Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Golf
Languages
Timeline
Generic
John Kane

John Kane

Kalulushi

Summary

A competent, highly skilled, and organized Metallurgist with +15 years’ experience in the Minerals Processing, predominantly copper and Cobalt in central Africa . This experience includes Research & Development (R&D), Laboratory, Pilot plant, and Metallurgical process plant/ Concentrator commissioning and operation. In addition, i am capable of building projects from concept to fully commercialized operations with skills such as mass balance, equipment selection installation and commissioning.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Lead Metallurgist Hydrometallurgical projects

KCM a subsidiary of Vedanta
01.2020 - Current
  • Metallurgical studies NOT limited to floatation, Ambient and elevated temperature leaching and treatment determining the appropriate treatment options for various copper ore sources
  • Developing financial models for the adopted metallurgical options, determining NPV, IRR and payback on the investment
  • Carrying out plant audits and offer advice to operating plants on recovery improvement.
  • Carrying out various flotation test works with different reagents to find the most economical and efficient for the operating plants

Project Manager Heap Leaching Project

KCM a subsidiary of Vedanta
01.2016 - 01.2020
  • Feasibility study of the heap leaching project
  • Established effective communication among team members for enhanced collaboration and successful project completion.
  • Met project deadlines without sacrificing build quality or workplace safety.
  • Project initiation workshop with stakeholders
  • Manage team members
  • Develop various packages for the construction of the pilot heap leaching project
  • Develop work breakdown structure (WBS) and Project execution plan (PEP)
  • Designing of 200,000 t of pilot heap leaching project
  • Hold design review meetings
  • Supervise the execution of various packages
  • Technical adjudication of various packages
  • Explore opportunities to reduce the overall cost of the project
  • Implemented and maintained appropriate systems to enable successful planning and scheduling
  • Monitored project spending and compiled budgets to develop business use cases
  • Hold bi weekly meeting with EXCO to update on the progress.
  • Development of financial models
  • Successfully commissioned a pilot heap leaching project and produced 400 tonnes of copper cathode.
  • Developed the met accounting procedure for the pilot plant
  • Trained operators

Senior Metallurgist

VEDANTA (KCM)
11.2015 - 01.2016
  • Prepared reports illustrating technical research and testing results
  • Consulted with geologists and geophysicists to gain greater industry knowledge
  • Coordinated laboratory test work of to maximize recovery copper extraction
  • Established safety standards and procedures for carrying out laboratory testing operations
  • Conducted research to develop new extraction methods such as elevated temperature leaching in addition to heap leaching
  • Investigated processes of extracting metals from ores and evaluated individual applications.

Plant Metallurgist

(Glencore) Mopani copper mines
01.2015 - 11.2015
  • Preparation of Daily metallurgical balance
  • Buying consumables such as Extractant, Flocculants, steel balls, vortex finders and spigots
  • Monitoring the daily operations of milling, leaching, washing and solvent extraction circuits
  • Implementation of management systems
  • Working with the maintenance team to implement process improvement initiatives
  • Preparation of weekly performance reports for the superintendent
  • Troubleshooting the causes of process diversions and offer workable solutions
  • Plant trials of new reagents
  • Training of subordinates.
  • Enhanced plant efficiency by implementing advanced metallurgical processes and techniques.
  • Mentored junior metallurgists, fostering professional growth and knowledge sharing within the team.
  • Participated in continuous improvement projects, identifying opportunities for enhancing plant performance and driving process improvements.
  • Provided technical expertise in resolving complex metallurgical issues, resulting in enhanced plant performance.

