CIM DISTINGUISHED LECTURERS - Description

CIM Distinguished Lecturers are chosen on the basis of their accomplishments in scientific, technical, management or educational activities related to the minerals industry, and speak at CIM Branch meetings across the country. Click here to request a lecturer.

Sponsored by Atlas Copco and the Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Foundation.

THIS YEAR'S WINNERS - 2006 (Click name for quick navigation)

Douglas Boyd  ||  Mimoun Elboujdaini  ||  Paul Hébert & Ryan Montpellier  ||  Wulf Mueller  ||  Ward Wilson

Click here for past winners...

Douglas Boyd
Kingston, Ontario

In recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of physical metallurgy, particularly to the relationship between the microstructure and properties of micro-alloyed steels.

Douglas Boyd, is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Queen's University. His research area is thermomechanical processing of microalloyed steels and other engineering alloys. From his 39 years of research in university, government and private industry, he is widely known for applying the microstructural design approach to the development of new processing techniques and improved metal products. He has authored or co-authored 60 refereed technical articles and more than 100 conference papers.

Douglas has served on the Editorial Board of the Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly. He is a regular reviewer for several journals of materials science and engineering and he reviews research proposals for agencies in Canada. He has served as a member and chair of the NSERC Strategic Grants Panel on Industrial Materials and Processes, and the NSERC Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering Grant Selection Committee.

He has been recognized with the CIM-MetSoc Dofasco Award for materials engineering, and has been honoured as a Fellow of both ASM International and CIM. He is a member of CIM, ASM International, TMS, AIST, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario.

As Distinguished Lecturer Douglas Boyd will present:
Pipelines for the 21st Century

Canada has more than 100,000 km of oil and gas transmission pipelines. In addition to the value of the petroleum products transported, pipelines represent a significant industrial activity based on state-of-the-art materials, construction methods, inspection and repair techniques, and operating practice. Over the next 20 years, new pipeline construction is planned at a level of one billion dollars Canadian per year. The most challenging is the 1220 km Mackenzie Gas project.

This lecture considers how to reduce the capital and life-cycle costs of a gas pipeline project through the use of linepipe manufactured from lower cost, higher strength steel. The metallurgical factors and processing involved in producing steels having yield strengths up to 1000 MPa at a lower cost per unit strength than current 500 MPa YS steels are described. The other limiting properties are brittle fracture resistance, dynamic fracture arrestability and field weldability. Some alternate linepipe materials and designs are also presented.

Mimoun Elboujdaini
Ottawa, Ontario

In recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting the study of corrosion phenomena in Canada and for the international standing he has achieved in his field.

Mimoun Elboujdaini received a mechanical engineering degree and Diplôme d'Étude Approfondie (DEA) from Université de Technologie of Compiègne, France. He obtained his M.Sc. degree in physical metallurgy from École Polytechnique, Montreal, and his Ph.D. in physical metallurgy and corrosion from Université Laval, Quebec. In 1989, he joined CANMET - Materials Technology Laboratory of Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa as a research scientist, leading projects dealing mainly with pipeline for the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, including stress-corrosion cracking (SCC), hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) in H2S environment, hydrogen embrittlement, and liquid metal embrittlement. He is currently a senior research scientist at CANMET - Materials Technology Laboratory in Ottawa.

He has received the Howard F. Taylor Award from the American Foundrymen's Society in 1994, the Sector Merit Award from Natural Resources Canada, CANMET in 1999, and in 2003, he received the Morris Cohen Award from the Metallurgical Society of CIM.

Presently, he is chairing the organizing committee of the 12th International Conference on Fracture in 2009. He is adjunct professor at the University of Alberta and is a member of CIM, ASM International, ASTM and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers International.

As Distinguished Lecturer Mimoun Elboujdaini will present:
Challenges for Oil and Gas Pipelines Steels: Hydrogen-Induced Cracking, Stress-Corrosion Cracking-Effect of Microstructure and Non-Metallic Inclusions

It has long been recognized that the hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of various pipeline steel and environment systems depend on complex interactions between stress, microstructure, and environmental parameters. Prevention of failures by hydrogen damage and stress corrosion cracking (SCC), which can have enormous economic and environmental impacts, requires that the pipeline industry establish a comprehensive understanding of the factors that contribute to these failures. Through understanding and further R&D on materials development, improved performance, and reliability can be realistic outputs.

This presentation outlines the results of R&D aimed at understanding the initiation of HIC and SCC.

Paul Hébert
Ottawa, Ontario

In recognition of their leadership in the research and analysis of human resources issues, and of their work with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council's development and promotion of proactive human resource recruiting and retention principles and practices within the industry.

Since joining the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR-formerly MITAC) in 1997, Paul Hébert has played an active role in all aspects of the Council's operations including training development, e-learning, and career information and adjustment services. Over his 15-year career, he has successfully developed and managed projects in the areas of environmental management, training development, e-learning, research, and marketing and communications. Paul studied English literature at Carleton University and holds Project Management certificates from St. Francis Xavier University and the University of Toronto, and is a graduate of the Executive Development Course at McGill University. He was named Executive Director of MiHR in 2003.

Paul is a member of CIM, PDAC, AMEBC, and CSAE.

Ryan Montpellier
Ottawa, Ontario

In recognition of their leadership in the research and analysis of human resources issues, and of their work with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council's development and promotion of proactive human resource recruiting and retention principles and practices within the industry.

Ryan Montpellier is the director of operations for MiHR. Since joining the Council, Ryan has played an active role in all aspects of MiHR's operations, including the management of the recently concluded national minerals and metals industry sector study.

Ryan obtained his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) from the Edinburgh School of Business, graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in finance, and possesses Project Management certificates from the University of Toronto and Université du Québec. In addition, he is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and is a member of the Project Management Institute.

Prior to joining MiHR, Ryan held positions as project manager and general manager for WorkLogic Corporation and as financial officer for NSERC.

As Co-Lecturers, Paul Hébert and Ryan Montpellier will present:
Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in the Canadian Minerals and Metals Industry

Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in Canada's Minerals and Metals Sector is a comprehensive sector study of the short- and long-term human resource issues and challenges facing the minerals and metals industry. The study's in-depth assessment of current and emerging human resource needs and gaps served as a foundation for the recommendations designed to maintain the strength of the minerals and metals sector well into the future.

The study provides insight and identifies strategies relating to each of the following areas:

• An aging workforce
• Significant retirements on the horizon
• Human resources demand growth
• Supply challenge - education and training programs
• Under-representation of non-traditional groups
• Supply advantage - attractive features of mining
• Supply and demand gap

Wulf Mueller
Chicoutimi, Quebec

In recognition of his expertise in volcanology applied to the exploration of volcanogenic massive sulphides in Canada and around the world.

Wulf Mueller graduated with a B.Sc. in mineralogy in 1977, a M.Sc. in 1981, and a Ph.D. in 1985 from the Mineralogish-Petrographisches Institut of the University of Heidelberg, Germany. From 1986-1992, Wulf was a researcher at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and received tenure in 1992. The emphasis of his NSERC-supported research is on Archean terranes and geodynamics with a special focus on the physical volcanology and sedimentary, as well as the exploration for hydrothermal massive sulphide deposits. Teaching centres on Precambrian evolutionary systems, the physical volcanology of ancient and modern terranes and geological excursions.

Society affiliations include the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, the Geological Association of Canada (GAC), the International Association of Sedimentologists, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, CIM, and the Geologische Vereinigung (Germany). In addition, Wulf was chair and vice-chair (2001-2006) of the Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division of GAC and since 1996, is on the editorial board of the Precambrian Research journal. Wulf has edited and co-edited several journal volume themes, a book on Precambrian systems (2004), and has organized several international excursions and written several guide books with colleagues. Outreach teaching is an integral part of his curriculum with courses regularly given to public school grades 1 to 6.

As Distinguished Lecturer Wulf Mueller will present:
Archean subaqueous calderas: first order hosts of volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits in the Abitibi belt

Archean mafic and felsic subaqueous calderas are volcanic collapse structures originating from the explosive or effusive evacuation of high-level magma chambers. In modern and ancient River settings, they represent a prime locus for volcanic-hosted massive sulfides (VHMS). The felsic-dominated, Archean subaqueous calderas feature rhyolite units that represent dome-flow-hyaloclastite complexes, dykes and intrusions, and volcaniclastic debris which includes pyroclastic and autoclastic deposits and their reworked counterparts. Lava flows are massive with columnar joints, lobate and brecciated, whereas 3-D domes display lobate structures with carapace breccias. Deep-water explosive activity is documented by pumice breccias suggesting either a boiling-over eruption or an explosive fountaining eruption. The resultant fining-upward sequence contains a massive lapilli tuff breccia, a stratified lapilli tuff, and an upper graded bedded tuff. Recognizing primary explosive volcaniclastic debris is an important exploration tool, as is the poorly documented semi-conformable, hydrothermal carbonate-alteration. It is essential to distinguish alteration phases, and identify pyroclastic and autoclastic debris for efficient VHMS exploration.

G. Ward Wilson
Vancouver, British Columbia

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the mining industry, particularly the design of cover systems for long-term closure of mine wastes, and to the education of professionals on mining and the environment.

Ward Wilson, has extensive work experience as a consulting engineer and has maintained a strong industrial focus through his research programs at the University of British Columbia where he currently holds the position of professor and chair of mining and environment. Ward is involved in mine waste management systems for a number of sites in Canada and the U.S., Europe, South America, Australia, and Indonesia. He has also served as a specialist consultant to several large international mining companies and mine sites such as Placer Dome, Rio Tinto, PT Freeport, and Newcrest Mining.

Ward has developed an extensive program in the area of soil cover systems for waste management problems. Recently, Ward has been involved in funded programs for waste rock behaviour as well as paste rock systems, the co-mixing of tailings and waste rock to produce new high-strength sealing materials for the control and prevention of oxidation, acid rock drainage and metal leaching in mine waste management systems.

Ward has developed strong linkages with the University of Utah, Université de Montréal, Université de Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Queen's University and the Australian Center of Geomechanics.

As Distinguished Lecturer Ward Wilson will present:
Paste Rock Systems for Mine Waste Management

Waste rock and tailings can be blended to create materials with superior physical and hydraulic properties for the long-term closure. The new material, termed 'paste rock', has a low hydraulic conductivity, high moisture retention capacity, low compressibility and high strength. These properties indicate that the new material can be used to reduce infiltration, ARD and instability. Field-scale test trials using selected blends of waste rock and tailings were constructed at two mine sites and direct observations demonstrate excellent performance. This presentation illustrates the concept, theory, and application of paste rock systems for long-term mine waste management.