Origin Stories

Mining and Geotechnical Engineer

My name is Maria, I am 30 years old, married, mother to a 1.5 year old daughter and graduated mining and geotechnical engineer.
I am a new employee in the mining department and joined the company only a few months ago. I was very warmly welcomed and immediately accepted into the team as a colleague, so I did never have the feeling of being an inexperienced newcomer.
After my induction, I immediately got involved in my first project, where I was able to support one of my most experienced colleague in the planning of a shaft sealing. In addition to the mine planning, all aspects of environmental, wildlife, water and landscape protection had to be considered as well. We also visited the project site to get a better understanding of the project and all related issues.

During our daily team meetings we exchange information on all projects in progress and can also discuss our own project related issues with the team. I already noticed how diverse the scope of projects in the ERCOSPLAN mining department is. This ranges from conceptual designs, Basic and Detail Engineering, preparation of tender documents for sinking of new shafts or sealing of existing shaft, planning of new mine sections, mine workings or mine field parts, to final waste disposal and retrieval, up to preparation of documentations for approval procedures. And these are just some of the projects I was involved in during the beginning of my job.
Thanks to our international team, it is also easier for me to work with our foreign clients. In addition, we have the help of our in-house translators whenever necessary.

Working together across departments during project planning means working closely with the geology team and the mechanical engineering team. It is almost as if you are taken by the hand and led forward. I started out by drafting reports and annexes, then working on small tasks such as preparing presentations on specific topics. And now, after only a few months, I am preparing my first project report on my own.

Before joining ERCOSPLAN, I worked for an explosives manufacturer and service provider as an engineer in operational blasting technology and manager of one of its underground storage and logistics division. This job is generally characterised by irregular working hours and frequent travel. In contrast, ERCOSPLAN offers flexible working hours and the opportunity of working from home, which is very valuable to me as a mother of a little daughter. I am already looking forward to my next project.

Mine Surveyor

My name is Carsten Ackermann, I was born in 1977, live in Gera with my wife and two kids. I work as a Mine Surveyor at ERCOSPLAN. How did I get into the field of mine surveying and to ERCOSPLAN and what fascinates me most about my profession and working at ERCOSPLAN after all these years?
When I was still in school I was primarily interested in natural sciences such as physics and geography. Growing up in a small miners town near the Ore Mountains and given the fact that some of my ancestors were miners, I quickly made my decision regarding my professional career: I studied mine surveying and geodesy at the Mining Academy in Freiberg, followed by an internship at a mining authority in Dortmund, North-Rhine Westfalia and graduated as Assessor of Mine Surveying. During my internship I worked in various lignite, hard coal, rock and potash mines and found my affection for the “colourful world of salts” with its specific geological, rock-mechanical and mining challenges. In 2006, after passing my final state examination, I started working with ERCOSPLAN in Erfurt, where I had applied for a job position as project engineer.

At ERCOSPLAN, I was warmly welcomed by my colleagues and, with the support of the experienced long-time employees, I first got involved in the tasks of exploring, evaluation and closure of abandoned mines in Germany. It quickly became clear to me that ERCOSPLAN is not only at home in Thuringia, but also in Europe and worldwide: mine closure and mine damage assessment projects in Western Europe and Russia followed. As I gained experience, my field of responsibility expanded, especially in those areas, where my specialist knowledge could be useful, for example regarding the effects of mining on rock masses and earth’s surface or the mining and environmental legal aspects of resource extraction. Similarly, project sites and work locations expanded to other countries and continents.

The range of clients I work with is very broad – from mining companies to companies engaged in the rehabilitation and closure of old mines, law firms acting on behalf of mining companies, government authorities and environmental organizations.
The range of work carried out as part of these projects includes the development of documentation for applications for exploration permits or mining licences; calculation, review and assessment of mining dimension for newly designed and existing mines; examination, evaluation and assessment of the effects of mining operations from rock-mechanical perspective, including possible and actual mining subsidence damages, as well as the long-term safety of underground storages and disposal sites and last but not least the designation and verification of compliance with mining/environmental law and mining safety framework conditions for mining projects involving the extraction of mineral resources or final underground disposal of wastes.

I work on all these tasks in close cooperation with my colleagues, each of whom applies their specialist knowledge of geology, mining and mechanical engineering, but above all their in-depth knowledge of their specialisation in the process of working in teams set up to meet the specific project requirements.
This wide range of topics and – despite the similarity of projects – the uniqueness of the tasks or problems to be solved, paired with ERCOSPLAN’s traditional flat management structure with short information transfer channels and fast, efficient exchange of information are what continues to fascinate me and has done so since 2006.
Over the years, I have gained experience of a breadth that cannot be acquired in any mining company and have worked my way up from being a newcomer to an ‘old hand’, which now allows me to share this wealth of experience with new employees and to give them just the same successful start at ERCOSPLAN that I once had.

Geoscientist

My name is Madeline Gräf and I am 24 years old. From an early age, I have been particularly interested in scientific subjects at school. When I started collecting various rocks and minerals, I soon realised that I wanted to become a geoscientist.

I studied Applied Geosciences at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. After completing my studies, I was looking for a job that was diverse and would give me the opportunity to work on various geological topics. That is how I came across ERCOSPLAN. I have been working here as a geoscientist in the Geology Department since November 2022.

The training at ERCOSPLAN went smoothly. At the beginning, I was given smaller tasks, which kept increasing in scope, until after a short time, I was allowed to work on a project on diapirism. This ultimately included the scientific work that I learnt during my studies and included everything from detailed literature research to writing texts. At the same time, I was able to work on another project, which involved the underground mapping of rock salt.

I have learnt a lot of new things here.

The work at ERCOSPLAN is varied and offers me the opportunity to come into contact with various geological issues. Regular exchanges with colleagues and weekly team meetings mean that I am able to quickly obtain support for difficult questions and everyone stays up to date with ongoing projects.

I also really like the balance between working in the office and working outside.