Michael Valenta - Managing Director
Education
BSc (Eng) Metallurgy, 1990, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, Diploma, Project Management, 1997, Damelin Business School, South Africa
PhD (Chemical Eng), Completing Thesis, "Modelling the Contribution of Entrainment in the Process of Flotation"
 
Professional Affiliations
International Registrar of Professional Engineers (ECSA), Reg no. 200360005
Professional Engineer : Engingeering Council of South Africa (ECSA), - Ref no. 970402
Member: Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), Reg no. 55644
Past President and Member, Mine Metallurgical Managers’ Association (MMMA), Reg no. 1098
 
Summary of Experience
  • 20 years experience in metallurgical industry including consulting, projects, production and operations as well as research sectors. Planning and management of metallurgical test work from laboratory to pilot plant to full-scale operations.
  • Experience in the beneficiation of Platinum, Gold, Copper, Nickel, Zinc, Lead, Phosphate, Graphite, etc.
  • Modelling and simulation of metallurgical processes. Development and application of mass balancing and simulation tools.
  • Operation and management of milling and flotation concentrators in Platinum Group Metal, Base Metal, Gold and Industrial Mineral Applications. Introduction of control systems and Scada systems on Brownfields operations. Installation, operation and calibration of on-line analysis equipment and on-line particle size indicators. Plant design and unit selection for plant expansions.
  • Senior management experience as Production Manager of a Platinum Refinery. Introduction of control systems to batch processes. Inventory management, Process development. Environmental management. Responsible for overall production function on a complex metallurgical complex encompassing mineral processing, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes. Introduction of new technology (ion exchange and solvent extraction) and novel processes to plant replacing existing processes.
  • Design and development of plant information systems from instumentation level integrating through Scada, production information management systems to executive enterprise resource systems.
  • Consulting Metallurgist on various concentrator projects including Platinum, Gold, Copper, Nickel, Phosphate, Zinc, Lead, Iron Ore, Coal, etc. Due diligence studies, technical reviews and various peer reviews of plant designs and operating strategies. Projects include both African and South American operations.
  • Operational Consulting on various Mineral Processing Plants.
  • Client representative on research projects, interacting with various research organisations, data review and process design.

 

  
Relevant Experience  
Mintek, Randburg, South Africa. Senior Metallurgical Engineer. Various clients. Operation of a milling and flotation pilot plant for Platinum Group Metals, Base Metals, Industrial Minerals and Gold. Plant optimization on Concentrators
Lonmin Platinum, Marikana, South Africa. Concentrator Superintendent. Management and operation of a platinum group metals concentrator
Western Platinum Refinery, Lonmin Platinum, South Africa. Production Manager. Project management, Production management, Senior management. Process optimization. Introduction of control systems to batch processing. Introduction of new and innovative processes (ion exchange and solvent extraction) to replace existing processes. Introduction of new automated technology to replace laborious and costly technology.
Hatch Africa, Woodmead, Johannesburg, South Africa. Consulting Metallurgist. Operations Consulting, Project Manager, Consultant on EPCM projects.
Metallicon Process Consulting, Hartbeespoort, South Africa. Managing Director. Consulting to the mineral industry. Process optimization, peer review, client representative, feasibility studies, due diligence, audits, plant design, process design, new ventures.
   
Career History  
2005 – Current Metallicon Process Consulting (Pty) Ltd, Managing Director
2003 – 2005 Hatch Africa (Pty) Ltd., Woodmead, South Africa.  Consulting Metallurgist
2000 – 2003  Western Platinum Refinery, Lonplats, Brakpan, South Africa. Production Manager
1999 – 2000 Strategic Services, Lonplats, Marikana, South Africa. Project Manager : Metallurgical Information Systems
1994 – 1998  Karee Concentrator, Lonplats, Marikana, South Africa. Concentrator Superintendent.
1991 – 1994 Mintek, Randburg, South Africa.  Senior Engineer
   
Technical Papers  
The development of a transformation function for the measurement of volumetric grade distribution using a Scanning Electron Microscope.
The modelling of flotation and the effect of entrainment on flotation circuits.
Paper presented to industry at an Amira Collaborative Research Venture (CRV) workshop on the selection, operation and maintenance of flotation cells.
The development of a flotation control system for the feed-forward control of cell pulp levels.
"Designing for Operability", Design Colloquim, Cape Town, 2005 (published in SAIMM Journal)
"Balancing of the Reagent Suite", presented at Reagents Conference, Cape Town, 2006
   
Professional Development  
Plant Design colloquium, 1991, SAIMM
Application of Simulation in Minerals Processing, 1992, Wits
Minerals Processing Conference, Cape Town, 1996-2005, SAIMM
Mineral Engineering Conference, Cape Town, 1999
Plant Design for Optimum Performance Colloquimm, 2005
Project Management, 1997, Damelin College
Chairman and member of the Editorial Sub-committee, Mine Metallurgical Managers’ Association,
1999-2003
Chairman and member of the Seminar Sub-committee, Mine Metallurgical Managers’ Association,
1999-2003
   
Languages  
English, Afrikaans, Zulu, German  
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