London – 28 February 2024: Women in Mining UK 2023 Summer Internship at Centamin – Rubli Carran
Written by: Rubli Carran
The geology of the Egyptian eastern desert is beautifully exposed throughout its terrain making Egypt the perfect location to conduct mine and exploration training and is one of the reasons this eight-week internship was such a wonderful opportunity.
Throughout the eight weeks I alternated between the multiple sections of Sukari Gold Mine’s MRM department. I started with Sukari’s exploration team where I learnt the fundamentals of the region’s geology, the specific characteristics exploration geologists look for in the rock samples and where I undertook fieldwork with the team in exploring the terrain.
This was followed by a two-week period at the core yard where I learnt how to log core. Focusing on the alteration, mineralisation, geomechanics and structure that the cores displayed. This in turn led to me producing my first cross section of a region of Sukari’s underground mine. Being exposed to such in-depth geology was an incredibly valuable insight into sub-surface geology that only a mine would be able to provide.
Next was one week at the open pit which began my journey in economic geology as well as the fundamental engineering required to maintain and continue growing an open pit such as geotechnical structures, blasting techniques and explosive usage. I was also exposed to even more Sukari geology including the fault structures, which are also vital considerations in geo-engineering.
This was followed by one week at Sukari’s underground mine where I learnt how to conduct GC checks, calculate grade levels, create diamond drill plans, map underground structures, use a 3D scanner, and where I studied stope and development engineering, and even more fascinating geology from Sukari’s geology experts.
My final week before transferring to Centamin’s Eastern Desert Exploration branch EDX was with Resource Estimation, where the team creates models to assess Sukari’s optimal gold resources and reserves. Working with fundamental software such as Vulcan and Surpac provided a nice round up of how traditional geology merges with the modern.
My remaining ten days with the EDX exploration team was incredibly insightful exposure into the exploration industry. I worked on collecting soil and rock samples in the field, data analysis and interpretation and worked with vital software such as QGIS and IOGAS.
Throughout this internship I managed to gain an insight into significant aspects of a major gold producing mine from the beginnings of exploration to the final stages of the processing plant. Seeing how each aspect of geology and engineering combine to maintain such a large commercial success was a great learning experience. Mines are pillars of our global economy and provide the minerals required for a functioning modern society, and Sukari Gold Mine contributes greatly to this. I also had the privilege of meeting some very kind and caring people throughout my time creating an even more enriching experience.