Engineers are always at high demand at mines and with mining companies. Engineers from all walks of sciences such as civil/structural, electrical, electronics/instrumentation, environmental science, geological, mechanical, metallurgy/chemical, and mining engineering are employed by the mining companies.
Civil and structural engineers perform the duties of planning, designing, and overseeing the construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities. They take care of all the construction and structural work at the mine sites and around it. Electrical engineers plan and supervise the power generating equipment at the mine sites. They also decide on the type and arrangement of circuits and transformers. They work toward constant improvement of electrical products such as motors and equipment. Electronics and instrumentation engineers plan and implement research methodology and procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to mining projects.
Environmental science engineers develop ways of minimizing harm to the environment, based on the study and assessment of processes, environmental legislation and physical, biological, social and cultural environments. Geological engineers investigate the engineering feasibility of planned new developments involving soil, rock and groundwater. Mechanical engineers undertake the design and construction of resource development projects. Metallurgy and chemical engineers study and apply physical methods for separating minerals from their ores using magnetic, electric, gravity or chemical methods. Mining engineers conduct investigations of mineral deposits and undertake evaluations in collaboration with geologists, other earth scientists and economists to determine whether the mineral deposits can be mined profitably.