ABI Consultants, Rob Buratto

C.V. of Rob Buratto
Contact: Telephone (618) 9339 8895
                 Facsimile (618) 9438 1938
                 Email        rburatto@autoclaves4hydromet.com
Qualifications
·        Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical), University of Adelaide, South Australia 1978
Key Skills and Experience
Rob Buratto has over twenty four years experience in the gold, diamond, alumina, tantalite, kaolin, zinc, cobalt and nickel industries, both in Australia and overseas. He has been responsible for managing design teams working from the process concepts stage through to commissioning operations. Experience with nickel comes from his involvement as Lead Process Engineer during the design and commissioning, ore commissioning and ramp-up of the Bulong Project and the Kwinana nickel refinery as a Production/Development Engineer. He has also been involved in a number of recent studies including the Moneo Metals Laterite Feasibility Study, the Marlborough Nickel Project Feasibility Study and the Hellyer Tailings Retreatment Prefeasibility Study.
Rob Buratto has been involved in the feasibility study, flow sheet development and conceptual design work on a variety of physical beneficiation, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes in the mineral processing industry.
April 2000 To Present
ABI Consultants Pty Ltd
Operating as an individual contractor as ABI Consultants Pty Ltd.

June 2001 To 2009
Hatch Australia
Ravensthorpe Nickel Project Commissioning and Start-up.

June 2001 To 2008
Hatch Australia
Ravensthorpe Nickel Project Review. A further review to that conducted in April/June 2001.
April 2001 To June 2001
SNC- Lavalin Australia Ltd
Ravensthorpe Nickel Project Feasibility Study Review and Opportunities definition.
September 2000 To April 2001
1. Hatch Australia
·        Moneo Nickel and Cobalt Feasibility Study. Lead Process Engineer responsible for all aspects of the process input to the full bankable feasibility.

2.      Meremeta Gold Pty Ltd
·        Buhemba Gold Project: Test work definition and supervision for the Buhemba Gold Project in Tanzania. Inspection and recommendation for purchase of the Chalice Gold Plant for relocation to Buhemba. Co-ordination of technical queries through the dismantling of the Chalice plant equipment. Ongoing metallurgical input.

3.      Sub Saharan Resources
·        Marapino Tantalum Project: Preparation of flow sheets, design criteria, mass balance and detailed equipment list for the Sub Saharan Resources Marapino Tantalum Project in Mozambique.

4. General
·        Other minor metallurgical consulting services for Bateman Engineering and Thiess Pty Ltd.
April 2000 To August 2000
Anaconda Nickel Ltd
Cawse Expansion Prefeasibility Study. Process Engineer with Anaconda Nickel Ltd on contract.
July 1996 To April 2000
Bateman Engineeering Pty Ltd (Formerly Bateman Kinhill/Bateman Brown & Root)
Process Manager for the Perth office with responsibility for:
·                    Management of the Perth office process team
·                    Involvement in bid preparation in general
·                    General review of process design of projects/studies/bids
·                    Detailed project and study work
·                    Hellyer Tailings Project:
Completed the detailed work on the Hellyer Tailings Pre-feasibility for Dominion Mining Ltd involving tailings recovery, regrind and flotation, pressure oxidation leach, iron precipitation, zinc solvent extraction and electrowin and gold/silver recovery. A number of flow sheet options were prepared for the study.
·                    Bulong Nickel Project:

