The newsletter of the Metallurgical Society of The AusIMM | Vol 1 2013

In this edition: Notes from the Chair | New publications | Chartered Professionalism | Future of minerals research | MetPlant 2013

The Bulletin | MetSoc Committee | Social media

Notes from the Chair

The major event so far this year for

MetSoc was the launch of the 3rd Edition

of the ‘Mawby Volumes’, the

Australasian Mining and Metallurgical

Operating Practices (AMMOP)

overview of Australasian mining and

metallurgical practices. Several MetSoc

committee members worked on this over

a number of years and we acknowledge

John Canterford (who suggested the new

edition), Helen Stanton, who developed a

model template in conjunction with

Queensland Nickel and Andrew Newell,

and who further developed templates.

Peter Tilyard and I worked to gain

broader support and to propose a project

team and we owe much to Ian Gould and

Leigh Clifford for the former and to Rob

Burns (Project Manager) and John

Rankin (Editor) who became the key

people in the team.

Support from Jenni Stiffe, Kristy Burt

and Stephanie Omizzolo in the AusIMM

Publications team was crucial and the

AMMOP Committee chaired by Peter

McCarthy kept the project team on track.

The funding required to develop and

publish the volumes came entirely from

the industry contributions. The

descriptions of operations were written

by a large group of volunteers from the

companies. MetSoc has been proud to

have played a key role in initiating and

supporting the project, and we thank

everybody who was involved for a

superb publication.

Andrew Newell and Diana Drinkwater

have written an informative article about

why practising members should become

Chartered Professional. They also

explain Registered Engineer in

Queensland, and the implications here

are that other states are considering

registration for engineers.

Congress will be in Darwin this year on

26-28 April. There will be a meeting of

representatives from the societies and

MetSoc will be exploring ideas for new

society activities and avenues for funding

society activities. Any member with

suggestions is invited to contact David

Pollard.

The metallurgy conference this year is

MetPlant, in Perth 15-17 July. There will

be three associated short courses and a

site visit to a manufacturer of HPGR

rolls and large mill shells. A summary of

the themes is given separately. A listing

of metallurgy relevant conferences is

shown at the end of the newsletter, and it

includes Critical Minerals, Uranium,

MetPlant, Iron Ore and Geometallurgy.

Finally, we note the passing of Ron

Davey, a metallurgist who had a

significant effect on the understanding

and development of non-ferrous smelting

and refining in Australia and the world.

Rod Grant’s obituary for Ron was

published in the April edition of The

Bulletin.

David Pollard HonFAusIMM

Most readers will be aware of two

landmark AusIMM publications events

that took place in February.

A true milestone was the launch of

Australasian Mining and Metallurgical

Operating Practices, inscribed also as The

Sir Maurice Mawby Memorial Volume.

This is the third edition of what was

colloquially referred to as the Mawby volumes (published in 1980 and 1993).

The Metallurgical Society is proud of its

advocacy and support of this great project

and congratulates the project team

responsible. The technical contents, are as

we have come to expect from the previous

two editions, are of the highest standards

and are supported by excellent graphics

and illustrations. At 1920 pages it is

almost 400 pages longer than the previous

edition. It is available as a boxed set and

as a CD. To call it a ‘worthy addition to

any technical library’ is to do it a grave

injustice.

The first edition of the Cost Estimation

Handbook was produced in 1993. The

second edition is about 25 per cent bigger

and has come in under the radar amidst the fanfare of the AMMOP release. There is

no contemporary equivalent anywhere that

we know of. While AMMOP provides a

staggering amount of information, the

Cost Estimation Handbook is (as its name

suggests) more of a ‘how to’ publication

that, like AMMOP, every metallurgist

should own or have access to.

Congratulations to the steering committees

and reviewers on this publication.

Reviews for both publications are being

planned for inclusion in upcoming editions

of The Bulletin.

Metsoc thanks the many of its members

who contributed to these publications.

