your job?
A limitation would be the use of the different software we use for mapping and modelling.