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Biography:
EDUCATION
MS Metallurgy
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
BS Metallurgical & Materials Engineering
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
SUMMARY
Present: Executive Consultant
Performance Associates International,
Inc.

8 Years: Preparation of metallurgical plant operating manuals, learning materials, and conducting plant operator training instruction.

3 Years: Operations General Supervisor, Cyprus Pinos Altos Corporation, Deming, New Mexico. Responsible for copper and zinc concentrator operations.

3 Years: Chief Metallurgist, Asamera Minerals (U.S.) Inc., Wenatchee, Washington. Supervised the Metallurgical and Analytical Department in a 100,000-ounce-per-year gold and silver con-centrator.

1 Year: Area Engineer, Beker Industries Corp., Conda, Idaho. Production engineer in phos-phoric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonium phosphate plants.
4 Years: Process Engineer, Amax Chemical Corp., Carlsbad, New Mexico. Monitored potash concentrating and granulation processes and laboratory and plant testing of new reagents and process schemes.

8 Years: Research and Development, New Mexico Tech and N-ReN Southwest, Inc.

EXPERIENCE Mr. Kirby’s primary specialty is grinding and flotation con-centrators, although he has managed or participated in a wide variety of minerals projects including development of mine equipment training manuals and programs. His most recent assignment has been managing a complex training develop-ment program for the Antamina copper, bismuth, molybde-num, and zinc concentrator in Peru. Mr. Kirby managed the development of eleven process operating manuals along with associated training modules for most concentrator and port-site job positions. In addition to managing the project, Mr. Kirby led a team of three Performance Associates specialists who conducted on-site classroom and in-plant supervisor, operator, and helper training instruction.

He also recently managed projects associated with, and/or prepared, operating manuals and training materials for several other new state-of-the-art flotation concentrators including Barrick’s Bulyanhulu gold plant in Tanzania, BHP’s Can-nington and Pasminco’s Century lead/zinc concentrators in Australia; Anglo’s Lisheen lead/zinc concentrator in Ireland; and the Los Pelambres, Collahuasi, and Candelaria copper concentrators in Chile; and the Alumbrera copper concentra-tor in Argentina. In addition to Antamina, he conducted on-site operator classroom and in-plant training instruction for the concentrators at Cannington, Los Pelambres, Collahuasi, and Alumbrera. For Pasminco in Australia, Mr. Kirby pre-pared detailed, client-specified training modules. These mod-ules are for use in Australia’s national metalliferous industry processing competency program. He prepared similar mod-ules for the BHP Cannington competency-based training pro-gram.

In other recent assignments, he managed Performance Asso-ciates’ project to develop hard-copy operating manuals and computer-based, multimedia training programs for Southern Peru Copper’s Cuajone concentrator. Mr. Kirby also recently completed managing and preparing operating manuals and training materials for Stillwater’s platinum/palladium concen-trator in Montana.

Mr. Kirby also managed Performance Associates’ work on Newmont’s Batu Hijau copper concentrator in Indonesia. This work consisted of preparing detailed plant operating manuals and client-specified training modules for use in training local nationals to assist in the plant start-up.

Prior to this work, he prepared operator training manuals for gold leaching operations in Chile, Newmont’s refractory gold project in Nevada, BHP’s (Magma) Robinson copper project in Nevada, Kennecott’s smelter in Utah, Cominco’s Red Dog zinc project in Alaska, and Freeport’s copper project in Indo-nesia. For the Magma Robinson project, he directed the de-velopment of extensive mine equipment task training manuals. He has also conducted operator training instruction sessions for the Newmont (originally Santa Fe Pacific Gold) Lone Tree expansion and the Southern Peru Copper Corp. leaching operations at Toquepala. He also prepared operat-ing manuals and training documentation and conducted on-site classroom and in-plant operator training instruction for Barrick Gold’s Pierina gold process plant in Peru.

Mr. Kirby also prepared operating manuals and training mod-ules and conducted on-site operator training for the Nchanga Division of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines (ZCCM) in Africa. As a result of the training and assistance, concentra-tor sulfide copper recovery increased by over 4 percent.

While with Cyprus Pinos Altos Corp., Mr. Kirby supervised all operations personnel, including their scheduling and train-ing. He trained six separate crews prior to the start-up of the new concentrator. Mr. Kirby was also responsible for plant metallurgical performance, production accounting and re-porting, quality control, sampling and analysis. He developed and implemented the flotation reagent schemes for the con-centrator. In addition, he coordinated the plant operations department with the mining and maintenance departments. Mr. Kirby prepared the annual concentrator operating budget and procurement documents pertaining to capital expendi-tures at the plant.

As Chief Metallurgist for Asamera, Mr. Kirby was responsible for all metallurgical functions aimed at improving con-centrator performance and economics. As a certified MSHA instructor, he conducted safety training for the concentrator personnel and cyanide safety training for the mine and mill.

Mr. Kirby participated in the development of a unique bio-oxidation process for treating carbonaceous and refractory gold ores and concentrates. The process was further refined in a state-of-the-art, 1 TPD pilot plant, the first of its kind in the United States. At the same location, he developed an in-termediate temperature/pressure oxidation process, also directed towards gold solubilization.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers (AIME)
Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers (SME)
Sigma Xi

Know-how and experience:
Refer to CV for work experience.

Fields of Consulting work:
Training