Behind the Scenes with Bryan

In this episode the tables are turned on me, and I let my journalist son ask me the questions for a change.

Dale is a hydrogeophysist with HydroGeophysics Inc. We talk about challenges and prizes for using geophysics in mining projects. You can find out more about his company at www.hgiworld.com, or contact him directly at dale@hgiworld.com

Heather is with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).  She is the self-professed oil sands "Queen of Clay".  She is working towards her own Vision 2030 - where by 2030 fluid fine tailings in oil sands are no longer a concern as reclamation methods will have been found and implemented to return the tailings pond to a useable boreal ecosystem.

Dawn is the Digital Solutions Manager for Epiroc Digital Solutions Canada 

To schedule a No-cost Digital Roadmap Strategy Session: dawn.larsen@epiroc.com Contact: Dawn Larsen, Epiroc Digital Solutions Canada 1-249-377-9983

Case Studies:

HudBay: Increased mucking rate by 7% Up to 15% increase in productivity 

Fosterville: Expects to cut half the time off evacuations with Epiroc Digital Solutions’ Mobilaris Emergency Support https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/customer-stories/2020/mobilaris-at-kirkland-lake-gold  

Goldfields: Expect a 12-month ROI on Implementing Digitalization in the Mine https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/customer-stories/2020/gold-fields-australia-modernization-program 

Anglo Ahsanti Gold: +18 % improvement in productivity -38% reduction in lost time with logistics

Software Solutions Discussed in the Podcast: 

Mobilaris Situational Awareness: https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/products/digital-solutions/sustainable-and-safe-operations/mobilaris-situational-awareness 

Onboard: https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/products/digital-solutions/operational-performance/mobilarisonboard  

Pocketmine: https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/products/digital-solutions/operational-performance/mobilaris-pocketmine 

Emergency Support: https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/products/digital-solutions/sustainable-and-safe-operations/mobilaris-emergency-support 

Short Term Interval Control, Planning and Scheduling: https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/products/digital-solutions/planning-and-scheduling/mobilaris-scheduling 

Event Automation: https://www.epiroc.com/en-ca/products/digital-solutions/connected-assets/mobilaris-event-automation 

Enterprise Data Integration Platform: MineRP: https://www.minerp.com/enterprise-interoperability

Nahyan Rana is a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo and a Geoscientist-in-Training at Klohn Crippen Berger, specializing in Engineering Geology and Remote Sensing for Tailings Dams.  He has several publications about tailings.  Amongst other thing, we discuss dam breaches and flow failures.  

Anita is a Partner and Director of Recruiting at the recruiting firm Brooks & Nelson LLC.  She has a pretty amazing career which she shares with us, as well as a passion for a group she supports strongly, Women in Mining.  

In this ode to my father, I hope I can evoke some wonderful memories from your own past.

Karen and Monica have a different way to couple social and technical aspects of tailings management.  They have jointly launched their new Tailings Area of Social Risk (TASR) solution. The method looks to align tailings management with principles of social inclusion and participation, while respecting the scientific process to define the areas of risk.

Lois is a geotechnical engineer working in the mining industry.  Lois and I discuss her ideas on mine closure and much more.  

Pascale is a geotechnical engineer with a PhD from the University of British Columbia.  Pascale worked in academia for several years before joining Itasca.  Amongst other things Pascale and I discuss numerical modeling of tailings facilities.

Gavan is a geotechnical/dams engineer based in Melborn, Australia. He is now working for himself at Hunter Geotechnical.  Hunter and I discuss challenges and rewards of working in the industry.

Jorge is an Assistant Professor Geosystems Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.  Amongst other things, Jorge and I discuss the TAILENG program.

Dave is the Vice President, Engineering at EFI Global.  As VP of Engineering, Dave is responsible for the oversight of the engineering service line; product delivery, quality, training and mentoring, business development, and executive team liaison. This role also includes teaching continuing education classes to individuals in the insurance, engineering, and architecture industries on topics such as building construction, structural engineering, and building envelope investigations. 

Dave and I discuss his career and his role in EFI Global as well as the importance of continuing your education throughout your career.   

Timothy D. Stark is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an expertise in Geotechnical Engineering. Dr. Stark has been conducting interdisciplinary research and teaching on the static and seismic stability of natural and manmade slopes, such as dams, levees, floodwalls, and waste containment facilities, railroad geotechnics, geosynthetics and geomembranes, soil liquefaction during earthquakes, and stabilization and behavior of dredged material containment areas.

In this episode, Tim and I focus our conversation on the Fundao TSF failure and what lessons it has taught us.  

In this episode John and Lanny teach us about a new way to more closely monitor the location of the supernatant pond on your TSF.

You can reach John at www.aamonitoring.net

You can reach Lanny at www.satshot.com

In this episode Tim and I discuss many aspects of the confusing world of crypo currency.

