Senior Underground Planning Engineer

Summary about this job

Detail information about job Senior Underground Planning Engineer. Terms and conditions vacancy

• Ability to make decisions and drive new projects
• Opportunity to put your planning skills into action
• Perth based role, be home every night

Westgold Resources is a Western Australian gold producer with four operating mining centres spanning Norseman to Doolgunna. Since acquisition of its first gold asset in October 2013, the company has completed five other significant acquisitions with all assets since purchase in production within a 18 month timeframe. Westgold is a gold mining producer – from Res Def drill bit to Gold Room crucible the company focuses on safe, profitable and productive mining.

Westgold is currently operating 8 open pit mines and 6 underground mines – feeding four separate Processing Plants in each mining centre. Forecasted  production for CY2018 is 300koz with targets of +400koz in coming years – with growth from internal expansion as well as external acquisitions / agreements.   

The four mining centres within the company portfolio – Higginsville Gold Operations, Cue Gold Operations, Meekatharra Gold Operations and Fortnum Gold Mine – all have current defined mine life’s out beyond 2022, with CGO and MGO having a 10 year 2027 LOM Plan (market released on 8th December 2017). The WGX 2017 Resource tally of 16.0M ounces, with 46Mt @ 2.3g/t for 3.4kMoz in Reserve, highlights the long life position of the company and its further ability to leverage within the increasing Australian gold price environment. Included within the Reserve tally are formidable underground assets of Big Bell, Great Fingall, Paddy’s Flat and Starlight.

Big Bell Gold Mine (since 1904) has produced 32.8Mt’s @ 2.8g/t for 2.9Moz, and is known as one of 5 top UG mines in Australia. WGX is in its final stages of dewatering 2.0M cubes of water within the sub level cave void and has commenced rehabilitation of the historical decline over the last 12 months. Current mine plan has 10Mt’s @ 3.0g/t for 965koz (10 year Reserve) with extraction utilizing twin declines and abutment retreating sub level cave fronts. First development ore is forecast in November 2018.

Great Fingall Mine (since 1899) is one of the highest grade mines in Western Australia having produced an inventory of 1.9Mt’s @ 19.5g/t for 1.2Moz. Since mining ceased in 1923, no UG extraction has occurred with recent 1990’s history excavating only an open pit on the reefs surface expression. WGX mine plan has 806kt’s @ 7.5g/t for 194k oz with narrow vein mining methods (3 year Reserve). WGX has completed dewatering of the existing pit void and commenced  portal mining in June 2018.

Starlight Mine (since 1999) was a small underground extension of the Trev’s and Starlight Open Pits (1989 to 1999 with 4.7Mt’s @ 2.8g/t for 426kozmined). Underground extraction (mined by Perilya 1999 to 2001) produced 612kt’s @ 5.8g/t for 113koz with termination of the mine resultant from Perilya’s corporate re-focus and depressed gold price. WGX completed dewatering of the asset in mid 2017 with stoping of the upper rehabilitated regions thereafter.

Paddy’s Flat Mine (since 1899) is a consolidated mining block of various historical underground mines with subsequent open pit extraction – with the area producing in excess of 14.8Mt’s @ 3.9g/t for 1.8Moz. Production prior to 1975 was dominated by Marmont, Fenian and Ingliston Consols underground mines (tallying 933k ounces) with open pit production reigning the profile thereafter. Since acquisition in May 2014, WGX has dewatered, declined and produced from the underground Resource – mining the Prohibition, Consols, Thrust and Mudlode deposits. With the deepening of the decline profile, diamond drilling of the historical Fenian Deeps Resource, with DD results of 3m @ 472.9g/t from 339m, will provide further resolution of the mine plan.

As a result of the considerable Resource and Reserve inventory, WGX is seeking an experienced Perth based Underground Mine Planner to optimize the existing operations as well as autonomously analyse the “Resource Pipeline” for forecasted underground assets.  The candidate would need to work holistically and strategically through an engineering / development study process – being cognitive of historical data, work with Resource Geologists, understand and implement the  metallurgical results, manage environmental approval timelines and processes, carry out the reviewing and costing of various underground mining methods, align geotechnical parameters and constraints to the overall plan, designation of applicable extraction equipment with maximizing efficiency, manage fit for purpose surface infrastructure requirements, be proficient in the legislative requirements of underground mines, provide budgetary level physicals / costs and communicate effectively the resultant plan to site personnel with documentation of process.

Reporting to the companies Chief Mining Engineer, the successful candidate would also have links to the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Technical Services Division to order to communicate the plan and resource adequately.    

Your Experience, Skills & Attributes:

• Tertiary qualification in Mining Engineering.
• 10+ years’ experience in UG Mine Planning – demonstrating construction of Budgets, Reserves and Life of Mines.
• ‘On hand’ experience of various underground mining methods and site operating strategies with ability to ‘think beyond’ the handbook.  
• Strong knowledge in underground mine design, scheduling and financials  
• Display ability to plan and schedule safety parallel to mining physicals rather than having safety being managed downstream.
• High level of competence in Surpac and Deswik, and or an equivalent software design packages.
• Budgets and cost control should be inherent to the applicant.
• WA First Class Mine Managers Certificate of Competency would be highly regarded.

Get on the WGX Bus for the journey and start directing the destination.