"So...what do you actually do?"

Since I've started my job, I've heard that quite a bit.  I usually just say, "Oh, I play with dirt all day" or something along those lines.  Well, for whoever's interested...here's what I actually "do".

I work in an analytical chemistry lab for a mining company.  My department performs tests on blasthole samples for different company minesites.  We also perform similar testing on core samples for the company's various exploration ventures.  My company mines copper, molybdenum, and recovers gold as a byproduct of the copper refining (SX/EW) process.  In addition, I test the Sulfuric acid samples from the Safford Acid Plant to ensure quality and consistency in their process.  I can hear it now...huh?  Let me break it down a little:

When a company mines copper (or any material really), they must move a lot of dirt and ground.  We like to say, we move mountains.  In order to do this, specialized equipment is used that can move extremely large amounts of rock from one area of the mine to another.

Our haul trucks are rated to carry 300 tons (600,000 pounds!) of rock at one time.

When the pit is expanded, the area is blasted to break up the rock.  After a blast, a 30-50 pound sample of rock is bagged up and sent to the lab for analysis.  When the sample arrives at the lab, another department dries and mills this sample, and sends an envelope containing approximately 100 grams of sample for analysis.  When we receive the sample for analysis, it has been milled to the consistency of face powder.  Pretty cool, eh?  We then analyze the sample to determine the total amount of copper, how much of it is able to be leached (taken out of the ground using acid), and the amounts of Molybdenum and a few other minerals.  On our end, the process is similar for core samples.  Really, the only difference between the two types of samples is how the information gained is used.  After a blasthole is analyzed, the results determine whether or how we will use the rock in that area, or whether it is sent to the reject pile.  After a core (or exploration) sample is analyzed, the company uses that information to determine whether it would be profitable to expand operations into that area.  Our blasthole samples come from North America.

Core samples may come from anywhere the company is engaging in exploration.  I've processed samples from as far away as Africa and Indonesia.

Now you know a little more about my super exciting job :)