Adam Kennel
From Mine Engineering to Mining Strategy
Mine engineering has always been my passion. I started my career on the Carlin Trend in Nevada mining gold, where I learned the engineering, science and geology that form the foundation of modern mining. From there, I progressed through a variety of mine engineering roles, each adding a different perspective and shaping how I view mining operations today.
Seeing firsthand how engineering and operations interact has shaped my approach as Turner Mining Group’s Mining Strategy & Solutions Manager. My goal is to provide value to our clients. My experience helps me understand how a mining operation should function and, just as importantly, how to translate that understanding into a practical vision for our clients. I have also seen operations struggle firsthand and some of my most valuable lessons have come from understanding why and identifying opportunities to do things better.
Aligning Mine Planning with Production
The most valuable lesson I have learned from working in both short- and long-range mine planning is the impact of disconnect. When those functions are not aligned, inefficiencies quickly make their way into the operation. When short- and long-range planning work together, the improvement is noticeable: production becomes more reliable, metal forecasts are achieved more consistently and operations have a clearer path forward.
“Everyone needs to see themselves as one team, working toward the same definition of success.”
That experience has also shaped how I evaluate mining operations today. When I visit a client’s site, I look closely at the relationship between short-range planning, long-range planning and operations. When those groups are not aligned, it is often an opportunity to identify practical improvements that can make a meaningful difference in the operation.
Building Mining Efficiency on Safe Production
Safety always wins. At Turner Mining Group, our Eye for Safety is part of every decision we make, from major operational strategies to routine day-to-day tasks.
Safe production must be established first and without question. Once that foundation is in place, we can focus on increasing production and improving efficiency. The objective is not to balance safety against production; it is to build an operation where safe production is the standard and optimization happens within that framework.
Turning Mine Data into Field-Level Improvements
One of mine engineering’s most important responsibilities is taking technical information and making it digestible and executable for the operations team. Analysis only creates value when it can be translated into action in the field.
That is where mine optimization comes in: analyzing the data, identifying opportunities and giving mine management practical solutions they can put to work. The best technical solution is not necessarily the most complicated one, it is the one the operation can execute successfully and turn into measurable improvement.
Uniting Technical and Operations Teams in the Field
One of the simplest and most effective ways to bring technical services and operations together is proximity. The more time those teams spend together, in the office and, more importantly, in the field, the stronger that team mentality becomes. Physically and organizationally separating the groups can make it easy to lose sight of their shared objectives.
Mining leaders need to establish the expectation from the beginning that technical services and operations spend time in the field together, solve problems together, understand each other’s challenges and work toward the same goals. Everyone needs to see themselves as one team, working toward the same definition of success.