Rob Buratto spent 3 years full-time as the Lead Process Engineer for the Bulong Nickel project, which is a lateritic nickel process plant design. Exposure to the detailed design of ore preparation, high temperature/pressure acid leaching, CCD,   solution neutralisation, cobalt and nickel solvent extraction, cobalt and nickel electrowin, cobalt refinery design and all reagents and services. He has been involved in all facets of the final stages of the project construction, pre-commissioning and water commissioning. Completed assignment on the detailed ore commissioning and project ramp-up with day-to-day hands on involvement in the plant operations and metallurgical/engineering problem solving. Involved in post commissioning assistance, problem solving, operations and engineering issues through the project ramp-up period.
1990 To June 1996
Signet Engineering Pty Ltd
Senior Process Engineer, involved in the following projects:
·          Management of the Hannan`s South plant audit for Eldorado Corporation.
·          Development of the Skardon River kaolin project from pilot plant design, installation and operation, project prefeasibility study report and final project feasibility study report preparation for Venture Exploration NL.
·          Argyle Diamond Mine, recovery improvement.
·          Detail design of the Akbakai gold project in Kazakhstan.
·          Feasibility studies, including:
·        Chalice gold project, including test work development
·        Telfer concentrates gold project
·        Mullewa kaolin project
·        Kelian project gold refinery
·        Korean Government Chemical Company, alumina refinery, seconded to Kaiser        Engineers as a Process design engineer for the feasibility study design (1992).
·        Greenbushes lithium plant upgrade.
·        Greenbushes tantalum plant upgrade.
·        Bronzewing gold project, including test work development.
·        Toms Gully, tailings retreatment project
·        Kurara gold plant relocation, including review of test work and auditing.
·        Initial test work and preliminary studies for Delta/Peko Gold’s’ Kanowna Bell project
·        Munglinup 200,000tpa graphite   project feasibility study for Gwalia Minerals.
·              Greenbushes Tantalum Project (1993)
Rob was involved in the detailed design and engineering of the Greenbushes hard rock tantalum plant. This work included preparation of P&ID’S, operating manuals, piping and valve details and design of plant control systems. Also had input to the feasibility study for lithium concentrate preparation facilities and plant services, as well as five months on site as Commissioning Manager up to mechanical completion.
·              Process Engineer for the China National Gold Corporation’s Lannigou gold mine test work programme and flow sheet development. Test work involved the comparison of refractory ore process routes of pressure oxidation, bio-oxidation, roasting and gold cyanidation. The programme involved detailed discussions with a team from the China National Gold Corporation of all areas concerning the test work, process flow sheet and project development. A scoping study was finalised.
·              Detailed process/project engineering for the Kelian gold mine 36tpd carbon treatment, elution and gold recovery plant followed by commissioning.
1986 To 1990
Nedpac Engineering Pty Ltd
Process Engineer, involved in the following projects:
·                   Feasibility study for the 200,000tpa Munglinup graphite project for Gwalia Minerals NL.
·                    2.0 Mtpa North Kalgurli Fimiston leased expansion project, responsible for leach/adsorption, fluidised bed roasting, and calcine leach and gold recovery sections. This work included six months on site.
·                    500,000tpa Reedy North and Gabanintha gold projects including commissioning and start-up.
1985 To 1986
Argyle Diamond Mines Pty Ltd
Metallurgist/Supervisor with the following responsibilities:
·                    Training and supervision of new operators for the diamond recovery plant.
·                    Compiled training packages for safety and isolation procedures, equipment and plant operation.
·                    Supervision on a continuous shift basis of plant operations crews of up to twenty people.
·                    Participated in the commissioning and start-up of the Kimberlite ore plant.
·                    Assisted the process shift superintendents with technical back-up, problem solving and supervision of crews on a shift basis while the plant was being started up and production brought up to capacity.
1980 To 1984
Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd
Design Engineer/Production Control Engineer with the following responsibilities:
·                    Detailed design work, P&ID preparation and equipment selection for the alumina refinery.
·                    Responsible for the clarification area of the plant during construction and operation. Monitored construction quality, continued the detailed design of control loops, selected equipment, defined area control philosophy, prepared operating manuals and trained personnel.
·                    Co-ordinated and scheduled the commissioning of equipment and process.
·                    Monitored day-to-day plant operation and analysed daily reports for plant production.
1979 To 1980
Western Mining Corporation
Development Engineer/Production Engineer with the following responsibilities:
·                    Project work for production improvement and increased plant efficiency.
·                    Evaluation of new equipment including development from pilot stage.
·                    Involved in feasibility, testing and flow sheet development of new nickel projects from the bench scale to the plant operation stage. This included equipment sizing and specifications as well as operations training.