Ways in Which a Consultant Finds Work

My first job as a consulting geologist came to me in the spring of 2004. Prior to that year I had not worked as a consultant, but only as an employee of medium to large companies. When starting consulting in 2004—after an aborted attempt at finding consulting jobs during the gold crash of 1997–1998, which immediately followed the Bre-X scandal—I was returning to the business after a hiatus of more than 10 years.

— NOTE: The Bre-X scandal/scam did not cause the gold crash, although I've read opinions stating that it did. The scandal certainly made the entire process of getting funding more difficult, and in the short term, getting funding became impossible or nearly impossible for many companies, especially the Canadian juniors. The scandal did contribute to the depths that the price of gold reached and the length of time it stayed in those depths.

It was early in the year, and I had been in negotiation for a job with a certain promotional company. They had a property they wanted to drill, and they wanted me to manage the rig(s) and log whatever was going to come out of the hole. The drill rig was expected to arrive at any moment, but that expectation had been in operation for at least two months.

The mining industry was just getting back on its feet that year, and it was difficult finding drilling companies, drillers, and drill helpers. After the gold crash of 1997-1998, drillers, especially all the good ones, had fled their industry for parts known and unknown: water well drilling in California and early retirement were the two options I had heard. Good drillers can sometimes retire early, say by age 45, if they save their $$ and don't spend it all in bars while on the road.

So the start date of the drilling project kept getting postponed, and although there was certainly a lack of drillers on which to blame that postponement, I'm pretty sure that funding also had something to do with the delay. So I kept calling, and I kept hearing "two weeks from now" and "end of the month"—the latter phrase usually indicating a time three to four weeks in the future depending on when I called. I didn't have any other leads, so I kept calling.

I also understood that some boss down the hall didn't want to pay me a daily rate that added up to more than his salary—never mind that he had company benefits, including that nice company truck in which he'd just returned from some mid-afternoon trip to Home Depot. And he had an office, and a secretary, and paid-for phones, and computers, and a draftsman or CAD person, and... yada, yada. The going rate for average consulting jobs in the mid to late 1980's had been $300/day—we paid a specialist $450 in 1989 or 1990. This down-the-hall guy wanted to pay me less than $300. Needless to say, I wasn't too fond of this barely-met scrooge.

And then it was April. All this project talk had started in January or February. Out of the blue, a former colleague and friend of mine called and said he had a drilling project that was expected to run through October, maybe into November or December. He called because friends of mine—all former colleagues—had been telling everyone that I was back and needed a job.

I explained my situation to him: that I'd told another outfit that I was available for their project, but that it hadn't started yet, and that I'd been waiting on it for several weeks. And when did my friend want me to show up? Well, he said, yesterday would be really good, but the following Monday would work—and that would give me a five-day introduction to the property and project before I'd come into my part of the schedule on the Tuesday following that first Monday. In other words, I'd work five days, take three days off, and then come back and start regular 10 and 4's.

So I called the other guy to see what he knew about his drilling schedule, when would the drill rig be there and when could I start. Once again, it was looking like "end of the month" or early the following month—and, no, he couldn't promise a start date. I told him I had another offer starting yesterday, and I didn't see how I could turn it down. I felt a little uncomfortable and awkward telling him that, but he hadn't offered any kind of retainer (not usually done), nor had he found any non-drilling work to keep me at least partially employed while waiting for the rig (or the funding, or whatever). I thought maybe he was annoyed with me for at least a couple years after that, when I'd see him at meetings, but as time has gone one, I've decided it was all in my head, all my own worry.

It turns out that I took a daily rate less than the $300 I wanted, but besides being paid an average mileage rate to and from the job site for every ten-day trip, I drove a company truck on site, and received a nice per diem for food and lodging. I stayed at a place with a very low monthly rate and made most of my meals in the room. So the daily rate was close to $300 when how much I didn't spend on food and lodging was considered.

And that's how my first consulting job came to me in the spring of 2004. I didn't send a resume, and I didn't really have an interview.

Some References:
Alden, Andrew, The Bre-X Gold Scandal: First there is a gold mountain then there is no mountain: About.com Geology.