New editions of popular AusIMM publications by Peter Tilyard FAusIMM(CP)

New publications

To begin with, we need to define what a Chartered Professional

(CP) is, and what sets them apart from anyone else with minerals

-related tertiary qualifications. Clearly the word ‘professional’ is

significant, as it carries connotations of capability, experience,

wisdom, trustworthiness and elevated status.

Rick West, Vice-Chair of the AusIMM Board of Chartered

Professionals, defines a Chartered Professional in this way:

‘Chartered Professionals are members of a profession (in our

case, professionals who practise in the mining industry) who, as

a self-regulating professional group are accountable to their

peers. They have accepted an obligation to keep up to date with

developing knowledge in their major areas of practice, follow

and adhere to the various codes of practice used within their

industry and are regarded as having wide general experience,

people and planning skills and the ability to stand back and view

the big picture as well as their own assigned areas, such that

they assess, develop, learn and handle changing conditions and

they foresee and manage risk.’

At present metallurgy is one of six disciplines for which

AusIMM CP accreditation is awarded. The full list comprises:

Mining

Metallurgy

Geology

Environment

Management

Geotechnical (Mining).

Thus CP accreditation adds a new dimension to your

professional standing. Being a CP establishes you as an

experienced and qualified metallurgist with a commitment to

ongoing professional development. This accreditation indicates

your level of experience, which may be relevant for undertaking

consulting roles and will be recognised wherever you practice in

the world.

AusIMM Chartered Professional accreditation is also recognised

as a membership requirement for preparing reports under

Canadian NI-43 101. Your name is kept on a register by The

AusIMM, which can be accessed by anyone looking for

identifiable professionals in key minerals industry disciplines

such as geoscience, metallurgy and mining engineering.

The benefits to an individual of having CP accreditation go well

beyond recognition and personal prestige, however. As project

managers focus increasingly on risk management, it is becoming

common for professional registration to be a requirement for

engineering practice. In NSW, there is a new test for professional

negligence, which states that for the law to apply the person must

be a ‘practicing professional’. CP accreditation is a

demonstration that you meet this requirement.

Registration of CP accreditation and maintenance of standards is

overseen by the CP Board. By implication, a ‘professional’ can

be expected to be competent, to behave ethically and to stay up

to date, and it is the job of the CP Board to ensure that those who

hold CP accreditation meet these expectations. The By-Laws of

the Board of Chartered Professionals provide details of the

eligibility, behaviours and ethics expected of a CP.

The AusIMM is also an approved assessing authority for the

Board of Professional Engineers Queensland (BPEQ). Registered

Professional Engineer, Queensland (RPEQ) is a Queensland

Government requirement for metallurgists practising in

Queensland where they are involved in the process of preparing

and signing off on engineering construction drawings that are

subsequently built. This role can be either direct or indirect (eg

managing a team) and includes process calculations and

engineering designs. Other states such as Western Australia and

New South Wales are considering introducing this legislation.

An overview is presented on the BPEQ website.

The accreditation process through The AusIMM is based on the

Chartered Professional application form. The schedule of fees

(including GST) is as follows:

AusIMM Chartered Professional members – $220

AusIMM members – $385

Non-AusIMM members – $420

Once accredited by The AusIMM, a registration form is

completed with the Board of Professional Engineers Queensland

(BPEQ) (Form2 Application for Registration) along with an

application and the annual fee ($50.15 and $185.15 respectively).

So in summary, CP accreditation is an endorsement of your

proficiency as an engineer or metallurgist. To demonstrate your

CP accreditation you are permitted to use an individualised

Chartered Professional seal available either in electronic format

or as a rubber stamp, and you will be permitted to use the letters

CP after your name as part of your AusIMM membership post

nominal, either with or without being discipline specific (ie John

Citizen MAusIMM(CP), or Jane Citizen MAusIMM CP(Met)).

Applying for CP accreditation

Details of the requirements and the accreditation process can be

found and downloaded from The AusIMM website. Applications

can be made after at least five years of relevant experience in the

discipline being applied for and require the submission of a

current resume, a personal statement of competency

(demonstrating professional competence and adherence to a

professional code of ethics) and details of three sponsors who

can attest to the competency of the applicant. The application

form can be downloaded from The AusIMM website.

One important aspect of CP accreditation is a commitment to

maintaining your technical and professional skills. As stated in

the By-Laws:

‘Members shall continue their professional development

throughout their careers and shall actively assist and encourage

those under their direction to advance their knowledge and

experience’ (By-Law 7).

In this way you can be relied on to contribute directly and

indirectly to the professional advancement of the minerals

industry, by adding to the body of knowledge and expertise,

raising professional standards, ensuring the profession remains

dynamic and enhancing the professions public image.

The AusIMM currently waives all CP accreditation and audit

fees.

Chartered professionalism

Page 2

Being an AusIMM Chartered Professional (Metallurgy) by Andrew Newell MAusIMM(CP) and Diana Drinkwater MAusIMM

Page 3

Specific guidelines for Chartered Professional (Metallurgy)

The guidelines define a metallurgist as, ‘a professional who

either investigates, plans, designs or directly controls the

process of converting minerals produced by mining into primary

commodities of economic value in sufficient quantity to be used

in the manufacture of economic goods; or specifies or directly

controls the process of using suitable metals or alloys thereof or

other commodities in the manufacture of useful items.’

The AusIMM requires that metallurgy must be the applicant’s

main technical discipline and that they are a Member or Fellow

of The AusIMM. Applicants must also supply evidence that they

have at least five years of technical experience in either a broad

representative selection of the main facets of metallurgy, as

would be expected from an applicant with substantial operational

experience, or at least one specialist area of metallurgical

practice from the following list (provided for guidance, but not

expected to be exhaustive or comprehensive):

1. process investigation and testwork

2. flowsheet development and plant design

3. project appraisal

4. project planning and management

5. operational management

6. hydrometallurgy (including electrowinning)

7. roasting, smelting and refining

8. comminution and sizing

9. materials handling

10. coal washing

11. infrastructure management.

There is also a mechanism for transferring between disciplines,

for those professionals moving from technical roles into

management, the CP Board encourages you to apply for

accreditation under the discipline of Management. If you feel

that you can maintain the PD hours to keep both CP

accreditations you may do so but most professionals opt to resign

from their technical CP and devote their time to CP

Management.

The By-Laws of the Board of Chartered Professionals can be

found on The AusIMM website and provide details of the

eligibility, behaviours and ethics expected for a CP.

Maintaining your CP accreditation

Once admitted as a Chartered Professional, you are required to

maintain a logbook of your professional development (PD)

completing a minimum of 50 hours per year averaged over a

rolling three year period. PD includes attending courses,

workshops and conferences, preparing and presenting papers,

mentoring and many more activities (guidelines can be found on

The AusIMM website). A log book in spreadsheet format is

available here from the website. Log books are audited, typically

every three to five years. The AusIMM also recently released an

online logbook, which is available here.

Professional development involves two equally important

components:

1. formal education and engagement with technical

specialists

2. on-the-job skill enhancement via optimisation, project

work and site visits.

It is also important to demonstrate an engagement with the

metallurgical ‘community of knowledge’ and importantly this

should include mentoring and delivery of technical papers

(giving knowledge) as well as reading technical literature and

attending conferences and training courses (receiving

knowledge).

Chartered Professionals have a responsibility to keep records of

their PD activities and these must be available for audit. An

individual can expect to be audited once every three to five

years. Failure to meet the audit requirements, or an audit which

shows non-compliance with the CP requirements, will result in

removal of CP accreditation.

Management

The AusIMM keeps a Chartered Professional Register which is

managed by the Board of Chartered Professionals. The specific

objectives of the Board of Chartered Professionals are:

1. to ensure the fulfilment of the aims and objectives of the

Chartered Professional scheme which includes

accreditation of Chartered Professionals, and supervision

of a Professional Development scheme

2. to promote and ensure adherence to the highest possible

standards of competence, conduct and continuing

development amongst Chartered Professionals

3. to protect The AusIMM and its Chartered Professionals

from the actions of persons or organisations that might

erode the Chartered Professional standards of conduct

and probity

4. to act for Chartered Professionals in matters of common

concern and

5. to promote the interests of its Chartered Professionals by

maintaining and enhancing their status.

