With 13 years of experience in the gold mining industry across New South Wales and Western Australia, Chris has developed a passion for improving diamond drilling processes. These systems present massive, unrealised potential for mining operations to unlock opportunity and de-risk mining plans.

Benny Mahadi Silitonga is a Senior Mine Geologist at PT Agincourt Resources. He has been involved in the mining industry, particularly in grade control and resource estimation, since 2012. One of his written works was presented in 2023 at the PERHAPI conference in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, with the title “Beneficiation Initiatives in Ore Sorting at the Martabe Gold Mine.” Also in MGEI event 2021 with the title "Mineral Conservation Scheme at Martabe".

Caitlin is the Technical Services Manager and Chief Geologist at Hillgrove Resources, where she has worked for the past 6 years on the development and now the operation of the Kanmantoo Underground Mine. Caitlin is a geologist with over 15 years experience who has worked on Mine Sites and Exploration Programs around South Australia in both Copper and Gold deposits.

Rick earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Flinders University in 2003. In 2007 and 2008, he worked as a borehole logger at Heathgate Resources’ Beverley Uranium Mine. After graduating with First Class Honours in Petroleum Geology and Geophysics from the University of Adelaide in 2009, he joined BMA as a geologist in 2010. He served as a Mine Geologist at Blackwater and Goonyella Riverside metallurgical coal mines until 2016, while studying part-time to complete a Master of Science in Geostatistics at the University of Adelaide. From 2016 to 2021, Rick worked as a mining engineer in BHP’s Brisbane office, focusing on coal blending and reconciliation. Since mid-2021, Rick has worked as a Geometallurgist with BHP Coal and is currently pursuing a PhD in Mathematics part-time at the University of Queensland. Over his 15-year career with BHP, he has held diverse roles in geology, mining engineering, and geometallurgy.

Ian Lipton is a geological consultant with broad mining expertise based on 40 years of experience in mining geology, resource evaluation, geometallurgy, and exploration, covering a wide range of commodities and mining operations. Ian has worked on more than 20 nickel laterite projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Colombia, Australia, New Caledonia, Guatemala, and Brazil. Ian is an authority on density measurement and the author of several papers describing best practices for density measurement and modelling. Ian has been promoting Geometallurgy for project improvement for 20 years and has completed geometallurgical projects for commodities such as gold, copper, lead-zinc, nickel and iron ore. Projects have included multivariate classification of ore types, quantitative estimation of sulphide mineral species, and prediction of flotation recovery, acid-leach recovery, and comminution characteristics using machine learning. The topic of this paper provided an opportunity to combine these three areas of experience.

Joseph Mead is an experienced Senior Mine Geologist with over a decade of hands-on expertise in underground operations across Western Australia. Currently based at Northern Star Resources’ Mount Charlotte site, Joseph leads a large technical geology team, driving operational excellence through robust geological modelling, mine-to-mill reconciliation, and a strong safety-first approach. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Geology from Curtin University’s Western Australian School of Mines and serves on the committee of the WASM Alumni. He is passionate about integrating technical precision with practical field application and about mentoring the next generation of professionals. His approach to geology is mirrored in his personal life: hands-on, thoughtful, and always evolving. When not underground, Joseph enjoys life in regional Western Australia with his family, a thriving veggie garden, home brew and his bike.

Dan is a Senior Project Geologist at DEVELOP, currently working at the Woodlawn Mine in New South Wales. He has over a decade of experience in underground, exploration, and consulting roles across a range of base and precious metal deposits in Australia, including work in the Mount Isa Inlier, Cobar Basin, Gawler Craton, and Lachlan Fold Belt. Dan joined DEVELOP in 2022 as one of the first geologists on site following the company’s acquisition of the Woodlawn project. He has since been part of the team supporting the mine’s transition from exploration drilling through to commercial production. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Mineral Economics at Curtin University. Dan has a particular interest in practical geology and enjoys working on projects where geology, operations, and technology intersect.