In June 2000, Gabriella Sipos wrote:

"I work for Nabalco Ltd in Gove in the Top End (Northern Territory) as a development chemist. I have been working on "white-side" development.

The alumina plant is divided into two sections, white-side and red-side, depending on the colour of the solid being carried in the circuit. The red-side includes bauxite crushing and grinding, digestion (alumina extraction), desanding, red mud settling, red mud washing, security filtration and evaporation. The white-side is: alumina hydrate precipitation, hydrate classification, hydrate filtration and calcination. These are the parts of a Bayer process cycle.

My job is improving alumina hydrate precipitation performance, testing additives (such as antifoams), giving support to engineers' trials and troubleshooting, such as chemical identification of scales from pumps and pipes. Above that, I do development work for future installation of facilities.

Life is wonderful here. The nature is beautiful and fishing is very popular. People are nice and very friendly. I do not find the weather very hot (max 35^oC, min 18^oC). It is summer all year round."