Howard W. Earnest

Resume of Howard W. Earnest

Engineer of Mines, 1959, Colorado School of Mines

 

Society of Mining Engineers

Colorado Mining Association

 

2000—Present

Self–employed mining engineer providing engineering and management services in the following areas: mine planning; site closure; reclamation; exploration drilling programs; and operations oversight for oil shale and mineral extraction projects. Serves as a Senior Associate for Sage Geotech.

 

1992—1999

Manager–Amoco Corp’s. Rio Blanco Oil Shale Co.—Rifle, CO.Responsible for all company activities including MIS retort abandonment, environmental monitoring, government agency coordination, water rights, ranch properties, equipment sales, demolition, closure and reclamation of Tract C-a facilities.

 

1986—1992

Manager of Operations—Rio Blanco Oil Shale Co./Amoco Corp.—Rifle, CO. Managed Oil Shale Lease Tract C-a MIS retort abandonment, environmental monitoring, ranch properties, water rights, and contract mine evaluation studies for Amoco’s CO oil shale project and its Sunnyside, UT tar sand properties and managed all related engineering services.

 

1980—1982

Manager of Mine Operations—Rio Blanco Oil Shale Co.—Rifle, CO. Managed the development and operation of the Tract C-a gassy underground modified in situ (MIS) oil shale mine. Participated in short and long range planning and budgeting for current and future phases of the project.

 

1979—1980

Senior Mining Engineer—Rio Blanco Oil Shale Co.—Aurora, CO. Coordinated MIS mine design with engineering contractor.

 

1974—1979

Senior Mining Engineer—Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co.—Rifle, CO. Mine planning, design and cost estimating for oil shale mining and waste disposal projects, including preparation of environmental impact assessments and the Detailed Development Plan for the Ua–Ub prototype oil shale lease tracts in Utah.

 

1959—1974

U.S. Steel Corp.
Varied underground coal and surface limestone and taconite iron ore mine engineering and production supervisory positions—UT, CO, WY & MN.

 

Throughout Mr. Earnest's 51–year career in mining, he has been involved in the planning, engineering design, operations and management for underground and surface mines extracting coal, limestone, iron ore, tar sands and oil shale. He also has been involved in mine closure, environmental remediation and reclamation activities.

He has 36 years of experience in the oil shale industry in Colorado and Utah that includes senior management responsibilities for mine planning and design, the preparation of Environmental Impact Studies and Environmental Assessments, federal and state permitting, water rights, property management and interaction with various state and federal agencies.

Recently, Mr. Earnest has been responsible for contracting and managing oil shale drilling projects and overseeing oil shale bulk sample operations and field services for a number of the Sage Geotech clients.