JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – ASX- and TSX-listed Bannerman Resources has appointed former Rio Tinto senior mining executive Dr David Smith as a nonexecutive director with effect from November 25.

Smith, who is a qualified metallurgist with a Bachelor of Science and a Ph.D. in Metallurgy from the University of New South Wales, in Australia, had over 30 years of technical, operational and senior management experience within the diversified Rio Tinto group and had, until recently, been the president of Rio Tinto Atlantic.

He had also formerly been MD of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron-ore operations in Western Australia.

Prior to his appointment to the diversified miner’s iron-ore operations in 2001, he had been CEO of the Rossing uranium mine, in Namibia. He also chaired the Rossing Foundation, a key component of Rio Tinto's corporate social responsibility activity in Namibia.

“David's extensive operating and development experience and, in particular, his experience in Namibia as CEO of Rossing Uranium, will be of substantial value to Bannerman during the development phase of the Etango project. The appointment further transitions the board to one capable of providing relevant governance, strategic and operational oversight, while Bannerman pursues development of one of the world's largest uranium deposits,” Bannerman chairperson Geoff Stanley commented.

The junior miner currently held an interest in two properties in Namibia, with its 80% owned Etango openpit uranium-mining project, which is situated southwest of the Rossing uranium mine, as its principal asset.

In July, Bannerman had reported a measured and indicated resource of 107,7-million pounds at average grade of 208 parts per million (ppm) uranium oxide (U₃O₈) and an inferred resource of 52,4-million pounds at an average grade of 197 ppm U₃O₈.

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