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2024
September
Mining and Mineral Processing Week at UR Engineering

Mining and Mineral Processing Week at UR Engineering

Name: Mining and Mineral Processing Week at UR Engineering
Start: Mon Sep 16 10:00:00 CST 2024
End: Fri Sep 20 12:00:00 CST 2024

September 16 – 20, 2024
In Person Presentations
All are welcome and attendance is free.

But registration is encouraged for the sessions.

Please register here.

The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science is pleased to welcome everyone to participate in the Mining & Mineral Processing Week at UR Engineering. Canada is a global leader in mining and minerals exploration, extraction and recovery. It is expected that such activities will grow substantially in the current era of energy transition. However, this bounty comes with significant challenges as well as opportunities. We must commit to protecting the environment, ensuring local and indigenous communities benefit and that resources are produced responsibly and sustainably. For example, zero impact mining and mineral processing is still not easily achieved, and putting material and manpower below ground is not without hazard and risk. This week we will learn about potash production, mineral refinement, careers and opportunities in the sector, extraction of lithium from brine, and uranium mining. These presentations are being shared with our new partner university in Vietnam, the Hanoi University of Mining and Geology. We welcome everyone to what will surely be an exciting and educational opportunity for all.

Monday, September 16, 2024

Innovation and Opportunities in Potash Mining

Presented by Kimberly Rinas and Grant Shaver from The Mosaic Company

9:30 a.m. in ED 191 (ENGG 703 Class)

Kimberly Rinas is an engineer with over 17 years of experience in the mining and fertilizer industries. After graduating with a degree in Industrial Systems Engineering, Kimberly joined The Mosaic Company and has held various roles involving capital design, project management, process engineering, production support, technology development, and innovation. Currently, she is an Applied Process Technology Manager where she leads a team of researchers, scientists, and engineers in creating cutting-edge solutions for the mining and fertilizer sectors. In addition to her technical skills, Kimberly is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in mining.

Grant Shaver is the Senior Process Engineering Manager at The Mosaic Company where he leads a team of engineers focused on process improvement projects across Mosaic’s North American potash operations. With a background in Industrial Systems Engineering and nearly two decades of experience in the mining industry, Grant has consistently driven improvements in efficiency and productivity. Grant’s past roles and areas of expertise include R&D, process engineering, operations, production modeling, and strategic planning.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

An Introduction to the Minerals Industry and its Opportunities

Presented by Al Shpyth from International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII)

11:30 a.m. in EA 106 (ENGG 100 class)

Al Shpyth joined the IMII in December 2015 and became executive director on January 1, 2016. Al brought more than 30 years of consulting (Delcan, EcoMetrix), government (Province of Saskatchewan) and industry (Uranerz Exploration & Mining, Cameco Corporation, Canadian Nuclear Association) experience related to mining and the minerals sector to the IMII. A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan in 1986, he obtained his master’s degrees in environmental studies from York University in 1991 and in environmental law and policy from the Vermont Law School, where he graduated with highest honours, in 2014. Al’s minerals-related work has taken him across Canada (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia), the United States and Central Asia (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan). With the IMII, Al has led the creation of AIMday Minerals, DEMOday, IDEATE, Diversity & Inclusion Challenges, the Alternative Energy Systems Innovation Challenge, and the iMpowered Scholarship, among other innovation initiatives.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Lithium Processing from Brine
Presented by Brendan Bishop from University of Regina – Geology
12:00 p.m. (Noon) in ED 558

Brendan Bishop is a PhD candidate and NSERC CGS-D recipient in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Regina. His research focuses on geofluids and exploration for critical minerals from new sources including lithium from basinal brines and rare earth elements from coal waste. Growing up in a small town in northeastern Alberta, he received his BSc and MSc degrees in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Alberta.

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Mining Research at HUMG - Prediction of Blast-Induced Flyrock Distance Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Metaheuristics-Optimized ANFIS Neural Networks
Presented by Dr. Hoang Nguyen from Hanoi University of Mining and Geology (HUMG)
9:30 a.m. in ED 193

Dr. Hoang Nguyen is a highly accomplished lecturer and researcher at Hanoi University of Mining and Geology (HUMG) in Vietnam. In 2020, he earned his Ph.D. from the Surface Mining Department, Faculty of Mining, HUMG. He currently leads the Innovations for Sustainable and Responsible Mining (ISRM) Key Research Group at HUMG with over 100 papers in reputed journals published.

Friday, September 20, 2024

Critical Careers for Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals

Presented by Pam Schwann, President of the Saskatchewan Mining Association

12:00 p.m. (Noon) in ED 193

The overall labour supply in Saskatchewan for all occupations is expected to grow by 19% from 597,494 in 2023 to 708,435 in 2034, largely on the strength of population growth from provincial immigration. With roughly 2% of the labour supply, Saskatchewan’s mining sector is projected to capture 11,131 workers by 2034. So, can Saskatchewan’s mining labour market sustain its future growth?