Together the engineers at Searles Valley Minerals take on complex projects that involve all of their specialties. Where their skills overlap, they join forces to make a team more powerful in its creative ability than any individual. Their work carries on a century of continuous innovation in Searles Valley.

Chemical and mining engineers invent processes to unlock valuable minerals from complex brines. Geologists probe and discover hidden potential in the lake. Civil engineers conceive transportation systems and large structures. Mechanical engineers work to design machines that work without failures. Environmental engineers harmonize the great machine with our air and water.

The men and women of engineering thrive on both doing and teaching. The learning process is sacred and never-ending. Having members of so many engineering disciplines together provides life-long learning opportunities. The inspiration that comes from teamwork makes life exciting. The more experienced engineers encourage the development of the young engineers. Each new generation brings fresh questions and ideas that keep the department alive.

Efficiency is one of the highest goals for engineers. Engineers often balance the mutually exclusive goals of cost cutting and quality with new technology and human ingenuity. The evolution of machines and procedures keeps Searles Valley Minerals at the top of its game in today's fiercely competitive global market.

Lake Operations extracts brine from the lake. Drilling engineers create wells primarily for pumping brine to the plants. Some wells circulate or inject brine. Other wells exist for monitoring and exploration. Wells must have both the correct location and depth. While the engineers may drill 229 wells in a typical month, about 900 wells are active at any given time.