Second place went to Justin Moriarty from Glencore Xstrata’s Blakefield South longwall mine in New South Wales.

The competition is open to the 10 Australian underground mines using the Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station’s (Simtars) Computer Assisted Mine Gas Analysis System (Camgas), with Peter Dent, Simtars’ inaugural director, presenting the award at the annual Camgas users group seminar in Mackay on Thursday night.

“The work of gas chromatographers like Bob Wills is a major reason why Queensland continues to have an international reputation for having one of the safest mining industries in the world,” Simtars acting executive director Dr Tilman Rasche said.

“Gas explosions, fires and other gas-related incidents have caused more than 150 fatalities in underground coal mines in Queensland over the past century.

“Monitoring gases to ensure they don’t reach dangerous levels requires the best gas monitoring technology available and the best operators of those gas monitoring systems.”