Research Assistant Professor
Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET)
Contact details
Address
Robert Street Building, Rm 208
Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET)
The University of Western Australia (M006)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia
Phone
+618 6488 5805
Email
james.davis@uwa.edu.au
Hello! I started with the CET at the end of October 2010, if you blinked you probably missed me, as I was shipped off to West Africa a week later to start work on the Yanfolila Project, Mali. This is a joint CET/Gold Fields project and forms part of the greater WAXI project piecing together the evolution of West Africa. The Yanfolila Project is envisaged to run for 2 years and my job here is to put together the geology and regional framework of the Yanfolila Belt for Gold Fields and further the understanding of the geology in the region. I will be on field work until March/April 2011, before returning to the office. A second field season is planned for end of 2011 beginning of 2012.
Prior to departure I was working for Gold Fields at St Ives Gold Mine (450,000 ounces per annum), Kambalda where I started out as a Graduate Geologist in 2008 working for the exploration department around St Ives, on various deposits such as Athena, Hamlet and Neptune. As part of the graduate program I spent a year working as a Mine Geologist at St Ives largest currently producing underground mine, Argo. After Argo I moved to Open Pits as a Production Geologist in charge of the largest open pit on site, Leviathan, responsible for 60% of the tonnes into the mill and 40 – 50% of the grade. During 1.5 years at Leviathan I helped oversee open pit mining through the original Victory (Ives Reward), Defiance and Repulse underground mines. My final months here were spent updating Leviathan resource models and training up a new breed of graduates as well as extensional drilling and putting together plans for a greater Leviathan model and generation of near mine targets to hand over to the targeting team at St Ives. Highlights of my time there would include field mapping down near Widgeemootha, re-interpreting parts of Argo Underground and re-introduction of the shovel at Leviathan.
I also have also worked in Northern West Australia sampling for kimberlite and as Junior Geologist in the high Artic, sampling, mapping, bulk sampling and diamond drill supervision in Greenland, working out of Sondres Stromfjord. Most of this work was carried out between later years at University – the short field seasons fitted in well with summer and winter breaks! I studied Geology for my undergraduate degree at the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a BSc with Honours (2:1) in 2006. I undertook as Masters Degree in Mining Geology at the Camborne School of Mines, graduating with a Distinction and becoming a MCSM MSc in Mining geology in 2007. I undertook field work for Focus Minerals in Coolgardie Western Australia.
A little about me, I immigrated to Australia on Australia Day 2008 from the UK. I have not been back since! I am a bit of a mongrel in the sense that I moved around the UK, not living in one place for more than a few years, spending a lot of time climbing in the hills, flying down them on my mountain bike, kayaking down rivers, surfing and sea swimming, however living in the desert for 3 years has curtailed these activities somewhat! While in Australia I have learnt how to horse ride (still get to fly sometimes!) and competed at numerous One Day Events (ODE’s) around Western Australia from Esperance to Perth. I still enjoy cycling and you may see me about on my trusty fixed wheel. If that was not enough to keep me busy I am in the process of restoring from the ground up, an Ex-Australian Military 1959 Series II Land Rover. Being a geologist, and English I do also enjoy a good game of Rugby and a G&T!