Unlocking the secrets of what lies beneath us

I’ve been working for Dalradian for six years as a geological technician, but this isn’t the first time I’ve worked at a mining project in Tyrone.

In the late 1980s and early 90s I worked on the drill rigs at a local gold project. It just goes to show that mineral exploration and development has been in and around Tyrone for a while now.

I work as a geological technician as part of the geology team. I enjoy the variety of activities involved in my role and it’s exciting being a part of the search for minerals that are vital to everyday life. The first stage of any mine is prospecting, or early stage exploration. If this is successful, more advanced exploration then takes place to outline the size and nature of the mineral deposit. After that, groups of other specialists get involved to carry out engineering, environmental and other studies that determine whether mining is feasible.

Prospecting

The prospecting team carry out soil sampling. We take the samples with the landowner’s permission and then they are sent off to a lab for testing, with the results analysed by our team of geologists. We test for 50 different elements, including precious metals, base metals, rare earths, and other critical minerals. The aim is to identify promising targets for more detailed exploration through drilling and other methods in order to discover new mineral deposits.

Prospecting isn’t something new to the area, it’s been going on since the 1970’s. It’s nice being able to carry on this work with the objective of developing the modern mine that prospectors in the 70’s were working towards.

Drill Programmes

When the company are running drill programmes, I am part of the team that works on the drill core (cylinders of rock extracted from the earth by the drill rigs). We align and orientate the core for evaluation by the geologists. The geologists log the core and identify areas where ore minerals (those that contain gold, silver, copper, and other economic elements) are likely to be found. We then cut the core in half and organise for samples to be sent to the laboratory for geochemical analysis, testing the rock for a broad range of elements that may be present in each sample.

Working with Dalradian

Working with Dalradian has been a great experience. As an employer they very much look after their staff. I’ve worked in a variety of jobs over the years and one of the best things about Dalradian is the training that they provide. They are keen for people to learn new skills and to expand on the experience that employees already have. I recently graduated from Ulster University with a Distinction in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Monitoring. The company funded my diploma and supported me through my two years of study with days off to participate in online classes and complete the assignments

I’ve always had a keen interest in the environment and as someone who works for the company and is from Tyrone, it’s great to see the high importance that Dalradian pays to its environmental responsibilities. Their culture of doing things the right way is clear to see.

After many years of successful exploration and substantial investment, Dalradian’s proposed modern gold-silver-copper mine is moving through the planning process. It would be great for Tyrone to have an employer of Dalradian’s quality, providing 350 full-time jobs. It would be a huge boost for the area.