7 things you did not know about Geoenergy & Geostorage Engineering and Mining Engineering

Minerals and energy resources are widely employed within the renewable energy sector to work toward a carbon-free future. Yet, Mining and Geoenergy & Geostorage Engineering are still generally misunderstood, despite these facets of engineering producing the raw materials that are necessary in every stage of human life.

Professor Ismet Canbulat, Head of the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering at UNSW, emphasises the inability of humankind to function without the resource industry.

“Minerals and energy are essential for the survival of humanity. Survival in a way that we support many industries, including medicine, construction, water, space, farming, anything and everything that you can think of.

“The energy and resources industry are part of the solution, not part of the problem. We are here to help humankind survive, and we support humankind through different industries and in those industries, without minerals and energy resources, for example, we are not going to get the medication we need. We are not going to have farming, communication, construction, or transportation.”

“Mining engineering is required to support renewable energy while Geoenergy & Geostorage engineering will support carbon sequestration and net zero emission economy. Therefore, when you put the two together, we are destined to help humanity to go and achieve a carbon free future.”

Here are some things you might not have known or have misunderstood about geoenergy & geostorage and mining engineering.

What exactly is geoenergy & geostorage and mining engineering?

Mining engineering does not only deal with coal and neither does geoenergy & geostorage engineering only deal with oil and gas.

There is a signifcant misconception that the energy and resources industries are only centred around fossil fuels.  On the contrary, these industries are integral in powering and shaping our everyday lives. Mining Engineering is responsible for extracting the essential minerals and geological materials from the Earth. On the other hand, Geoenergy & Geostorage Engineering deals with the recovery of hydrocarbons which can be crude oil or natural gas.

If you look at the periodic table, many metals, metalloids, and noble gases are all used in everything that is created and developed today. From gold to aluminium to lead to zinc, to hydrocarbons and many more, it is thanks to Geoenergy & Geostorage and Mining Engineering, that these resources can be utilised for the things we need.

From energy generation for electricity, food processing, developing metal-based compounds in healthcare, developing electronics such as your smartphone and many more.

Fun fact: it takes more than 40 mined metals and rare earth minerals to produce a smartphone (Minerals Council of Australia, opens in a new window).

The minerals and energy resources industry carry the nation

During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the minerals and resources industry that provided for the nation. Despite job cuts in other industries, there was a pronounced employment growth in the resource industry; over 15,000 jobs were added in 2021, proving the stability of the sector. The Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association has identified 107 new projects creating almost 27,000 jobs over the next five years.

Mining is the largest contributor to the Australian economy, accounting for almost 10 per cent of GDP. In 2023-24, the resources sector is expected to account for 66 per cent ($417 billion) of the nation’s export revenue.

The sector is also the nation’s largest taxpayer, paying $74.6 billion in company tax and royalties combined in 2022-23. This highlights the crucial role mining plays in keeping our economy strong and funding the essential services that Australians rely on every day.

Geoenergy & Geostorage and Mining Engineering are needed in achieving net-zero carbon future

The minerals and energy resources industry is a leader in supporting future energy pursuits. Importantly, there will be no carbon free future without the mining of critical minerals to develop the technologies needed to support the industries working toward environmental sustainability. If you are passionate about mother nature and want to fight climate change, then a career in minerals and energy resources engineering should become your focal point.

Once sector heavily reliant on mining is the renewable energy sector. For instance, the development of solar panels requires critical minerals such as copper for wiring, boron for the semi-conductor and silicon for the panels which simply cannot be produced without mining. Additionally, catalytic converters which reduce emissions from exhaust gas into a more environmentally friendly gas are another technological advancement made possible. This device is comprised of critical minerals such as iron, platinum, nickel and many more.

Further, electric vehicles (EV’s) are increasingly becoming popular, and by 2030, they will account for the sale of 48% of all new cars, opens in a new window. The sales of EV’s will form an elementary part of ensuring environmental sustainability and secure the future of renewable energy, but it cannot be achieved without mining. This is because the batteries, car body windscreens, connectors, brakes and various other components are all manufactured using critical minerals, which are derived from mining.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a by-product of various human activities, including industrial waste pollution, especially from the generation of power and transportation. To reduce CO₂  emission, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) technology is required. One of the CO₂   storage methods is geological storage, which is also called carbon geo-sequestration. Emitted CO₂ is captured and then stored in deep earth for permanent storage.

