Dr Hua Guo Honoured by AusIMM with 2017 President’s Award

Dr Hua Guo, CSIRO Research Director for Coal Mining, was awarded the 2017 Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) President’s Award. This award is presented to only one individual each year in recognition of outstanding achievement in the industry.

Hua received this prestigious award in recognition of his significant and sustained scientific and technological contributions that have delivered significant benefits to mining, in both industry roles and within the CSIRO, and for leading and securing Australia as host for the 26^th World Mining Congress, obtaining strong support from industry, government, services industries, and research organisations, to create a major opportunity to raise the profile of Australian mining and expertise.

Hua’s mining and research career spans some 30+ years including working at Pasminco’s underground operations at Broken Hill in NSW, BHP’s iron ore surface operations in Pilbara in WA, and at CSIRO. Hua was instrumental in developing and implementing advanced mine geotechnical programs and practices that significantly contributed to safe and efficient mining operations at these mine sites. Hua’s research at CSIRO has led to major breakthroughs in coal mine methane capture and control in Australia and China over the last decade. The most recent achievement by Hua and his team was a major technological advance in coal mine methane control in Australia. A new horizontal gas drainage system increased longwall methane capture efficiency and delivered savings in excess of $10 million per year at Glencore’s Blakefield South Mine, Hunter Valley, and demonstrated that a net annual reduction in fugitive emissions of about 0.42 Mt CO2-e was achievable at this site alone. This new system was recognised as best practices by the Global Methane Initiative in 2016.