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Mining Engineering

Who is a Mining Engineer?

A Mining Engineer is a person who is academically qualified in the field of engineering, and who is capable of determining the value of a mine; a mining engineer decides whether a specific mine is safe, productive and he/she plans ways of extracting deposits from underneath the earth's surface.

What does a Mining Engineer do?

The job of a mining engineer is to make a technical report for miners, geologists, other types of engineers and on-site managers. When a mine is to be carved out or constructed, a mining engineer has to design it in the safest and most fruitful way possible; this is to facilitate the effective mineral removal, such as coal and metals, so they can be used in industries. A mining engineer often works with a geological engineer.

What are the skills required?

Besides the requisite academic skills, a Mining Engineer must show the following traits:

  • Problem-solving skills/analytical ability

  • Independence

  • Confidence and courage

  • Ability to work in a team

  • Team-leading skills

  • Communication skills

  • Abilities in the domain of Information Technology

Top colleges offering courses on Mining Engineering

Being a Mining Engineer is a tough job, but a challenging one. If you are interested in learning about rocks and minerals and the use of technology employed in their function and removal, then you can attend one of the programmes at some of the following educational institutions:

  • Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (B.Tech in Mining Engineering)

  • Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi (B.Tech Mining Engineering)

  • National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka (B.Tech in Mining Engineering)

  • National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (B.Tech in Mining Engineering)

  • National Institute of Technology, Raipur (B.Tech Mining Engineering)

  • Government Polytechnic, Nagpur (Diploma in Mining and Mine Surveying)

  • Osmania University, Hyderabad (ME Mining Engineering)

  • BITS, Hyderabad (B.Tech Mining Engineering)

In India, there are two ways that courses lead to a Bachelors' Degree in Mining Engineering; Bachelor of Engineering or B.E. or Bachelor of Technology or B.Tech, and Diploma courses. These are 4-year graduate programmes, done after grade 12 (10+2). One has to take Chemistry, Maths and Physics, and preferably computers or electronics in grade 12. There are also Engineering Entrance Exams that are a requirement (along with marks in Grade 12) to gain admission into any Engineering field.

Career scope

The prospects of a career as a Mining Engineer are varied and quite abundant in India. Mining Engineering is that field of engineering that uses aspects and features of science and technology in techniques, to take minerals and other natural resources out from under the earth.

What Mining Engineers do, is survey, plan, estimate the costs, and find ways to best remove minerals from the earth. At the same time, they have to weigh the pros and cons of waste management and environmental sustainability.

A mining engineer often works in a team with civil engineers, geotechnical specialists and metallurgical engineers. Common concepts are shared by all these engineering disciplines. Both government and private sector jobs exist for a Mining Engineer.

These may be in the areas of consulting, marketing, product management, etc. Besides minerals, there are other resources under the earth's surface; firms involved in the excavation of these also recruit mining engineers.

Another field open to Mining Engineers is that of research and development; archaeological agencies may employ mining engineers for excavation work. When one attains a Master's Degree in mining engineering (M.E., M.Tech or even M.Sc.), one can opt for a job as a teacher or lecturer at any technical education institution.

One can also take up research and do a Doctorate in Mining Engineering. The job of a mining engineer generally involves on-site work, which involves hands-on work even at the mine itself. Some mining engineers work indoors in mineral processing units.

Some of the main job profiles available to mining engineers are as follows:

  • Plant Supervisor

  • Mine Supervisor

  • Plant Manager

  • Assistant Mining Engineer

  • Chief Mining Engineer

What does a Mining Engineer make?

The average salary is Rs 611,192/year

Which books/study material is available?

An entrance exam has to be given after/during grade 12 for any engineering Bachelors' Degree Course. The IIT-JEE or JEE Main is an exam that covers state board colleges as well as private ones. Candidates wishing to take these tests to join tutorial classes for coaching or one can search for course books on the internet. Many are available.

Major recruiters

The following are key recruiters that employ mining engineers:

  • Geological Survey of India

  • Archaeological Survey of India

  • Oil and Natural Gas Companies

  • Coal and Mineral Quarries

  • OIL (Oil India Limited)

  • ONGC

  • Refineries

  • Coal India Limited

  • Private Mineral Processing and Extracting Plants

  • SAIL

  • TATA Steel

  • R&D Labs and Firms

Interesting facts

Chandrani Prasad, now 42 years old, fought against all odds when she chose to study mining engineering. She enthusiastically pursued it as a career. She is proud to be called India’s first woman mining engineer.