Thus, CCUS will be an important part of the portfolio of technologies and measures needed to achieve climate and energy goals.

Many future technologies are being developed and used within Geoenergy & Geostorage and Mining Engineering

As society accelerates towards a more circular, sustainable future, the resource industry is finding innovative ways to turn our finite natural resources into a wellspring of innovation and opportunity.

One of these methods is through resource rehabilitation. When resources have been extracted from the Earth, resource rehabilitation restores the land back to its original state and can even improve and renew the ecosystem so much so, that you would never believe that the area was once a site of resource extraction. This process can include rehabilitating with vegetation, sea reefs or even turning it to a farmland.

As geoenergy & geostorage and mining engineering are key industries for socio-economic growth, many future technologies will be used in these industries. Automation is a key technology being utilised within the resource industry with most manual processes becoming automatic with the increase of driverless vehicles. This means that safety in mines would be increased and that machines can be operated remotely by mining engineers who will ensure that the technology operates efficiently.

Off Earth mining used to once be a subject of fiction but is fast becoming a reality. As resources are limited, research is being undertaken on potential resources that can be extracted from the Moon and other planets such as Mars. These resources can then be used to supplement resources on earth and possibly even begin civilisation on the moon. This is expected to be a possibility in 20 to 30 years!

Data analytics is another area that is increasingly growing. With the increase in automation and artificial intelligence, there is a larger amount of data produced. Optimised data fusion is fast becoming employed to make more efficient decisions. Various research projects   at the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering (MERE) use visualisation data analytics to solve industry problems and utilise this for future operations. At the Mine Internet of Things (MIoT) & Indoor Positioning Indoor Navigation (IPIN) Lab, data analytics are used to inform engineers of operations, boost productivity, and increase safety.

It is an adaptable field – diversity in career options

The skills acquired in both geoenergy & geostorage and mining engineering can be applied across a diverse range of fields apart from the resources industry.  Since both disciplines combine knowledge and technical skills from a broad range of learning areas, geoenergy & geostorage and mining engineers can effectively collaborate with other professionals such as geologists and scientists to solve complex, real-world challenges.

Both geoenergy & geostorage and mining engineering degrees can lead to diverse career paths that are not limited to resource exploration alone. It is a huge misconception that mining engineers can only work in mines, or that geoenergy & geostorage engineers only work in oil rigs. Graduates from both fields can work in management, consulting, inspecting, economists and even as engineers in other industries.

Find out more in careers in minerals and energy resources.

Opportunities galore- flexibility with work schedules

One area that the resources industry excels in is the flexibility of working hours and many travel opportunities offered. You may be interested to know that the resource industry has always offered flexible working environments, even pre-pandemic!

Due to the need to work on site at certain stages, most workers employed in the resources industry will travel not just nationally but internationally when the need arises. Workers usually practice long distance commuting (LDC), either flying in and flying out (FIFO), or driving in and driving out (DIDO) to remote job sites. They would then spend anywhere between 1-2 weeks at the job site and then spend some weeks at home. This makes it a perfect role suitable for those who are looking to rest from work for a while or go on a holiday. An example of a typical working schedule for a remote mining engineer includes working 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, working for 12 hours per shift. This is completely up to the worker to pick which option suits their lifestyle best.

This flexibility enables individuals to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Other workers might choose to live closer to remote sites in Western Australia or Queensland. Workers report positive experiences working FIFO or DIDO, the high salaries, flexibility of work schedules, travel opportunities, length of shifts and availability of positions.

This is not to say that office and indoor roles do not exist, as managerial and research positions are aplenty within laboratories and offices. However, the work location may vary from time to time, from remote drilling sites to offices and research laboratories.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) might be a major component, but it is not all

Just like any other industry, there are vital soft skills that every worker must have. The resource industry looks for a strong technical background as well as excellent communication skills so that engineers will be able to collaborate with teammates both on-site and off-site.

Creativity is another paramount skill and perhaps the most important one. This is because when there is an engineering problem that affects society, it takes a large amount of creativity to produce ideas that could provide a viable solution to the ongoing problem. Innovation is an important aspect of engineering and being able to curate potential solutions and explore uncertainties is a vital skill to have.

Networking within the industry is another skill. At Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering (MERE), there are strong ties between the school and industry partners which has resulted in collaborations with industries on several research projects. Industry mentoring is also offered to ensure that students gain networking skills and be industry aware and ready upon graduation.