Project metallurgist (Heap Leaching)

Glencore (Mopani copper mines)
06.2014 - 01.2015
  • Conducted research to develop new extraction methods for low grade copper ores
  • Coordinated extraction of copper using heap leaching technology
  • Planned layout and directed pilot plant construction
  • Examined deposits or mines to evaluate profitability
  • Consulted with geologists and geophysicists to gain greater industry knowledge
  • Developed new best practicing procedures for new pilot plant
  • Selected mining and extraction methods and equipment to meet requirements
  • Investigated processes of extracting metals from ores and evaluated individual applications
  • Trained workforce to operate pilot heap leaching operation
  • Coordinated the bottle roll and column tests done by AHK for the Nkana ore
  • Determined the appropriate PSD in a bid to enhance percolation
  • Built and commissioned 20,000 t heap leach test pad
  • Developed best operating practices for operatives
  • Developed a team to run the pilot for six months.

Metallurgist

Glencore (Mopani copper mines)
06.2012 - 06.2014
  • Maintained records of reagent consumption
  • Prepared reports illustrating technical research and testing results of process improvement projects
  • Conducted research to develop new improvement methods which included using new flocculents for dewatering
  • Optimizing classification by using different sizes of vortex finder and spigots
  • Established safety standards and procedures for processing operations
  • Trained subordinates.

Sectional Metallurgist at Flotation section

Glencore (Mopani Copper Mines)
01.2012 - 06.2012

• Flotation Circuit MCM - Determining appropriate collector and frother dosages depending on ore types


• Maintaining process parameters such as pulp densities, pH to enhance recovery of valuable mineral - Trouble shooting when copper losses where high in tails


• Adjust parameters on columns to maximize recovery but maintain good copper grades


• Inspection of fag banks and make recommendations to maintenance to refurbish worn out parts


• Carrying out laboratory tests by testing new reagents - Liaison with maintenance teams on planned works across flotation section


• Grinding Circuit MCM - Maintaining COF between 60 - 70 % passing microns - Ensuring that both rod and ball mills are charged - Ordering of steel balls as well as rods

• Scheduling addition of grinding media

• Buying and replacement of spigots - Inspecting of cyclones and make recommendations to maintenance team

• Troubleshooting to find root cause of process upset.



Senior Assistant Metallurgical Engineer

Mopani Copper Mine PLC. Central Offices
05.2007 - 10.2011

· Carried out metallurgical account

· Operated the copper Solvent extraction plant

· Operated copper tank house

· Operated the cobalt impurity removal section (FEM), Zinc Solvent extraction plant and Nickel ion exchange plant

· Operated the rotary drum vacuum filters for dewatering of roaster calcine and gypsum from the cobalt cleaning section

· Optimized the flocculent dosages across the thickeners

· Carrying out current mapping in both copper/cobalt tank houses

· Carrying out impurity survey across cobalt circuit

· Trouble shooting

Education

Bachelor of Science - Chemical Engineering

Copperbelt University
Kitwe
05.2007

Skills

  • Quality Control Procedures
  • Metallurgical Analysis
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Project management
  • Financial modelling
  • PPT
  • EXCEL
  • Plant commissioning
  • Metallurgical accounting
  • Metallurgical test works
  • Fluent in English
  • Risk assessment

Accomplishments

Commissioned four 25 tonnes per flotation plants

Affiliations

  • Engineering institute of Zambia

Golf

I play it on weekends

Languages

English
Native language

Timeline

Lead Metallurgist Hydrometallurgical projects

KCM a subsidiary of Vedanta
01.2020 - Current

Project Manager Heap Leaching Project

KCM a subsidiary of Vedanta
01.2016 - 01.2020

Senior Metallurgist

VEDANTA (KCM)
11.2015 - 01.2016

Plant Metallurgist

(Glencore) Mopani copper mines
01.2015 - 11.2015

Project metallurgist (Heap Leaching)

Glencore (Mopani copper mines)
06.2014 - 01.2015

Metallurgist

Glencore (Mopani copper mines)
06.2012 - 06.2014

Sectional Metallurgist at Flotation section

Glencore (Mopani Copper Mines)
01.2012 - 06.2012

Senior Assistant Metallurgical Engineer

Mopani Copper Mine PLC. Central Offices
05.2007 - 10.2011

Bachelor of Science - Chemical Engineering

Copperbelt University
John Kane