Celsius Resources Ltd (ASX:CLA, AIM:CLA) has appointed a new chief operating officer (COO) to concentrate on the company’s Philippine operations.
David Way will be tasked with overseeing the development of CLA’s flagship Maalinao-Caigutan-Biyog Copper-Gold Project (MCB), with the project completing the necessary government requirements and approvals for the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement application early in 2023.
The MCB Copper-Gold Project is in the Cordillera Administrative Region in the Philippines, about 320 kilometres north of Manila and is the flagship project within the Makilala portfolio which also contains other key prospects in the pipeline for permit renewal/extension.
An updated JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate was announced for the MCB Project on December 12, 2022, comprising 338 million tonnes at 0.47% copper and 0.12 g/t gold for 1.6 million tonnes of contained copper and 1.3 million ounces of gold, reported to a preferred lower cut-off grade of 0.2% copper.
New Zealand-educated mining engineer Way, has more than 30 years’ experience in the operation and management of underground and open-pit mines across several commodities and jurisdictions and recently held executive responsibility for OceanaGold’s Didipio Mine in the Philippines, as well as the Macraes and Waihi Gold Mines in New Zealand.
Way has also held senior management positions with Oz Mineral’s Prominent Hill Mine in South Australia, Newcrest Mining’s Gosowong Gold Mine in Indonesia and its Telfer Mine in Western Australia. Looking regionally, he has had influence in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The new COO is known for his acumen in directing and leading projects and operations, as well as his close familiarity and successful engagement of various stakeholders in the Philippines, through his previous position as general manager for OceanaGold’s Didipio Mine.
Expanding operations
“We are happy and fortunate to have David Way joining our Philippine subsidiaries as we expand our operations,” Celsius chairman Julito R Sarmiento said.
“I am confident his immense talent, people skills, mining expertise and above all, his vision, values and passion which align completely with the company.
"With David complementing the in-country team, we will be better positioned to realise our strategy of a ‘green mine’ for the MCB Project that would showcase a model for transformative mining in the Philippines.”