Session 7 | Design & Commissioning
| Tuesday, October 20, 2026 |
| 1:20 PM - 3:00 PM |
| Hall L |
Speaker
Mr Edward Jarvie
Product Manager - Thickener Upgrades
Metso
Extracting new value from old assets: A concentrate thickener upgrade project
1:20 PM - 1:35 PMBiography
Edward Jarvie is a professional engineer with 13 years experience in minerals processing thickening equipment. Experience includes both green and brown fields thickener work globally with a large multinational equipment supplier.
Mr Lai Pundi
Senior Metallurgist
New Porgera Limited
Autoclave preservation and recommissioning at Porgera Mine, Papua New Guinea
1:35 PM - 1:50 PMBiography
Ray is a Senior Metallurgist with New Porgera Limited, based at the Porgera Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea. He brings over 13 years of experience in gold processing and operations across Australia and PNG.
After starting his career as a Graduate Metallurgist at Granny Smith Mine in Western Australia, Ray went on to work with Core Resources in Brisbane before joining the Porgera Gold Mine in 2015. Throughout his career, he has advanced through various technical positions, contributing to enhancements in ore blending, forecasting, and overall plant performance.
During Porgera’s care and maintenance period in 2020, Ray played a key role in providing metallurgical support during shutdown, commissioning, and ramp-up activities. In his current role as Senior Metallurgist, Ray is passionate about driving continuous improvement and fostering the growth of early-career metallurgists.
Mr Carl Dorsch
Metallurgy Superintendent
Develop
Woodlawn mine restart (take 2)
1:50 PM - 2:05 PMBiography
Steven started his mining career at McArthur River Mine as an entry level operator. Working through each area of the plant further peaked his curiosity to learn more about mining and particularly metallurgy. Steven transitioned into a metallurgy technician role to gain more experience and use as a starting point to further progress his career. Steven finished at McArthur River Mine as a Senior Metallurgist and then joined Develop as the Processing Superintendent for the newly re-commissioned Woodlawn operation.
Mr Matthew Thompson
Principal Metallurgist
Evolution Mining
Operational readiness journey of the Mungari plant expansion
2:05 PM - 2:20 PMBiography
Matt was a graduate of the University of Queensland and has been a Metallurgist for 15 years. Over this time he has worked across a variety of operational and group roles, with experience ranging from mill design and operational readiness through to commissioning and operations.
Matt has worked for Evolution Mining for over 8 years, with a significant portion of that time focussing on the Mungari plant expansion. During this project Matt undertook various roles to support the success of the project from Lead Process Engineer, Operational Readiness Manager, and Commissioning Manager. Matt is now Principal Metallurgist at Evolution Mining and continues to support the business through technical studies and operational support.
Johan Waldemar Olivier
Senior BIOX Metallurgist
Metso South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Design, commissioning and operation of the Sabodala Massawa BIOX® Plant
2:20 PM - 2:35 PMBiography
Metallurgical Engineer with 30 years' experience in gold processing. Sound experience in the management of technical teams during project work, detailed design and plant commissioning. Was responsible for the design & commissioning of 4 BIOX plants implemented successfully globally. A good combination of practical and theoretical experience with involvement in a wide spectrum of projects including R&D, feasibility studies and project development.
Education:
B Eng (Hons) (Metallurgy)
2000 – 2002 University of Pretoria
B Eng (Hons) (Technology Management
2008 – 2009 University of Pretoria
Session Chair
Q&A with Session Chair (Session 7)
2:35 PM - 3:00 PMBiography