Friday, June 24, 2016

Nyal Niemuth, the eyes and ears of Arizona mining, retires after 35 years

Nyal Niemuth retired yesterday, after more than 35 years with the State of Arizona, most with the Dept. of Mines & Mineral Resources, and the last 5 years with AZGS after the two agencies were merged.   [Photo credit, Mining Foundation of the Southwest]

Nyal served as Chief Engineer at ADMMR and became Chief of the Economic Geology section at AZGS.  He is universally known across Arizona and beyond, as the "go-to" guy to find out what's happening and what's happened in mining and mineral resources in Arizona.  Miners and would-be miners know that if you are exploring or developing mineral resources in Arizona, you want to check in with Nyal first to find what information already exists.

Nyal timed his retirement with the closure of the AZGS Phoenix office as part of the transfer of duties to the University of Arizona.  Nyal is already promising to come back as a volunteer to help move the massive mineral files and library to storage at the old mining and mineral museum near the Capitol in order to preserve them.

For the past 6 months, Nyal also assumed the temporary duties of Oil & Gas Administrator, supporting the Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission.  Those duties are being transferred to the Dept. of Environmental Quality as of July 1.




6 comments:

  1. Congratulations Nyal, we are going to miss your insight.

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  2. Anonymous12:21 PM

    Nyal - You will be missed. You were such a valuable resource of information for mining and mineral resources and general geology. You were pleasantly and enthusiastically resourceful. I, and many others, will miss working with you. We wish you a meaningful and good retirement.

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  3. Hi Nyal,
    It was very pleasant meeting you for the first time in March of this year. We, again, thank you for the hospitality you showed us when we visited your home. Our best wishes in your retirement years; although I suspect you will be busier than ever before.

    Jerry and Sylvie Sauer
    Burlington Ont. Canada

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  4. Hi Nyal,
    All the best in your retirement years. We suspect that you will be busier than ever before. Once again, thanks for your hospitality during our visit last March.
    Jerry and Sylvie Sauer
    Burlington Ont. Canada

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  5. Hi Nyal!
    Congratulations on your career and your retirement. Art and I look forward to seeing where life takes you next. Perhaps your own beer label??? Hope to see you soon. Best, Sarah Jane Bourque

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  6. Hello Nyal,

    I hope retirement suits you well. Thanks to your help with my capstone class in Public Administration, I finally graduated Northern Arizona University this past December 2016. I now am seeking to attend a Masters Program in Environmental Policy. Thanks for all your help and wise insight in Arizona minerals and lands. Sincerely, Jane Weissner, Cave Creek, AZ

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