Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Leadership
Generic

Gus Kridel

Safford,AZ

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience

Work History

Chief Mine Engineer

Freeport-McMoRan
04.2024 - Current
  • Chief Engineer for Long Range Planning including Projects, Mid Range Planning, 5-year Forecast, and Life of Mine Planning.
  • Mentored junior engineers, fostering professional growth and contributing to a positive work environment.
  • Oversaw plans and strategies to facilitate safe extraction of mineral and energy resources.
  • Constant safety and environmental champion ensuring the wellness of our people and community.
  • Led initiative to adjust mine forecast plan to more achievable crushed leach target to 65ktpd based off actuals and to optimize routing for best economics.
  • Focused on standardization of work, plan execution, continuous improvement, collaboration, and maintaining exact standards of delivery.

Senior Mine Engineer

Freeport-McMoRan
01.2021 - 04.2024
  • Product Owner of the Integrated Planning Agile Team, leading cross-functional collaboration between Leaching, Engineering, and Mine Planning to improve planning workflows and interdepartmental alignment.
  • Championed organizational change by enhancing communication and driving process improvements across key operational departments.
  • Facilitated quarterly OKR (Objectives and Key Results) sessions, aligning team goals with site strategy and presenting outcomes to senior stakeholders.
  • Led development and optimization of the 5-year site forecast, integrating input from multiple disciplines to support long-range planning and operational efficiency.
  • Supervised long-range forecast planner and summer intern, overseeing scenario modeling, project coordination, and strategic mine planning initiatives.
  • Delivered a revised Strategic Site Plan that increased site net present value by $1.5 billion compared to the 2021 baseline.
  • Served as Ore Czar, optimizing throughput and equipment utilization while maximizing copper recovery rates.
  • Collaborated with Mill Metallurgists to successfully process historically problematic ore, generating $25 million in additional material value.

Mid-Range Mine Planner & Projects

Freeport-McMoRan
11.2018 - 01.2021
  • Coached and mentored both new and experienced engineers, fostering growth in mine planning capabilities and strengthening team performance.
  • Optimized mid-range (2–5 year) mine plans and conducted critical reviews of initial 90K crusher feed strategies to ensure operational efficiency and resource alignment.
  • Designed an alternative crusher access route that eliminated a major safety hazard and reduced haulage costs by $18 million.
  • Led planning and design efforts for the Lone Star crushed ore feed startup, accelerating ore delivery timelines and enhancing early-stage production.
  • Supervised and mentored a summer intern through a successful and safety-focused internship, culminating in a professional presentation at the Tucson intern conference.

Short-Range Mine Planner

Freeport-McMoRan
02.2017 - 11.2018
  • Led the development and execution of short-range mine plans, schedules, dump strategies, and haulage logistics for two-year operational forecasts, ensuring alignment with long-term production goals.
  • Spearheaded short-range planning for the launch of the Lone Star Project, coordinating cross-functional teams to meet aggressive timelines and operational targets.
  • Engineered a redesign of the Lone Star Crusher Access Road, resulting in $4 million in construction cost savings and delivering the project eight months ahead of schedule.
  • Collaborated closely with Mine Operations and Drilling & Blasting teams to implement safe, efficient blasting practices, enhancing productivity and compliance.
  • Produced and optimized daily and weekly drilling and blasting plans to ensure seamless execution of the Short-Range Mine Plan.

Mine Operations Supervisor

Freeport-McMoRan
06.2015 - 01.2016
  • Conducted daily safety line outs and directly supervised a team of 15 employees, promoting a culture of accountability and hazard awareness.
  • Facilitated conflict resolution among team members, fostering a cohesive and productive work environment.
  • Operated and optimized the dispatch system to improve load and haul cycle efficiency, reducing idle time and increasing throughput.
  • Ensured strict adherence to mine plans, maintaining alignment with production targets and safety standards.

Education

Bachelor of Science - Mining Engineering

University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
05.2015

Skills

  • Health and safety regulations
  • Resource evaluation
  • Daily, weekly, forecast, and life of mine planning
  • Quality control
  • Experienced in Mine planning software Hexagon MinePlan 3D, acQuire, Datamine, Microsoft Office, and Workspace Tools

Timeline

Chief Mine Engineer

Freeport-McMoRan
04.2024 - Current

Senior Mine Engineer

Freeport-McMoRan
01.2021 - 04.2024

Mid-Range Mine Planner & Projects

Freeport-McMoRan
11.2018 - 01.2021

Short-Range Mine Planner

Freeport-McMoRan
02.2017 - 11.2018

Mine Operations Supervisor

Freeport-McMoRan
06.2015 - 01.2016

Bachelor of Science - Mining Engineering

University of Arizona

Leadership

  • Integrated Planning
  • Tinaja Hills Supervisor Training Phase I-V
  • The Art and Science of Change
  • John Floyd Blasting Courses in Precision Blasting
  • Business Acumen
  • Crucial Conversations
  • Coaching for Success
  • Generations
  • Master Dialogue

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Gus Kridel