Faces of Mining
Ethan Trickey Senior Mine Engineer, Usibelli Coal Mine
In each issue of The Alaska Miner, we recognize a member of our Alaska mining community. This issue we are interviewing Ethan Trickey, Senior Mining Engineer with Usibelli Coal Mine.
What is your role and how did you get into the industry? I am the Senior Mine Engineer at Usibelli Coal Mine. I started working for Usibelli as an intern in 2015 on the reclamation crew and got full-time employment after graduating in 2017 as a mining engineer. I currently work on ex- ploration drilling, geology model- ing, and the 2–7-year mine plan. I wanted to go to school for petro- leum or mining engineering, with the opportunity to play college football at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology all they had was a mining program, so I en- rolled. During my freshmen year, my passion grew for the mining industry, and I knew this was what I wanted to do. Who was your mentor in this industry and what did they teach you that remains true today? My mentor in this industry is my boss Fred Wallis, he is the VP of Engineering at Usibelli Coal Mine. Fred comes from a mining engineering family as his dad is also a mining engineer. As my boss and good friend, he has taught me so much over the last 9 years about engineering and professionalism. He has pushed me to be where I am today. More importantly, he has taught me how to navigate the work-life balance which is cru- cial for everyone. Today, I oversee the reclamation crew at Usibelli. I emulate the way Fred treated me by making work fun, challenging, and rewarding. Fred demonstrated what a special place Usibelli Coal Mine is, and I hope I am leading by the same example. What lessons have you learned that you want to share with new miners? A lesson that I have learned is that mining happens: not every- thing is going to go as planned.
build new roads, so we have more access for the mining industry to grow. What does AMA mean to you? AMA to me is the biggest ad- vocate for mining that we have in Alaska. They bring the mining community from small placer operations to large mining opera- tions together in one organization and act as a voice for all of us on a State and Federal level. From their different committees, newsletters, emails, and statewide and chapter meetings, AMA keeps me informed on what’s happening that can affect my job and the mining in - dustry. AMA is also a place where mining is celebrated and brings us miners from all over the state together during conventions and events. It’s a great place to net- work and help each other grow as a mining community. What do like to do for fun? Living in Alaska and in Healy, I really like to go on adventures in the backcountry. From hiking, four wheeling, and fishing in the summer to hunting in the fall and snowmaching in the winter, I do it all. My biggest passion is snow- maching in the mountains, noth- ing beats a bluebird day with fresh powder in the mountains along with your friends.
and finding the best plan. With strip mining, I get to see these designs come to life and how the mine changes year after year. Where do you see mining in Alaska in 50 years? I see great things and growth ahead for mining in Alaska for the next 50 years. Advances in mining technology are exciting. You’ve seen AMA’s bumper sticker: “If it can’t be grown, it must be mined” and that is so true when it comes to meeting the world’s energy challenges and critical minerals opportunities. Alaska is in a great spot to become one of the major producers of energy and critical minerals needs. What do you see as our biggest challenges? And opportunities? One of our biggest challenges is developing feasible mine plans for known deposits to help them become huge producers in Alas- ka. The permitting process is long and filled with tons of roadblocks. Along with the long permitting process is the remoteness of these deposits in Alaska. There are sev- eral advanced exploration projects in Alaska that can be operating mines, but the challenge is the lack of energy infrastructure. I see that as an opportunity to improve our energy infrastructure and
What was one experience you will never forget? The first time I visited both a surface mine and an underground mine. While attending school in South Dakota I was able to see a Cloud Peak mining operation in the Powder River Basin, and Freeport McMoRan Henderson Mine. To see the massive dragline at the Cloud Peak Mine and go- ing onto the machine is a surreal experience — not to mention the 400-ton haul trucks driving down the road. At the Henderson Mine, I got to see the complexity that goes into planning a block cave operation. They have a conveyor belt that carries the ore 25 miles over the Great Continental Divide! These were my first experiences on a mine site as a young adult that created the passion I have today. What do you love most about this business? As an engineer, I love the tech- nical side of mining. Some people might view it as a giant hole in the ground or digging in the sandbox but there’s so much more that goes into it. From the ultimate pit design, to excavation, to extraction and processing, all these process- es have so many facets to achieve one goal, lowering the cost per ton safely. I enjoy the design process
There are so many factors that go into a mining operation. With that, plans change and for some, it’s hard to adjust. I learned that a good plan has options for potential setbacks, and those options are just as important as the original plan. This way when mining hap- pens you can adjust quickly and get back on track to accomplish the end goal. What would you do differently? I would have gotten more involved with the Alaska Miners Association and mining commu- nity earlier as a student. I didn’t
get involved with the UAF chapter of Society of Mining Engineers until late spring of my junior year. I had never been to an AMA con- ference or the local AMA meet- ings until then. When I finally got involved with SME and AMA I realized I had missed almost 3 years of support from mining companies and individuals. There is a whole community within AMA who are willing to help students in the industry. My advice to students at UAF is to be involved early and often! The mining community in Alaska is special in how supportive they are to students.
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The Alaska Miner
Spring 2025
www.AlaskaMiners.org
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