The AusIMM regularly liaises with kindred bodies and learned

societies within Australia and overseas including setting and

maintaining of standards, procedures for accreditation and

ethical matters.

Currently there are 1126 Chartered Professional members listed

on the AusIMM register. If you want to be included on this list,

please visit the AusIMM website.

Contribute

If you have any feedback, would like to make a suggestion or

contribute to the MetSoc News with an article or comment piece,

please email the Secretariat Donna Edwards via:

dedwards@ausimm.com.au

or alternatively contact Peter Tilyard via:

peter.tilyard@mmg.com.

Contribute to MetSoc News

Chartered professionalism, continued

At the Delprat Lecture in Melbourne last year, David Pollard

made the observation that the whole area of research in the

minerals area appeared to have weakened substantially in

Australia over recent years. He questioned Professor Alban

Lynch (the Delprat Lecturer) about its future. In turn Alban

suggested I might be better able to comment on this.

The answer I gave was related to the cyclic nature of the industry

and really did not attempt to open up the complexity of the

question. I suspect it was neither the time nor place to do so. In

thinking about this after the event, maybe it would be useful to

expand my thinking on the topic.

There is no doubt that the industry is cyclic in nature. Alban

pointed out the drivers for this using copper and cement as

examples. During the 50s, 60s, 70s and part of the 80s he

showed that Australia led a wonderful era of world class

innovation particularly in the metalliferous industry. But since

then in the 90s and 00s the drivers were not there. The inference

was that this has led to a cyclic downturn in innovation (and

R&D support).

While this is probably true it fails to acknowledge the

complexity of the innovation process in the mineral industry.

When we look back over that 30 to 40 year successful period,

not only were there strong drivers for change but there were very

strong technical leaders in the industry and the R&D community.

One without the other would not have been sufficient for the

huge technical changes that were made.

Alban also mentioned AMIRA in this

context. The role of AMIRA was to ensure

that the interaction between the industry

technical leaders and the appropriate

research leaders was appropriately

managed. The synergy of this relationship

between the industry and research leaders

was the key to the successful innovation

that took place.

But we need to note the timeframes

involved. In the 50s, while there were strong leaders in the

industry, the research community was only just beginning to be

built. Their leadership strength became evident in the 60s. As

Alban pointed out some of the innovations that developed took

several decades to come to fruition.

Let us now look at some of the huge changes that have occurred

since the 80s. It has become much more international in its

focus. Furthermore the intermediate sized companies that played

such an important role in the earlier innovation period (eg Zinc

Corporation, Cobar Mines Pty Ltd, Bougainville Copper,

Aberfoyle) are largely gone. The current Australian

metalliferous industry is dominated by a few major organisations

(major on the world scale!) and a few smaller organisations.

There is still some evidence of strong technical leadership in

some companies which is leading to successful innovation. The

20 year work in Rio Tinto relating to mining equipment and rail

automation is one example. But they have had to tap world class

technical leadership in the research community from areas

outside what we have traditionally assumed is the minerals

research area. However, the high level technical leadership

evident in the previous period has, in my view, weakened over

the past couple of decades. There is less evidence of senior

management’s focus on technical innovation.

Successful innovation in the minerals industry is a 10-20 year

process but all our timeframes seem to have been severely

shortened. Management must respond to quite short term cost

issues. The necessary culture in technical teams that has taken

years to build can be destroyed overnight by cost cutting

exercises. Governments, too, who have traditionally provided

funding support for the research community, have severely

shortened their funding timeframes. This has left some quality

research teams with no guarantee they will survive the long

innovation grind.

As Alban pointed out the future areas of innovation for the

metalliferous industry must occur in areas like pre-concentration,

very fine grinding and classification. I suspect this, like the Rio

Tinto automation work mentioned earlier, will require research

leadership from areas outside the traditional minerals research

areas.