Elena is a geotechnical engineer and Assistant Professor of Civil and Geotechnical Engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Elena and I mostly discuss her new findings of the Mount Polley TSF failure and how that changes the way we need to think about slope stability.  This work is the subject of Elena's PhD dissertation.  Her summary paper can be found at https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cgj-2021-0036 

Cristina is a Research Fellow (Geotechnical Engineering) at The University of Western Australia, and is part on the MIRA project, which is looking into instrumentation and monitoring for tailings facilities.

In this episode Steve and I discuss cyanide safety and practices in the mining industry.  

Johnathan More is the CEO of Starr Peak Mining Ltd., which is focused on mining discoveries and finding new places to drill. The company currently has a $100M valuation and has raised over $9 million in just over a year.  Johnathan has over 25 years of experience in North American and European capital markets, focused on the natural resource industry. He has a history of achievement from his years with Canaccord Capital. In August 2008, he retired from Canaccord Capital as an investment advisor to apply his experience and contacts to the public company sector. He has successfully assembled multiple world-class companies strengthened by strong management teams and multiple discoveries. Jonathan first found his interest in the precious metals industry through his Canadian upbringing. He began investing in the Canadian precious metals market and later got lucky in an oil and gas transaction. He has since parlayed knowledge, persistence, luck and surrounding himself with top talent in the mining industry and continues to grow his success.

In this episode Dave and I discuss mine backfill and other related topics.

In this episode, Jesse tells me about how ecologists can play a bigger role in mine closure.  Much of that entails bringing ecological principles into closure design.  Jesse and his company have provided the ecological components on a several ET covers with Craig Benson and others.  Jesse joking adds that his work is typically the last word on the last slide of a closure presentation “and then we will reveg”.

In this episode of the podcast Andrea and I chat about tailings filtration at Diemme and their new 5m x 5m filtration plant, "Domino".  You can learn more about their filtration capabilities and their full line of filtration products at www.aqseptence.com/en/brands/diemme-filtration 

You can also contact Andrea at andrea.pezzi@diemmefiltration.com 

Patsy is a geochemist who started working for herself a few years ago.  Her company is called Practical Geochemistry LLC.  Amongst other things Patsy and I discuss pit lakes.  

Dan is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer and President at Engineering Analytics, Inc. in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Amongst other things we talk about business models and trends in tailings closure. 

David is a legend in the mining world.  Prior to his current role, he has worked in various leadership capacities in the natural resources sector over the last 30 years.  He served most recently as President and Chief Executive Officer of Goldcorp Inc. until its sale to Newmont Corporation in April 2019. Prior to joining Goldcorp, he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Hudbay Minerals Inc. from 2010 to 2015, where he presided over that company's emergence as a leading metals producer.  Previous to this, he held various senior executive positions with mining companies, including Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Agnico-Eagle Limited from 1998 to 2010 and as treasurer and other various finance roles with Inmet Mining Corporation from 1990 to 1998.

David and I speak on many topics related to the mining profession.  One area of particular interest is David's advice for young professionals.  

Aneel is the executive VP of Steppe Gold, with properties in Mongolia.  Amongst other things, Aneel and I discuss the challenges and benefits of mining in Mongolia. 

Amongst other things, Mark and I discuss the future of mining in South America.  

Amongst other things, Karen and I discuss the TSF score card she has recently developed and implemented.   

James and I discuss uranium and nuclear energy.  

In this episode, Corey and I discuss the use of risk analyses for improving the design and operation of tailings and other facilities.  We discuss the use of Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEAs) and bowtie analyses.  

Hamed Behzadipour is a research assistant at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.  Amongst other things, we to discuss biocementation of tailings.

Amongst other things, Kamran and I discuss his recent article, "Haul-road monitoring in Open Pit Mines Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles".  You can find the article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00291-w

For additional information you can contact Kamran at kamran.esmaeili@utoronto.ca

Amongst other things, Nathan and I discuss the article that appeared in the March 2021 issue of Mining Engineering Magazine, titled, "An algorithm for Demonstrating the Social License to Operate".  Nathan's co-author is Kathryn Marlor.  If you'd like to know more about this process, you can get ahold of Nathan at ndmanser@mtu.edu.   

Amongst other things, Eleanor and I discuss her book, "Trembling in the Bones". This is a collection of poetry about the about the Colorado Coal strike of 1913 and the ensuing 1914 Ludlow Massacre.  I first came across her book when I was watching a PBS documentary about the massacre, wherein her book was quoted throughout.  The heartbreaking tragedy is brought to life in Eleanor's book.  

Among other things, Keith and I discuss what it is like to be a PhD student during the pandemic.

Amongst other things, Navid and I chat about changes in education and college studies during the pandemic.

In this episode Eric and I discuss the use of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls in a tailings environment.  

Among other things, Bill and I discuss probable maximum precipitation (PMP) estimation, especially in data limited areas.  Bill had an article on this topic in The Journal of Dam Safety, Volume 17, Issue 2 of 2020.  You can find out more about Bill's company at www.AppliedWeatherAssociates.com 

Among other things, Pete and I discuss current trends in tailings management.

Amongst other things, Nick and I discuss filtered tailings, and in particular his recent paper from the Tailings and Mine Waste conference, titled, "Filtered tailings facilities and upset conditions".  

