Denis Savelev

Background

About Denis Savelev

Senior Hydrogeologist with over 16 years of experience in mine water management, spanning operational site roles, corporate leadership, consulting, and academic research. I’ve worked across major mining jurisdictions and commodities, providing expert support in dewatering design, groundwater modelling, pore pressure analysis, and regulatory compliance. My operational experience includes a FIFO role at CITIC Pacific Mining in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, where I developed and implemented grounwater model and dewatering and depressurisation strategies for one of Australia’s largest magnetite operations. Previously, I led the corporate hydrogeology function at Polyus, overseeing water management strategies and hydrogeological investigations across four open-pit mines and large-scale greenfield projects. What I bring- End-to-end hydrogeological support from Scoping and Feasibility Studies to operations and closure - Strong skills in MODFLOW, FEFLOW, Leapfrog, and GIS software for conceptual and numerical modelling - Proven ability to design and supervise drilling and groundwater monitoring programs - Experience managing consultants and internal teams across multi-site portfolios - A track record of delivering hydrogeological risk assessments that directly support slope stability, mine planning, and environmental compliance I’m passionate about practical, data-driven solutions that help mining operations manage water efficiently, reduce geotechnical risk, and meet regulatory obligations.