Uranium Production and Mining Education in Southern Africa

Prof Nielen van der Merwe School of Mining Engineering

University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg

Technical Meeting: Uranium Production Network IAEA, Vienna October 2012

Source: US Energy Information Administration

OECD = Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Source: www.wise-uranium.org

Rossing Mine, Namibia

South African gold mine

Arlit Mine, Niger

Does Africa need a network?

Africa has abundant resources, more coming

Continent largely under developed

Political uncertainty (nationalisation?)

Mining education under severe stress

Substantial expertise in consultancies

Provider Network Links

Consultants – Hatch, TWP Consultants – others will follow

Universities – Pretoria, Witwatersrand, University of Johannesburg

Institute – Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Home of mining technical societies in region

Local branches in 5 provinces

Regional branches in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, DRC

Publishes Journal, organises symposia, facilitates short courses

Mining Education in Africa

Several mining schools listed, few currently active, no known accreditation:

Ghana – Ghana School of Mines

Botswana – University of Botswana, new? BIUST - intention

Egypt– Assiut, Cairo University

Zambia – University of Zambia School of Mines

Zimbabwe – University of Zimbabwe – in trouble

DRC - developing

Nigeria

South Africa – Washington Accord Accreditation

University of Pretoria – 200 under graduate students, 6 faculty

University of Johannesburg – Diploma

University of South Africa – Diploma, staff shortage

University of Witwatersrand – 500 under graduate students, 20 faculty, strong short course program

Severe poaching activity with teaching decline in Europe, USA

Wits School of Mining Engineering

Brief Overview

FIRST YEAR:

Chemistry I (Aux)

Mathematics I

Mining Graphics

Engineering Skills (Mining)

Physics I

Mechanics

Practical Training (Mining)

SECOND YEAR:

Applied Mathematics IIA

Electrical Engineering

Geology IA

Geology IB

Mathematics II (half-course)

Computer Applications in Mining

Excavation Engineering

Engineering Surveying

Practical Workshop Training (Mining)

Special Requirement Vacation Work I (Mining)

THIRD YEAR:

Ore Dressing & Extractive Metallurgy

Ore Body Modelling

Industrial & Research Seminars I

Mining Laboratories

Computerised Mine Design

Vacation Work II (Mining)

Applied Mining Subjects, i.e. Technical Valuation, Mine

Transportation, Rock Mechanics, Mine Ventilation &

Climate Control, Mine Surveying, Mining A, Health,

Safety & Mine Environment

FOURTH YEAR:

Industrial & Research Seminars II

Project Report

Applied Mining Subjects, i.e. Mining B (Gold), Mining C

(Coal), Mining D (Massive Ore Bodies), Mining E (Open

Pit and Surface), Rock Engineering Mine Management

Principles, Mine Management Techniques, and

Financial Valuation

Mine Design – Capstone Course

Wits Mining Curriculum

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1999 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Total Under Graduate

Demographic Composition

Black Male

Black Female

White

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1st to 2nd Year Throughput %

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Total Post Graduate

GDE, M.Eng, MSc Eng,PhD

Wits Postgraduate programme

MSc (Dissertation & 50:50) Areas Specializations (AoS)

• Coal Engineering & Development

• Environment & Sustainable Development

• Mechanised Mining Systems

• Mineral Economics

• Mineral Resource Evaluation

• Mineral Resource Management

• Mine Planning and Optimisation

• Mine Surveying

• Mine Ventilation Engineering

• Mining Geology

• Occupational Health and Safety

• Operations Management in Mining - DMR appointment a requirement

• Rock Engineering

• Valuation of Mineral Assets

PhD (Mining Engineering)

2011 Achievements

• Success with attracting and retaining high-caliber staff – 7 of the 20 FT academic

staff have Doctorate degrees, who include 4 Full professors and 1 Associate Professor

• First year throughput – 40% first year progression rate increased to 60% as a result of

support schemes and mentoring scheme for 1st and 2nd year students

• Transformed programme - 36% female students and 50% black academic staff

• Significant research improvement – Five-fold in 2010, again in 2012, School Research

Productivity (2.03) now above national average of 1.97

• Strong industry partnerships – Several sponsors - financial and bursary support

• Two well-managed Centres (CSMI and CMMS) – Both research active with a strong

industry service approach to address the skills shortage

• International linkages and recognition as a Leading Mining School internationally

