Mining Engineering is also referred as mineral engineering, is a branch of engineering that deals with the study of the application, techniques to extract and process minerals from their natural surroundings.
Mining Engineering is one of the most interesting branches of engineering which studies general engineering course followed by professional mining classes in drilling and blasting, material handling, rock mechanics, mine health and safety, mine ventilation, mine cost engineering, ore reserve analysis, operation analysis, mine planning and mineral processing.
Mining engineers usually specialize in the mining of a particular mineral or metal like coal or gold. Mining Engineers are responsible for the survey of the mining sites; exploration of the sites for mineral and oil deposits; researching and designing most cost effective mining equipments and mineral extraction technologies.
There are many career options in mining – from operations engineer to mine manager, mine designer, health and safety manager, consulting engineer, sales engineer etc. The best opportunities may require frequent travel or even living overseas for extended periods.
Mining engineers work place range from mines to research and design facilities where new techniques are developed and tested. The engineers who are involved in R&D activities as well as management, consultation and sales, however, are hired in more developed and metropolitan communities.
Mining engineers can also opt to work with geologists in order to explore and assess new ore deposits or conduct research to create new and effective mining procedures and techniques. The mining engineers with an academic bent of mind can opt for teaching and research after completing the courses.
Top 10 colleges in this field are-
1. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal
2. MVS Engineering College, Hyderabad
3. Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
4. Regional Engineering College (REC) Jamshedpur
5. Vinoba Bhave Institute of Technology, Dhanbad, Jharkhand
6. Regional Engineering College (REC) , Kurukshetra
7. Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai
8. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
9. Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad, Jharkhand
10. Bengal Engineering and Science University, Howrah, West Bengal
Remuneration is as per knowledge, skills and experience of the aspiring candidates. The starting salary of mining engineers is among the highest in the engineering profession. The starting pay package for a fresher is between Rs.20, 000 – Rs.25, 000.
A person with higher qualification degree or two to three years of experience can expect higher salary.
Fresh graduates from IITs and NITs even command far higher salaries than their other engineering colleges’ students.
| Popular Industries |
Salary Range |
| Coal Mining | Rs 298,172 - Rs 1,560,728 |
|---|---|
| Ferrous (Iron) Ore Mining | Rs 238,385 - Rs 969,696 |
| Nonferrous Metal Ore Mining | Rs 254,153 - Rs 1,173,016 |
| Construction | Rs 256,829 - Rs 1,272,893 |
Job Prospects in mining industries is tremendous. The mining industry in India offers a wide range of opportunities to mining engineers both in public and private sector.
Mining engineers find employment opportunities both in government as well as private sector. Companies like the ONGC, Coal India, Geological Survey of India, HCL, IPCL, Neyvelli Lignite Corp., NALCO, TISCO, TELCO, Reliance and MNCs like British Gas and schlumberger recruit graduates directly from top campuses like ISM and IITs.
A high demand for mining engineers is found in the gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE / Dubai, and Qatar. Mines, Minerals Development Corporation and Mining Department of Union and State Government are always in need of skilled mining engineers.
For Bachelor Degree Courses :
For pursuing BE/B tech in Mining Engineering the candidate must have the qualification of 12th class in Science with Physics, Chemistry and Maths.
For Master Degree Courses :
Minimum eligibility for post graduation is bachelor’s degree in mining engineering.
