QLD

The start of a new year often means job seekers are at their most active – keen for fresh challenges and a potential new job.  As you embark on your job search, here are a few less obvious tips for you to think about.  It’s often the smaller details we overlook, yet can determine our job search success.

Australia’s gas production – for domestic and export markets – continues to increase every year.  But petroleum liquids production is still failing.  In 2000-01 Australia produced 272.4 million barrels (MMbbl) of petroleum liquids.  By 2010-11 this had fallen to 183.7MMbbl.  This ongoing decline is dramatically increasing the nation’s trade deficit.

Contrary to the norm, my journey started well before I actually worked for a miner. I left high school in 1989 not knowing what I wanted to do. Mining didn’t even rate a mention in those days as it wasn’t the media focus it is now. University wasn’t an option for me as I’d had enough of studying. Besides, I don’t think my TE score would have got me into any university! I eventually joined the Navy after nothing else took my fancy.

This scholarship allows the winner to spend a week of work experience with Atlas Copco in Australia, followed by two weeks with Atlas Copco in Sweden. It is open to all student members of The AusIMM who are in their penultimate or final year of a recognised minerals-related course. For one week with Atlas Copco in Australia, the winner of the scholarship will gain some practical experience using Atlas Copco's mining equipment and will also understand how Atlas Copco works with the Australian mining industry.

Mark Adams joined MMG in November 2011, and officially took the reigns at MMG’s Century mine in north-west Queensland last week following the departure of former General Manager Karl Spaleck.

In addition to managing Century, Mark will provide Operations leadership to MMG’s Dugald River development project, located about 85 kilometres north-east of Mount Isa.

With extensive experience managing operations in Queensland and Western Australia, Mark was most recently Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Barminco.

Jody Elliott, Director of The Resource Channel speaks to ABC Radio's Babs McHugh about the increasing challenge of securing new resource sector workers as other countries ramp up their own operations and projects, demanding some 250,000 new entrants.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rural/resource/201201/r882802_8761919.mp3

Named after the classical Greek word for fish, the Ichthys Project is expected to produce 12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas and 527 million barrels of high value condensate over its 40-year life.

INPEX and joint venture partner Total achieved the Final Investment Decision (FID) for this US$34 billion project on the 13th of January 2012. INPEX Chairman Naoki Kuroda made the announcement in Darwin.

A new course has been launched by the Mining Industry Skills Centre designed to provide mining job seekers with a better understanding of life in the industry.

Dubbed 'Drill Down' - the course looks at everything from terminology and accommodation issues through to shift work and dealing with isolation - to familiarise potential miners with the reality of the industry.

As the engineering, construction and project manager for the Caval Ridge project, Bechtel is developing a new coal mine for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).  Situated in the northern part of the Bowen Basin, southeast of Moranbah, the mine site has been identified as a quality hard coking coal resource to support BMA’s growth plans.