Brief Overview

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Membership

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Membership Trends

Company Affiliate

Student

Retired Associate

Associate

Retired Member

Member

Life Member

Retired Fellow

Fellow

Life Fellow

Honorary Fellow

Honorary Life Fellow

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Members Africa except RSA

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Membership

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

UK USA Other Europe Canada Australasia South America

Mideast

Other Countries

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Membership

0

5

10

15

20

25

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Turnover Growth (R Million)

Turnover directly related to activity

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Membership

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Re

lati

ve G

row

th (2

00

2 B

ase

)

Activity vs Membership GrowthTurnover 2012 Base

Activity Growth

Membership Growth

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Membership

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Delegate-Days per Event

Total = 8 700

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Events

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

Sponsorship per Delegate-Day

Average = R450 / delegate / day

SAIMM 1894 – 2012 and counting: Events

WITS MINING RESEARCH INSTITUTE

An Institute to advance the sustainability of

the Mining Sector and affected Societies

WMRI

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Mining Research Effort RSA

Coalbrook disaster

CSIR

COMRO

Centre for

Environmental

Rights

NEDLAC

NUM, Solidarity, UASA

MQA

School of Law,

CALS

P&DM, WBS, SEBS School of Social Sciences, SWOP, CAIR School of

Education, EPU

Legislation and

Regulations

Management and

Governance

Labour

Society

Continuing and

Voc. Educ. and

Training

Acts: Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development, MHSA, Water, EMA

Integration Assessment of

cases

Risk management

Economics Business Negotiations Evaluation and

Results (CLEAR)

Women in mining Employment

conditions Housing Disabilities/HIV-

AIDS Sociology of HIV-

AIDS Labour movements

Community engagement

Conflict and Governance

Migration BEE and class

formation Households Globalization Economic

development

Voc. & prof. education

Articulation of curricula

Labour supply and demand

Access to educ. & training

Secondary occupations

Existing Wits activities in Humanities, and Commerce, Law and Management

Geology Mining and

Safety

Occupational Health

& Hygiene

Minerals

Beneficiation

Energy Environmental

Economic Geology

Mining Geology Mineralogy Exploration

Geology Geophysics Ore deposit

modelling Engineering

Geology Environmental

Geology ASM

Mine Planning and Design

Geostatistics Mining

Technologies Rock

mechanics

Mine

managmnt.

ASM

Ventilation and cooling

Silicosis Silica related

diseases Tuberculosis and

HIV Musculoskeletal disorders Respiratory

diseases

Minerals processing

Comminution Hydrometallurgy Pyrometallurgy Clean Coal

Technologies Waste water Corrosion and

wear

Energy efficiency

Deep level mining Power

electronics Electric

Systems Diagnostics

Automation and control

Systems Engineering

EIA Pollution Rehabilitation Mine closure Water

management Hydrology Environmental

Management Post mining

landscapes

School of

Geosciences,

Africa Array

Schools of Mining

& Mech. Ind &

Aer. Eng., CSMI,

CMMS

School of Public

Health

School of Chem. &

Met. Engineering,

CoE Strong Matls.

School of

Electrical & Info.

Engineering.

Schools of APES,

Chem., Civil & Env.

Engng., EEPP

CSIR Centre for Mining Innovation MINTEK SANERI

NIOH

GCS Mine Health and Safety Council

Existing Wits activities in Science, Health and Engineering & Built Environment

MiningIndustry

Tax regime

Engineering design

Mineral law and policy

Health and safety

Environmental impact

Energy efficiency

R & D - including testing

Technical

Management

Community

Sustainability

Labour relations

State relations

Wars

Exploration

Investment law

Energy availability

Geology

Social setting

Feasibility

Sustainability assessment

Environmental impact assessment

Labour prospects

Politics/history

Policy

Unemployment

Environmental impact

Post-mining economic viability

Water availability

After Mine Closes

Cycle of mining

Wits Mining Research Institute

Capacity Processes

Paper ResearchAcademic Research Concept documents;

Research reports

Centre of Excellence

Laboratory testing; Demonstration models

Standard labs

Institute

Prototype development

Production of final product

Project Management

Institute Development Plan

Year Full Time Staff

Co-opted Staff

Graduate Students

Turnover (ZAR Million)

2012 0.4 + 1 0 9 0.5

2013 3 5 12 3

2014 5 7 15 15

2015 10 10 20 25

2020 50 15 50 - 100 200

Done