Among other things, Mike and I discuss the Tailings Center of Excellence which is a program that is being supported by the Colorado State University, the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Arizona.

In this episode, I speak to Chris Lee and Brett Timmis of Golder Associates about the paper and presentation they recently gave at the Tailings and Mine Waste conference.  

In this episode, Chris and I discuss the term "Engineer of Record".

Many years ago, I wrote a rap song called The Bolt Boys.  That song was recorded by my friend Clay Stukey.  You can find that song here:  http://www.bryanulrich.net/bolt-boys/

That song was a lot of fun for me.   More recently, my daughter challenged me to write a rap song about mine tailings.  Well, I did, but it took me quite a while to record it.  The results of that are here.  If you think you can do a better job than I did with the recording, please let me know!  I look forward to hearing from you!!!  Many thanks!

In this episode Brendan and I speak of the use of geotubes for tailings management, amongst other things.  

I talk to Steven about monitoring of slopes, and especially of tailings facilities, using satellite technology.  

You can get ahold of Steven at:

Steven.Ulrich@AAMonitoring.com

or visit their website at:

www.aamonitoring.com 

In this episode I speak with my long-time friend, Lynn Isenberg about creativity.  

Harry is an attorney at Wilson Elser.  I have known Harry for many years.  He has many talents, but I know him best for his work in construction defect claims.  You can contact Harry at harry.peetris@wilsonelser.com or on his cell (702) 521-8135

In this episode, I interview my longtime friend, business coach Candice Kingston.   You can contact Candice through her website www.kingstoncoaching.com.  Please feel free to arrange a complimentary introductory coaching session through her website.  

In this episode, I interview Oren Kesler of Wikistrat, a crowdsourcing company.  We discuss the many merits of crowdsourcing.  

In this episode, I interview Paolo Farina, Executive Managing Director of Geoapp.  Geoapp (www.geoapp.it) provides many services regarding slope monitoring that are of special interest  to mining.  

You can find Paolo on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolo-farina-2468011/

You can find an interesting article that pertains to his work at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-50792-y

In this episode, I speak with with Prof. Chris Bareither of the Colorado State University.  Chris shares with us his latest research and finding with combined tailings and waste rock.

In this episode, I speak with NASA's Deputy Director for the Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation, Steve Rader.  Steve and I discuss innovation, how innovation happens and how it can happen more effectively.   You can find Steve on LinkedIn.

In this episode I speak with Lucy Crane, a senior geologist with Cornish Lithium in the UK.  Amongst Lucy's other claims is her TedX talk, "Mining Our Way to a Low Carbon Future" in which she poses the question, "I'm an environmentalist and I work in the mining industry; does that make me a hypocrite?"  You can find her TedX talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWTkiQ64u_U 

An interview with Shawn Steiner from Conetec.

In this episode, I interview of Arturo Fahrenkrog, CEO of GeoMediciones, an instrumentation company.  

You can contact Arturo at:

Mobile and Wattsapp: 56-9-95092190

Arturo@GeoMediciones.cl

Arturo@hydrametrix.cl

On this podcast, I am interviewed my Rob Tyson on the Dig Deep Podcast.  You can find Rob's very informative mining-related podcast wherever podcasts can be found.  

In this episode, I read my 2019 Christmas poem.

In this episode I share some of my experiences where the owner/client didn't save as much money as they had wished.

I have several interviews lined up, but none are ready to go right now, so I am reading a portion of a memoir that a very good friend of mine has encouraged be to write.  

In this episode, I speak with my long-time friend, Steve Tadolini.  You can get ahold of Steve at:

steve.tadolini@minovaglobal.com 

In this episode, I speak with software developer Satish Penmetsa.  Satish has created an amazing service for the mining industry.  He is the CEO of rapidBizApps, and may be contacted as shown below: 

spenmetsa@rapidbizapps.com

www.rapidbizapps.com 

408-608-9871

In this brief podcast, I share my experiences from a recent trip to China to visit my son, Timothy.  

In this episode, I read an unpublished article by the same name as the episode.

In this episode, I read one of my more popular blogs.  

In this episode, Dean and I discuss his early years, his education, and his work, but more importantly, how you should work, including mentoring and being empathetic to your client. 

In this episode, I interview my friend Bill Cincilla who has led a very distinguished career in the mining industry.   

While still lining up guests to interview, I read from one of my blogs from www.bryanulrich.net

On his podcast, "Big Questions", Cal Fussman ran a contest to define "comfort".  I was very pleased to hear that I had won the contest.  Hear all about it on this podcast. 

In this first full-length episode of my podcast, I "interview" myself, telling the listeners a little about myself.  In upcoming episodes, I intend to interview friends and colleagues from around the industry.  

Hey everyone, this is just a brief announcement.  If you'd like to be interviewed on this podcast, just let me know.  You have a story!  I'd love to get it out there!  I hope to have an actual episode next week!

This is just a very brief trailer so that I can become familiar with this technology.