JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – To further its Oxley potassium project and oversee the recently started prefeasibility study (PFS), Centrex Metals has appointed Steve Klose as its projects GM.
Klose, who holds degrees in minerals engineering and project management, joins Centrex from his previous role as WorleyParsons senior project manager.
With 26 years' industry experience, Klose has covered project management and process engineering roles in Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, Chile and Peru.
Centrex CEO Ben Hammond noted that Klose’s strong experience, not only on feasibility studies, but also in construction and commission of projects, provided key additional technical engineering capability to the Centrex team.
“Having a process engineering background in addition to being a project manager is a great advantage to overseeing the Oxley project going forward, given that it is more of a chemical processing play rather than a straight mining project,” he added.
The PFS follows the completion of the scoping study, which proved inferred mineral resources of 38-million tonnes at 10% potassium dioxide (K2O), from the total of 155-million tonnes at 8.3% K2O.
The PFS will not only consider the start-up potassium nitrate operation, but also cover second stage expansion in the bulk potassium fertiliser market.