Anklin, R. E., and Varandan, Sheila, 1999, Bre-X in Hindsight: What We Know about the Busang Gold Fraud: 1999 Southwest Review International Business Research March 10-13.

Behar, Richard, 1997, Jungle Fever: The Bre-X saga is the greatest gold scam ever. But to understand the enormity of the fraud, you had to be there. Our man in Borneo tells his story: Fortune Magazine, June 9, 1997.

Branan, Nicole, 2007, Bre-X scandal ends with acquittal: Geotimes, October, 2007.

CBC News, Bre-X timeline: From boom to bust, Last Updated July 31, 2007.

Danielson, Vivian, and Whyte, James, 1997, Bre-X: Gold Today, Gone Tomorrow: Toronto, The Northern Miner, 304 p.

Danielson, Vivian, and Whyte, James, 1997, A few desperate men and a salt shaker -- An excerpt from The Northern Miner's Bre-X: Gold Today, Gone Tomorrow (paywalled): The Northern Miner, v. 83, no. 37.

Updated References 14Jun2012

Survey on Women Geoscientists and Blogs

Kim Hannula and several other colleagues are conducting a survey about how women geoscientists use blogs, both as readers of blogs and as blog authors. Please read the official request and statement about the survey at All of My Faults Are Stress Related. Note that while women and minority geoscientists are the main focus of the survey, others are welcome to participate.

Hydrology Positions

I recently got an email stating the Tetra Tech has several job openings:

...we have a lot of job openings throughout the world and we are currently looking to hire 20 people for our region which include[s] Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, and few more [other offices]. We are looking for people with a minimum of a BS in Geol, Hydro, Geophys or other related fields. For more info on Tetra Tech view the website: http://www.ttnus.com/.

Contact is the following:
Brian G. Reed, Staff Hydrogeologist
Direct: 832.251.6057 Main: 832.251.5160 Fax: 832.251.5190 brian.reed@tetratech.com
Tetra Tech Complex World, Clear Solutions 2901 Wilcrest, Suite 405 Houston, TX 77042-6012
www.tetratech.com http://www.ttnus.com/

This information was sent to me via the Geological Society of Nevada.

NOTICE: Announcements or listings of any jobs on this website does not constitute approval by the website owner of any companies, corporations, or individuals mentioned in these listings. If you are looking for a job, you need to do any research required to learn about the job and company you are applying for on your own and prior to job application or job acceptance. It is not my responsibility to do any of this research for any reader of this blog, nor is it my responsibility to pre-screeen any type of job information for any reader of this blog. Comments regarding companies, corporations, or individuals in these listings will generally not be accepted unless pre-approved through email-contact channels.

Mining and Exploration News

Just a few summaries and links to mining and exploration stories out recently. Excuse some dorky titles. How can you tell which titles are dorky? Easy, the dorky ones are mine.


From Ron Schott's Geology Picks:
Not so Good Oil and Gas Exploration in Washington state

From Geology.com:
Surprise, surprise, there's a new gold rush in CA!
Internet Addiction - do YOU suffer from it? (Oops - not mining related unless you are reading this blog post over and over again!)

Also from Geology.com:
Geologists are needed in Australia

But in other reports (and comments), jobs aren't really available unless you KNOW SOMEONE.

Canada can't attract women into mining jobs according to this article - also from Geology News - although on my spring field trip, all the women geologists were Canadian, except for me.

Mining and petroleum-related jobs are still going strong - from Arizona Geology.
Space radar can be used to improve mine safety in underground mines, from EurekAlert!

I could find no reference in the above news release to open-pit mines - I guess we're on our own! Also, the news release mentioned driving the referenced new equipment through mineshafts. Mine shafts are vertical, and no underground trucks or truck drivers drive up and down through these things (shafts). The driving is done in mine tunnels or adits, and in declines or inclines. Declines are mine tunnels or adits that descend gradually as you walk into a mine (or drive - a geologist should be so lucky!); inclines are tunnels that go uphill at a very slight angle as you enter the mine, usually for drainage purposes. Also, the article speaks of the "roofs" of underground mines, a somewhat vague term that could refer to the rocks immediately overhead while underground, or possibly to surface rocks above the entire mine - I'm not really sure which, because if you are in an underground mine, the surface over your head is called the "back." And that's because when the old-timers made their tunnels, they were typically not very high, and the miners had to bend over to enter and walk through them, thus having their backs almost in contact with the "ceiling" of the mine adit.
Last but not least, lots of things have been happening in Arizona - as usual - see these articles and more at Arizona Geology:

