Kasun Kariyawasam

A Geologist from Sri Lanka, Currently working in NEOM project in Saudi Arabia in NEOM SPINE tunnel project as a Geotechnical Engineer. I have 10 years of experience in mineral exploration and underground mining . 

GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER – China State Construction Engineering Corporation(CSCEC) -(Saudi Arabia) NEOM Spine Infrastructure Running Tunnels (Mountain Section) ADIIT 3 – January 2024 to date
NEOM Spine Running Tunnels are part of the 500-billion-dollar, 170 km long THE LINE giga project. It includes more than 28 Km long twin tunnels (160 m2 face area) associated Adits (100 m2 face area), Adit junctions (365 m2 face area), and shafts carried out by NATM (Drill & Blast). FCS-Joint venture (FCC, CSCEC, and SAJCO) constructs 16 km long twin tunnels, associate shafts, and adits from the West Portal of the project. The twin tunnels (High-Speed Rail tunnel and Freight tunnel) will enable safe, fast, and easy mobility for people and goods.
➢Leading the Adit 3 Geotechnical team and carrying out Geological face mapping, calculating Q-value, and assigning relevant tunnel support systems.
➢Probe hole drilling, analysing data (MWD), preparing reports, and maintaining the database.
➢Working with consultants for Tunnel monitoring work (Convergence, loadcell monitoring, and vibration monitoring) and analysing monitoring data.
➢Preparing Tunnel Longitudinal section maps using AutoCAD, Dips software, and making Round-Drill reports using Underground-manager, iSure software.
➢Conducting core drilling (surface and underground) programs, core logging and analysing data.
➢Conducting daily progress and technical meetings with the Client, Consultants, and Designers.
PROJECT GEOLOGIST – LANKAN RESOURCES AND MINING (Sri Lanka)
(A Subsidiary of MARGOSA GRAPHITE Australia) –January 2017 to January 2024 – 7 Years
Well-trained under foreign professionals and carrying out the duties of a Project Geologist in multiple Graphite exploration sites around Sri Lanka. The exploration programs included drilling over 80 diamond drill holes, airborne, ground and downhole EM surveys, and geological mapping. The company announced its updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") in 2020, in compliance with the JORC (2012), of approximately 1,724,610 tonnes grading 76.32% Total Graphitic Content ("TGC"). The Ridee Ganga project is the only graphite project in Sri Lanka to have MRE compliance with JORC (2012) and has the potential to be one of the largest vein graphite projects in the world.
➢Assisting in the planning and execution of 1720-line kilometres of High-resolution Helicopter-borne Time Domain EM (HDTEM) with South African airborne geological company "New Resolution Geophysics Pty Ltd" (NRG) in 2017 for graphite exploration in LRM license areas.
➢Analysis of airborne EM data to identify new priority areas for exploration programs.
➢Assisting consultants in undertaking fixed-loop EM surveys.
➢Interpreting EM data for drill hole planning.
➢Shaft sinking for Mine services and carrying out face mapping and assigning support system based on the Rock Mass Rating system.
➢Preparing exploration timelines and budgets and executing the projects.
➢Preparation of Geological maps and cross-sections using ArcGIS, QGIS, MapInfo and AutoCAD software.
➢Preparing exploration procedures with the Exploration Manager and ensuring exploration data collection according to the procedures.
➢Coordinating and supervising drilling contractors and supervising LRM drilling crews.
➢Diamond drill sample logging following JORC (2012) procedures – Geological, Structural and Geotechnical logging.
➢Core sample handling, core photography, specific gravity testing, preparing graphite and rock samples for assaying, thin section preparation and petrographic analysis of rock samples.
➢Integration of logging data and field data into interpretative software and data base management.
➢Preparation of Geological reports, Exploration reports, and Project progress reports and presenting them to the Management and relevant government organisations.
➢Mine-planning, Hydrological analysis for mining studies of the "Ridee Ganga" project and the environmental impact of dewatering the mine.
➢Training Exploration Geologists, Graduate Geologists, Undergraduate Geologists, Supervisors and Technical officers.
➢Organising and participating in First aid and fire training courses and carrying out CSR projects.

UNDERGROUND MINE GEOLOGIST – KAHATAGAHA GRAPHITE LANKA LIMITED (Sri Lanka)
June 2015 to December 2016 - – 1 Year and 6 Months
Carried out the duties of a Mining Geologist and Head of the Mining Division in the deepest vein graphite mine in the world (2000+ feet deep)
➢Underground mapping of crosscuts and adits to design support methods based on the Rock Mass Rating system, Graphite sample analysis, and Underground Surveying
➢Underground safety maintenance - evaluating possible rock falls and major fracture zones and determining prevention methods such as Rock bolting rock supporting.
➢Designing underground Diamond Drilling programs for exploration purposes and planning Crosscut directions, Adit directions and Winze paths to extract economically viable Graphite veins.
➢Supervising underground Diamond Drilling programs and drilling crews.
➢Geological and Geotechnical core logging of drill samples to identify the physical characteristics of the Graphite Veins and the surrounding geology of the mine.
➢Preparation of GIS and AutoCAD maps, updating the resource estimations and 3-D models.
➢Analysing drilling and underground mapping data with the Mining Engineer to determine a feasible ore extraction process.
➢Conduct surface resistivity surveys to identify anomalies and lateral extent of graphite veins.
➢Preparing Resource estimation and geological reports and presenting them to the management.
➢Training Undergraduate Geologists, technical officers, mine supervisors and gang leaders.
➢Underground ventilation surveys and ventilation path maintenance, Mine dewatering process planning and monitoring the water seepage during the rainy seasons to prevent the mine from flooding.
➢Rearranging the surface drainage system and implementing a new cost-efficient Step-wise underground mine dewatering plan.
➢Underground rehabilitation after graphite extraction and surface rehabilitation of rock dumps.
➢Overall administration of the Mining Division, which included 70 underground workers.
➢Assigning workers to workstations and setting production targets for workstations in consultation with the Mines Manager to maintain stable monthly production.

GEOLOGIST – NATIONAL BUILDING RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (Sri Lanka)
February 2015 to June 2015 – 4 Months + 3 months as a trainee in 2012
Worked as a geologist in Landslide mitigation projects. Identifying hazard areas, providing mitigation methods by RMR, and conducting Geological Engineering tests when required.

TRAINEE GEOLOGIST (Underground Mining) - KAHATAGAHA GRAPHITE LANKA LTD 2014 – 4 Months
TRAINEE GEOLOGIST (Underground Mining) – GK BOGALA GRAPHITE MINE – 2014 – 6 Weeks
TRAINEE GEOLOGIST - NATIONAL BUILDING RESEARCH ORGANIZATION - 2012 - 3 Months

MSc in ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY (Reading)
PGIS University of Peradeniya – Sri Lanka
BSc (Hons.) Geology (Applied Science, Physics, Computer Science)
University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION –
Trinity College Kandy