Summary Kathy Ehrig is a geometallurgist who for over 30 years has worked for Western Mining Corporation (to which she was recruited in 1992 by Roy Woodall), WMC Corporation and BHP Billiton on the Olympic Dam ore field. She has undertaken pioneering work at the interface of geology and minerals processing, creating highly innovative solutions in characterising in situ ore properties and predicting metal extraction in advance of mining. Her interdisciplinary approach has enhanced understanding of mineral deposits and optimised the production process, reducing waste and increasing metal recoveries. She is Superintendent Metallurgy for Olympic Dam with BHP Billiton. Ehrig has received a number of awards for her research, including the Roy Woodall Medal (Australian Geoscience Council) and the Haddon Forrester King Medal (Australian Academy of Science). Ehrigite, a sub-microscopic bismuth telluride mineral, was named in her honour.
"Dr Kathy Ehrig is renowned for her insights into the complex geological events involved in the formation of the supergiant copper-uranium-gold-silver Olympic Dam ore deposit. Her leadership in this research has attracted global attention because her advances may contribute to further discoveries elsewhere. She has created highly innovative solutions in characterising in situ ore properties and predicting metal extraction in advance of mining, primarily in the context of the Olympic Dam mine. These solutions are based on her profound knowledge and understanding of mineral assemblages and have proven to be highly robust and transferable to other mines, thereby having a crucially positive impact on productivity. The foundation of her achievements has been her ability to integrate diverse datasets through harnessing cutting-edge research methods and novel approaches. Dr Ehrig's diligence, enthusiasm and dedication to the pursuit of science combine to make her an exceptional research leader." [from https://science.org.au/our-work/awards-programs/awards-opportunities/haddon-forrester-king-medal-sponsored-rio-tinto 2026-03-24]
1984
1984
Education - BSc, California State University, Fresno, California, U.S.A.
1991
1991
Education - PhD, University of California, Berkeley, California, U.S.A.
1992
Career position - Research geologist, Western Mining Corporation
2017
2017
Award - Professional Excellence Award, Australasian Institute of mining and Metallurgy
2017
2017
Award - Doctor of Science honoris causa, Flinders University
2018
2018
Award - Bruce Webb Medal, South Australia Branch, Geological Society of Australia
2020
2020
Award - Silver Medal, Society of Economic Geologists
2021
2021
Award - Roy Woodall Medal, Australian Geosciences Council
2022
2022
Award - 2022 Haddon Forrester King Medal, Australian Academy of Science
2023
Award - Fellow, U.S. National Academy of Engineering
2023
2023
Career position - International Exchange Lecturer, Society of Economic Geologists