• Vale do Rio Doce reported to be looking at Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (as a takeover target)
• Freeport is the most likely takeover target
• Drilling is underway at Tombstone
• Why Are So Many Companies investing in Arizona Mines?
• White Cliffs diatomite and zeolites
• Arizona potash looking attractive
• Vale denies takeover plans

Arizona Geology shows a neat, colorful table comparing commodity prices over the past decade, described somewhat more fully at Pitpundit Blog.

Recent Mining News: Copper and Jobs

(And by "Recent" I don't mean "Holocene.")

• ASARCO sells properties: including copper mines.
• BHP Billiton may take over Rio Tinto.
• Rosemont mine in Arizona: lots of news in the news.
• Bingham Canyon mine in Utah: discovery of more copper.

• Get a job in Arizona: Carlota copper mine and other mines.
  
• Are new geologists' salaries as high as they say?

Geology Position in South Carolina

Sent to me by email from the Geological Society of Nevada:

HAILE GOLD MINE, INC.

Seeking Project Geologist

The Haile Gold Mine, owned by Romarco Minerals and located near Kershaw, South Carolina, is seeking a project geologist to assist with bringing the Haile Mine back into production.

This position is responsible for:
• Oversight and monitoring of drilling activities at the mine site.
• Drill hole logging, interpretation, and planning.
• Compiling and interpreting geological data and information.
• Constructing and testing geologic models to assist with resource characterization and target generation.
• Oversight of the sampling process.
• Offering technical expertise to the engineering, environmental, and production teams.

The successful candidate must have a bachelor's degree in geology. The candidate must have sound mineralogy, petrology, and structural geology skills. Mineral resource experience is preferred but not required.

Romarco Minerals offers an attractive compensation and benefits package. Please respond with a cover letter and resume to:
Haile Gold Mine
Attn: Human Resources
P.O. Box 128
Kershaw, SC 29067
(803) 475-1220

Check out Romarco's website before applying for the job.

Geology Position Advertisement

I am still in the field, with a bad wifi connection, and am sending this via email - I don't know how it will look or format.

I just received the job announcement described below, and thought it might possibly be of some interest to some who wants to work in Utah. The first position requires either an advanced degree or previous experience in geologic hazards mapping or assessment. If you have done this kind of thing even as a student in classes, it would be worth looking into, especially if you have a good recommendation from your professors.

Utah Geological Survey (UGS)

Geologic Hazards Program

Geologist and Project Geologist Positions

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is seeking candidates for Geologist and Project Geologist positions in the expanding Geologic Hazards Program to support geologic hazard mapping and outreach efforts within the state.

Geologist:

The geologist will assist and perform mapping of geology and geologic hazards using GIS, assist cities and counties in using geologic hazard information, and perform site investigations, technical reviews, emergency response, and other duties. Geologic hazards will typically involve landslide, debris flow, problem soil, and paleoseismic hazards. The preferred candidate will have a working knowledge of GIS (ArcGIS 9+) analysis and map production, an advanced degree, and/or previous experience in geologic hazards assessment, mapping, and analysis. The geologist position announcement closes on May 1, 2008.

Project Geologist:

The project geologist will lead geologic hazard mapping projects in selected areas, assist cities and counties in using geologic hazard information, and perform site investigations, technical reviews, emergency response, and other duties. Geologic hazards will typically involve landslide, debris flow, problem soil, and paleoseismic hazards. The preferred candidate will have an advanced degree, experience in engineering and Quaternary geology, geologic hazards assessment, mapping, and analysis, remote sensing, and/or a working knowledge of GIS (ArcGIS 9+) analysis and map production. A Utah Professional Geologist (PG) license is required within 1 year of appointment. The project geologist position closes on May 12, 2008.

For more information and to submit an application go to: statejobs.utah.gov . For information about the UGS and the Geologic Hazards Program, go to: geology.utah.gov .

You will have to find the links yourself; I am unable to connect at the moment.