Mining at Queen's

From its inauguration in 1893, Mining Engineering at Queen's has held a significant position in the Canadian Mineral Industry. The Department is currently the largest mining school in North America and one of the largest in the world. Its graduates are involved in all facets of the Canadian mineral industry and can also be found in most major mining operations throughout the world. Currently we graduate about 33% of the total number of mining and mineral processing engineers within Canada. We serve the entire Canadian industry and have developed an international base as well. Our engineers work in base metals, gold, iron ore, industrial minerals, coal, uranium, oil, with consulting companies, geotechnical groups, environmental groups, heavy and light equipment manufacturing companies, computer software and hardware development organizations, banks, government institutions and university organizations. The Mining Department at Queen's is at the forefront in developing computer applications for engineering design and works in close contact with the mineral industry.

Traditionally, mining engineering has been one of the broadest engineering fields offering the most general program. A mining engineer is required to be familiar with all of the engineering work involved in the operation of a mining project from the initial discovery stage to the marketing of a final product. For this reason, mining engineers receive some basic training in each of the major engineering fields. The Mining Engineering program consists of three major options, Mining, Mineral Processing and Mine Environment and Mine-Mechanical.

Within these categories there exists a broad study and research capability encompassing areas of significance to the Canadian mining industry. Heavy emphasis is placed throughout the program on the application of computer technology. Mining Engineers at Queen's receive basic preparation in Electrical, Civil, Industrial, Mechanical, Metallurgical and Chemical Engineering concepts in order to be able to relate to and coordinate work in these fields. Furthermore specialized preparation in areas such as computer applications, automation and robotics, mine evaluation, equipment selection, industrial equipment design, heavy equipment maintenance, transportation systems, mine design and planning, rock mechanics, explosives technology, drilling and blasting, mineral processing, plant and process design, management and labour relations, environmental control and energy related topics ensures a broad exposure to technical issues and provides a high employment potential.

Mining Option

The Mining Option is designed to produce engineers capable of designing, operating and managing a mining operation. Mining engineers acquire knowledge about all relevant mining processes, from exploration to production, also including management and environmental issues. Production and engineering operations involve computerized planning, excavation design, drilling and blasting, ore handling, dispatching systems, equipment automation, and mine services including mine ventilation and dewatering.

Mineral Processing and Environmental Option

The Mineral Processing and Environmental Option is designed to produce engineers capable of designing, operating and controlling the plants that treat mined ore to produce a valuable product for market. Mineral processing engineers also design and operate the environmental processes required by government regulations. Mineral processing engineers acquire knowledge about all relevant separation and extraction methods, flowsheet development, instrumentation and process control, marketing and environmental technology.

Mine-Mechanical Option

The Mine-Mechanical Option is designed to produce engineers who understand heavy and specialized equipment applications in the mining and construction industry and are capable of designing, modifying and maintaining this equipment. The program is structured to provide good career flexibility covering mining operations, equipment design andapplications, and engineering houses, contractors and equipment manufacturers.

Before completing their program, all mining students will either design and analyze an underground or open pit mine installation, conduct a detailed feasibility study of a process plant flow sheet and layout, or evaluate and design mechanical requirements associated with a mine and/or plant facility. Computer aided design and control systems are essential in the design and operation of mines and mineral extraction plants. Computer applications in the mineral industry make up an integral part of our program of study in all three options.