Technical Team

Francisco Soria Venegas, P.Geo, Exploration Manager

Mr. Venegas has 19 years experience as a geologist, specializing in Ecuador, he worked 8 years at Newmont Overseas Exploration Ltd. and was "Cangrejos" Project Manager (Copper-Gold Porphyry 1.6 mill oz Au) He was most notably recognized as Senior Geologist for the International Minerals Company where he has held this position for the past four years, being an integral part in the discovery of the Rio Blanco Deposit (0.7 mill oz Au, 5.00 mill oz Ag) and Gaby (estimated 3 mill oz Au). Francisco is a key part of the Salazar team with his vast knowledge of Gold-Copper Porphyry deposits in Ecuador.

John Buckle, Technical Advisor

 

Mr. Buckle is the principal of Geological Solutions, a geological consulting firm, since October 1998. From August 1995 to October 1998, Mr. Buckle was Vice President Business Development of Quantec Geoscience, a geological consulting firm. Mr. Buckle also serves as a director of Odyssey Resources Ltd., a publicly listed natural resource exploration company, and as a director of Oasis Diamond Exploration. Mr. Buckle has a B.Sc. from York University and a Geological Technicians Certificate from Sault College.

Dr. Pratt (BSc Geology Hull, 1986; PhD Structural Geology, University of Wales, 1990) has a strong mapping background and a decade of British Geological Survey field experience and training. In the first half of the 1990's he worked mainly on volcanic rocks in Wales , on engineering geology projects, and in the roofing slate industry. In 1994 he won the President's Award of the Geological Society of London for detailed thematic mapping. Apart from the UK , he has field experience in: Argentina (Au/Ag), Arizona (Cu, training), Chile (Cu), Cyprus (VHMS, ophiolite), Ecuador (Au/Ag, Cu/Mo), Egypt (Au, training), Malaysia (Au), Norway (VHMS, Cu), Peru (VHMS, Au, Ag, Cu/Mo), and Sweden (Au, Zn, Pb). Finland (Au), Uganda (Au) and Greenland (Zn Pb) will be visited during 2006. Dr Pratt has a track record of generating Au/Cu targets in under-explored areas, for example, the Cañicapa high sulfidation Au project, discovered during a World Bank minerals program in Ecuador . He is fluent in Spanish. Over the last few years, presentations have been made at metals- and petroleum-related international conferences in France and Peru . Dr Pratt is a Competent Person as defined by Chapter 17 of the UKLA Sourcebook.

Mr. Mayor is a graduate of the Royal School of Mines, University of London, England, and has over 43 years experience in senior positions in the mining industry, 37 years of which were spent with Newmont Mining Corp. Mr. Mayor's technical experience includes mine geology, project development, and generative exploration in VHMS (volcanic-hosted massive sulphide), orogenic gold, porphyry copper and epithermal systems. Mr. Mayor's extensive experience with Newmont includes the position of exploration manager for Ecuador from 1996 to 2001, and exploration manager with the team that discovered the Herradura mine, Sonora, Mexico, from 1986 to 1992.

 

Mr. Harvey has an MS degree in geology from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Montana. Mr. Harvey has worked in mineral exploration and mining for over 30 years, including the past 13 years in South America. Mr. Harvey is currently the president of Pembroke Resources Corp., a private Vancouver-based exploration company with exploration programs in Peru and Brazil, and also president of Peusa Exploration Inc., a United States-based exploration consulting group. Mr. Harvey has worked throughout South America, with extensive experience in epithermal gold systems in the Andes.Mr. Harvey previously worked with Newmont for 19 years from 1987 to 2006, with the most recent position as director of exploration, South America, in which he was responsible for exploration activities throughout South America. Prior to this assignment, Mr. Harvey served in a number of exploration management assignments for Newmont, including director of geology at Yanacocha and Yanacocha exploration manager during a time when the Yanacocha gold district in Peru grew to be one of the largest gold operations in the world. In addition, Mr. Harvey worked in several other exploration positions for Newmont, including exploration acquisition group, South America, and as the Carlin trend (Nevada, U.S.) exploration manager. Prior to working with Newmont, Mr. Harvey worked with Rio Algom, Superior Mining and Conoco Minerals in a variety of exploration programs in the Western U.S.