Buxton, M.W.N.

Profile

Dr Mike Buxton joined Delft University as an Associate Professor in August 2011 and is currently Section Head for Resource Engineering.

He completed his PhD in carbonate sedimentology in 1992. He worked as a Post Doctoral researcher at the Rand Afrikaans University in South Africa on aspects of economic geology. Subsequently he worked for 16 years in the South African mining industry as an exploration geologist, mine geologist, technical due diligence and business improvement. He has extensive experience in applied research and project management. He was project manager for a multi partner, multi commodity sensor based ore waste and material discrimination initiative undertaken over a 6 year period. He worked for FTSE 100 listed major multi-national mining company based in Johannesburg, South Africa. His work involved organisation and management of international researchers and multiple academic and commercial partners. He authored more than 25 technical reports.

He is a specialist in the use of different sensor technologies for material characterisation. His research interests include sensor based material characterisation for multiple mining applications including exploration drillcore logging, mine face mapping, pre-processing, stockpiles and waste discrimination.

He is a fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa.

Research

Mike is currently involved in 3 fully funded research projects undertaken with  3 PhD students:

1. European FP 7 Project 310645 STOICISM Calcined Industrial Minerals. Work is defined within 2 work packages researching material characterisation for kaolinite, diatomite & perlite. Specific objectives include in-pit characterisation and monitoring, pre-process feed properties and online analysis of calcined product.
2. European Horizon 2020 Project 641989 REAL TIME MINING. Mike is joint project coordinator and is Work Package leader for “Sensors for material characterisation”.
3. Sensor based ore-waste separation of gold bearing ores from case studies in Peru & Nevada. Project is sponsored by a major gold mining company.

Teaching

Mike has taught courses at the BSc- and MSc level on mineral exploration, and supervises BSc- & MSc-theses covering a wide diversity of topics across the mining value chain.

He has been involved in the European EMMEP program and is course coordinator for the European Mining Course in collaboration with partner universities RWTH – Aachen & Aalto.

Specific Courses include:

• AESB3105 (Minor) – Exploration as part of Resource Definition,
• EMC – Exploration.
• EMC Case Study

Mike (in collaboration with Joerg Benndorf) is currently devising a new in-house Masters program for resource Engineering.

Recent supervised theses

BSc-theses:

• Characterization of Lagunas Norte Au ores with  Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Alex Kempke

MSc-theses:

• An insight in the mass balance and reserve reconciliation of salt caverns in the Hengelo brine field. Daan van Berkel. Completed 12^th April 2014
•  Up-scaling of froth flotation equipment. Ruben Boeree. Completed 22nd August 2014.
• Backfill in Highwall mining: An assessment of the possibilities in West Bokoro, India. Stephanie Lier. Completed 28^th August 2014. Co-supervisor: Dominique Ngaan-Tillard.
• Power Plant Mátra. Research to development of a coal quality concept for the lignite deposits Visonta and Bükkábrány, Hungary. Francien Troost. 18 August 2014.
• Determining the optimal mining solution for the Reforma deposit, considering the transition from open pit to underground mining. Richard Hontelez. Completed 28 November 2014.
• Identifying potential for the Hisarna iron making process: a simplified assessment of European iron resources. Roman Hijman. Completed 18^th December 2014.
• Designing a treatment system for the underground effluent at Loulo Gold Mine (mali, West Africa). Hilaire Diarra. Completed 19th Dec 2014.
• Valorization of water hyacinth as a renewable source of animal feed and biogas: a business case for Lake Victoria, Kenya. Viktor Valk. Feb 2nd 2015.
• Heavy mineral sands exploration Guinea. D.G Roosegaarde Bisschop. Ongoing. Co – supervisor: Jack Voncken.
• Characterisation of DE from the Elche mine, Alicante. Emiel Klifman. Ongoing. Co –supervisor: Adriana Guatame-Garcia.
• Systematic Reserve Reconciliation, Hengelo Solution Salt Mining. Jasper Schoostra. Ongoing. Joint with PE. Co – supervisor: Pacelli Zitha.
• Characterization of alteration and mineralization of Chimú Formation quartzite with near-infrared Spectroscopy Lagunas Norte, Alto Chicama District, Northern Peru. Machiel Van Der Linde. April 2015. Co – supervisor: Marinus Dalm.
• Optimize the design standards for a temporary seawall and prove the limits of land reclamation as a strategy for near shore diamond mining. Joel Anker. On-going.
• Acid Mine drainage, Witwatersrand Gold Mines, Central Rand & Carletonville areas, South Africa. Johan Pols (joint with TBM). On-going
• Offshore processing of seafloor massive sulphide deposits. On-going.