MIM - Mount Isa Mines - Glencore

 

Company Profile: Mount Isa Mines have been mining hard rock for 101 years this year. In the eighties Mount Isa Mines was one of Australia's biggest companies based on the ASX ranking in relation to capitalization.

I have been working as a fly in fly out contractor for Mount Isa Mines on and off for more than 6 years. Each year MIM - Mount Isa Mines takes on around 100 university graduates / vacation students each year. MIM the company mines Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), and Lead (Pb) at its Mount Isa operations in addition it has both concentrator and Smelting operations for Lead and Copper and Smelts. The Zinc is shipped as a concentrate via rail to the Townsville refinery for processing. These operations plus a number of satellite mining operations support a mining town of around 20,000 people. 

Mount Isa Mines

In my initial role, I found myself in the Zn Pb projects team, working as a mechanical / structural draftsperson engaging on continuous improvement projects for the Zn Pb Concentrator and Pb smelter. At this point I have significant SolidWorks modelling and detail drafting experience, I found the superintendent an inspirational leader who had many characteristics that I admired yet I found the work less inspirational or less challenging in comparison to other projects or companies that I previously work with or for. Having said that I enjoyed assisting and challenging the graduate engineers as they rotate through different areas of the company each 6 months.

Other roles I have engaged as a contractor include, fitting roles at various shutdowns including the Sinter Plant Maintenace team; the Copper Smelter Maintenace teams; and the Copper concentrator Maintenace teams.

Copper Smelting

During the last Copper Rebrick a 6-week Shutdown which happens every 4 years, I was engaged as a Draftsperson / Estimator at Site Services where many fabrication and machining projects had been planned prior to the shutdown starting. Each week, I would provide a weekly quality report on the weekly activities that occurred at Site Services, along with developing any detailed drawings along with low level Mechanical Engineering that was required along with providing cutting paths for the water jet. 

More information on the Copper Smelter rebrick shutdown can be found at MIM Cu Rebrick   

Throughout my time at MIM Mount Isa Mines, I have found that at times there is a high level of politics involved to some degree at times and I image this happens often, when a company pays some employees more than they would get anywhere else or others have a desire to climb the corporate ladder. People are more prone to protect their position than act in the benefit of the team or company. 

Having said that, these days I have been spending my time in the building services team which seems to be less about the politics and more about eating donuts at morning tea. When I think of the team, I smile, it feels like a good team, and we all do a lot of good work.

In terms of what leadership have I offered to MIM, certainly coaching leadership from my days in the Zn-Pb Projects team offering mentorship of graduate engineers when it comes to design, drafting and getting a project fabricated or constructed. Then I have offered some Transformational Leadership at site services encouraging management to take a direction of robotic welding and embracing technology where possible. These days at building services it is more Participative Leadership, and I don't think I'm referring to the donuts here.

Mount Isa Mines