TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Vancouver-based Ventana Gold has appointed Blair Way as vice-president for project development, the company reported on Thursday.

Way was most recently president and project director for OceanaGold, before which he worked as project manager with Hatch Associates in Brisbane.

He will be responsible for leading Ventana's mining projects from feasibility through to design, construction and into operation, the company said.

“This appointment is a valuable addition to Ventana's management team, as we continue our aggressive growth strategy and move towards feasibility at the La Bodega project in Colombia,” commented Steve Orr.

Ventana started a scoping study in October on La Bodega, and said at the time the study would be completed in the third quarter of this year.

The company's shares surged in 2009, as analysts and investors applauded positive drilling results from La Bodega.

However, the firm ended the year on a slightly less positive note, after reporting that the owner of the mineral rights at the La Bodega property was challenging the terms of its agreement with Ventana.

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