Society of Mining Engineers - Mehran Student Chapter

Mining is the foundation of industrial civilization. It is the process of extracting minerals like gold, silver, copper, nickel and uranium (metallic) and salt, potash, coal and oil (nonmetallic) formations that concentrate naturally in the earth.

It may surprise you, but other than agricultural products, the raw ingredients for everything else in our modern lives comes from mining; from the minerals in your toothpaste to the plastic case and gold circuits in your computer, to the metal frame of your automobile and even the road itself, to the salt on your dinner table and the silver chain around your neck.

Mining Engineers design and operate mines. Mining Engineering is one part technical design and one part business management. Mining engineers are responsible for deciding how valuable a mineral deposit is and how best to mine it, for planning the day-to-day schedule and path of mining to maximize extraction and profit, and for ensuring the safety of people and equipment through mine ventilation and rock mechanics.

As with other engineers, a thorough understanding of fundamental mathematics and sciences are required. However, mining engineers also require an understanding of a number of aspects of other engineering disciplines including Civil, Electrical, Geological, Mechanical and Computer engineering. Unlike other engineers, Mining Engineers have the added challenge of working in rock from thousands of metres above and below sea level.