Career Overview
Rich has over 35 years of experience in mining consulting and engineering. Rich commenced his career in the precious metals sector, working as an ore control geologist, geotechnical engineer (both underground and open pit), a supervisor in mine operations, senior production engineer, as well as Senior Strategic Planning Engineer. Later, Rich moved into consulting and has used his expertise in many civil, geotechnical, and mining projects all around the world. After a professional lifetime in mining, Rich is a passionate advocate of the benefits of mining optimisation and was proud to join Whittle Consulting in 2010. As our Regional Manager Americas, Rich oversees Whittle Consulting activities in the US, Canada, Latin America, and Europe. He is well versed in the optimisation of the mining business value chain using mine engineering, financial and process engineering methodologies, and management consulting techniques – in addition to Whittle Consulting proprietary optimisation software. Rich is experienced in the field of carbon modelling, conducting carbon projects across all commodities. Since joining Whittle Consulting, Rich has directed over 40 Whittle Enterprise Optimisation studies for gold, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, moly, borate and vanadium mines.
Career Highlights
- Enterprise Optimisation for a Brazilian vanadium mine. Substantial NPV increase achieved via net value analysis of the processing facility and financial models.
- Enterprise Optimisation study for Condor Gold in Nicaragua, including mining, processing, pit and phase optimisation and flexing underground options, improving NPV.
- Enterprise Optimisation study for the Kitsault moly project in British Columbia, Canada. Grind-throughput recovery levers used in NPV analysis, revised pit and phase optimisation.
- Enterprise Optimisation Study for Amarillo Gold Corporation, Mara Rose Project in Brazil. NPV uplift achieved via value chain re-modelling, informing the PFS. Project de-risked via a stochastic planning exercise using drill hole data.
- Enterprise Optimisation Study for B2Gold Corp – Fekola Gold Project in Mali, Africa. NPV maximised via valuation of mining production rates, pit and phase scheduling, dynamic cut-off grades, ore stockpiling, blending, and dynamic processing throughput and recovery. Verification of internal analysis of improved mine value. Carbon modelling guided decision-making.
- Enterprise Optimisation Study for Nordic Iron Ore AB – Blotberget Project, Sweden. Project planning and mine scheduling assisted engineering design and costing. NPV increased circa 50%. Carbon modelling compared and verified internally produced reviews.
- Enterprise Optimisation Study for Dundee Precious Metals – Chelopech Mine in Bulgaria. In-house carbon modelling refined, allowing flex with Prober-E schedules. Review and adjustment of product specification, improved project value.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts in Geology from California State University, Chico, USA.
- Masters in Business Administration (MBA) University of Nevada, Reno USA
- Masters in Engineering from Oregon State University, USA
Memberships
- Registered Professional Engineer in California
- Registered member of the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME)