Mining geology as a defined profession is only about 100 years old. The successful modern mine geologist needs to be a multidisciplinarian, but also needs to maintain a focus on the key outputs of the role. The technical skills needed in the role have increased as mining methods move to increasingly mechanised techniques. As well as being the guardian of the orebody and ensuring minimal dilution to expected ore grades, the mine geologist should be competent in the 12-point mine geology process. The mine geology process should include: a statement of purpose (a mission statement') geological mapping/logging system that supports consistent and regular geological data collection, storage, and interpretation sampling system that can produce representative samples and fits in with the mining schedule assay database with relevant controls to ensure only clean' data is loaded simple quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) system for samples and assays, with a response process to react to out of specification results consistent method of exporting, visualising, processing and interpreting assay data to create mining blocks development sign-off system so that all development and stoping is controlled production tracking system to monitoring and reporting what ore and waste volumes have been moved from the face, to any intermediate stockpiles, the run-of-mine (ROM) pad and into the crusher reporting system for daily, weekly and monthly reporting of tonnes and grades documentation so that the grade control system has simple, but effective descriptions of how it works, who has responsibilities, and authorities, and be easily maintained reconciliation system to compare resource and reserve to grade control and to mined and milled training system so that the geology team can quickly become competent._x000D_
In this paper, the authors discuss the requirements of each point, and comment on common shortfalls observed by them over several years' experience on producing mines worldwide.CITATION:Rose, S and Fahey, G, 2014. Modern mining geology, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 461-466 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).