In it for the Long Haul – 20 Years and Counting
Aaron, Underground Miner
Born and raised in Montana, Aaron got his start at Stillwater Mine before accepting a contractor role at Pogo Mine in remote Alaska. “My original plan was just to be here for four years,” says Aaron.
Twenty years after accepting a role he thought would be temporary, Aaron says that the people he has met at Pogo have made it a great place to build a lasting career as an Underground Miner.
A Career Digging Deep
Aaron did “a little bit of everything” during his early career at Pogo, taking on roles that ranged from operating a mucker, to running a jumbo, and eventually to working with the long hole drill, his current position, which focuses on preparing sites for blasting.
Sandvik Jumbos at Pogo Mine
Mining Nugget:
Mucking – The process of removing blasted rock (known as “muck”) from a tunnel or stope. Mucking was historically done by hand utilizing buckets. Modern mining utilizes heavy machine loaders that run underground. These loaders are now operated remotely at Pogo via computer adding a significant level of safety.
Jumbo – A Jumbo is an underground mining machine with electro-hydraulic booms (arms) used for drilling into the rock face. At Pogo, jumbos are used for drilling blast holes and installing ground support (bolting). After a round is blasted, the jumbo is used to secure the area by installing bolts, ensuring the infrastructure is stable and safe.
Long hole drilling – The technique of creating precise, long holes prior to blasting, to extract ore in a controlled manner.
“In my job now, we drill out the ore so it can be blasted,” Aaron explains. “Geologists come in and find the ore and mark the spots in the rock where we should drill. We use a drill rig that has 28 drill rods and drill up to 160 feet deep to access the ore, then the explosives team come into precision tag and set safety procedures, then ‘boom!’”
A Community Built on Shared Values
Drilling and operating a massive rig underground require Aaron and the rest of his team to emphasize safety every moment, every day. “Safety has to be top of mind at all times,” he says. “If safety isn’t your top priority this isn’t the industry for you.”
At Pogo, Aaron says he sees evidence of this shared core value in the way that every team member approaches their work: with responsibility, accountability, and an innate desire to do every job right.
“What I appreciate about the work culture at Pogo is that people try to do their very best at their jobs. Everyone is committed to doing every job safe and smart.”
“The people I work with make me proud to work at Pogo. They are just really good people with a lot of knowledge to share.” – Aaron, Underground Miner, Pogo Mine
“If I had advice for anyone new to mining or considering a mining career, I’d say listen to your veteran miners and try to learn from them,” says Aaron. “After 20 years, I’ve seen a lot and picked up information from my own experiences and from the people I’ve met throughout my career. At Pogo in particular, I’ve been lucky to meet good, smart, knowledgeable people from all over the world.”