If we are to have another surge of successful innovation, we will

need to rebuild the strengths, both in the industry and in the

research community, that drove the highly successful period of

the 60s, 70s and 80s. And that will not happen quickly!

Will this be possible? Yes I am sure it will be. Will it happen in

Australia? I am not so sure. With the changed nature of the

Australian industry and the fact that Australia has become a very

expensive place to do business, I think we will not again be the

dominant player we were in the previous period. I think it is

more likely the centre of gravity of the innovation will move

overseas, perhaps, to places like China.

So what does this say for the future of university courses

producing graduates for the industry? You only have to look at

some of the figures coming from some overseas countries to

realise we are now a small fish in a very big pond. Companies

can source staff from anywhere around the world and will do so.

So while our courses will obviously still feed much of the

Australian industry’s needs, they will increasingly be competing

with a huge off-shore supply. Excellence and perhaps niche

areas will be required for them to remain competitive.

The question of the future of minerals research in Australia by Jim May, former Chief Executive of AMIRA (1968-94)

The future of minerals research

Page 4

If we are to have another surge of successful innovation, we will need to rebuild the strengths, both in the industry and in the research community, that drove the highly successful period of the 60s, 70s and 80s.

Page 5

MetPlant 2013 will be extended to two and a half days to allow

more papers to be presented. There will also be a Poster Paper

session running during the conference – poster presentations will

have full papers included in the Proceedings.

As always, the conference aims to present a snapshot of World’s

Best Practice in Metallurgical Design and Operating

Strategies and this year there are some very relevant themes

running through the program.

The collection of about 50 papers is particularly topical,

addressing many areas of current high interest. Abstracts are

available on the MetPlant 2013 website.

Keynote papers address some fundamental issues and questions

in designing plants, and this theme is followed through by

several papers including examination of the business case as a

crucial element of the design, challenges of projects at remote

sites, and integrated waste management and risk minimisation for

tailings dam design.

Re-configuring plants for changed feed, the viability of re-

furbished mills and integration of maintenance services are

topical subjects. Sustainability is the subject of several papers,

including the economic case for off-grid solar vs diesel, flotation

power optimisation, a study of how changes in metallurgy affect

environmental impact and closure, and the effect of equipment

sizing on efficiency and plant flexibility.

The two pre-conference short courses will be Sampling for

Process Control and Mill Reconciliation by Francis Pitard and

Heap Leaching: Uranium, Copper, Gold and Nickel by

Graeme Miller. More details about these course can be found on

the conference website.

Following the conference JKTech will present a short course on

Energy Efficient Comminution and a site visit will be offered

by Hofmann Engineering who manufacture HPGRs and large

mill shells as well large mining equipment.

Connect with The AusIMM across our various social media

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MetSoc Committee

David Pollard (Chair)

david.pollard@internode.on.net

Peter Tilyard (Vice Chair)

peter.tilyard@mmg.com

Ben Murphy (Treasurer)

ben.murphy@outotec.com

Diana Drinkwater

Simon Donegan

Dr Rod Grant

Richard Holder

Hans Liang

Dr Andrew Newell

Ben Sedgwick

Dr Philip Stewart

Secretariat and AusIMM contact:

Donna Edwards

Senior Coordinator,

Society and Committee Services,

The AusIMM

dedwards@ausimm.com.au

The AusIMM is not responsible for statements made or opinions advanced by authors in this publication and accept no liability (including liability in negligence) for and given no undertaking concerning the accuracy, completeness or fitness for the

If you would like to contribute to The Bulletin, please contact the Editor via

editor@ausimm.com.au.

August edition Article proposal deadline 31 May

Regional Feature: New Zealand

New South Wales

Gold

Minerals Education

Health & Safety

October edition Article proposal deadline 31 July

Regional Feature: Vic/Tas

Geometallurgy

Mine Ventilation

Water in Mining

Resource & Reserve Estimation

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