Engineer: Drill & Blast – SWAKOP URANIUM

To provide timely, safe and efficient drill and blast designs in order to achieve mine production targets, and achieve continuous improvement in mining and processing efficiency.

– Design drilling parameters’- blasthole diameters, sub-drill, angled holes, drill pattern and continually research new methods to improving these.
– Design blasting parameters e.g. burden, spacing, powder factor, stemming height to ensure optimum fragmentation of the ground and continually seek to improve these.
– Minimize blast damage to pit walls through effective drill and blast design.
– Monitor and interprets vibration analysis and develops a controlled blasting programme to prevent damages to infrastructure.
– Monitor the performance of the blasthole drills in use and recommend techniques required to improve productivity.
– Ensure, in collaboration with the General Drilling Supervisor, that holes are drilled to the correct pattern depth and inclination to achieve the desired blast results.
– Capture and analyse drilling and blasting results and prepare relevant reports accordingly, i.e. all relevant data to allow the preparation of plan and design technical reports, and monthly departmental reports.
– Evaluate potential performance of various explosives and assesses applicability to the mining operations.
– Maintain professional and technical knowledge and skills, and remains up to date with international standards in own related field trends and practices, by networking and attending training, seminars, conferences and formal qualification.

– B. Sc./B Tech Degree in Mining Engineering
– Blasting Certificate (Open Pit).
– At least 3 years’ experience in a large open pit Mining environment.
– Excellent understanding of Drilling and Blasting techniques in a large hard rock open pit Mining operation.
– Contract management experience is a distinct advantage.
– Exposure to multi-national, ethnic and cultural environment.
– Code B/BE Driver’s License.