BRITISH KAZAKH SOCIETY
MINING GROUP COMMITTEE
The British-Kazakh Society is pleased to announce the formation of a Mining Group comprising leading professionals from the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan.
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OBJECTIVES
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The Mining (Minerals) Group committee has the objective of facilitating communication and networking for members and interested parties in the mining industry in Kazakhstan and the UK.
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THE COMMITTEE
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The Committee is composed of the following individuals: Mike Beare, Richard Elmer (Chairman), Andrew Paton, David D Skeels, Alex Walker, Garry Wright. Their biographies are shown below.
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GENERAL COMMENTS ABOUT ACTIVITIES & PLANS
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The committee plans to have a number of events during each year with guest speakers actively involved in this sphere.
Both Society members and non-members are invited to express their interest, in participation/joining our mailing list, to Membership Secretary (email address: secretariat@bksoc.org.uk).
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COMMITTEE MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES
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Mike Beare - is a mining engineer with 30 years’ experience. He started his career in underground gold mining in Tanzania before joining SRK in 2004. While at SRK he focussed on feasibility studies until moving to Kazakhstan in 2018 to establish the Central Asian practice of SRK. The practice grew rapidly into a flourishing office employing 60 people and undertaking some significant mandates across the region. He has now established his own consultancy in Kazakhstan, Mike Beare Associates at the AIFC in Astana..
Andrew Paton - is currently Group Treasurer at KAZ Minerals Limited where he has been responsible for managing the treasury and corporate finance functions of the Group since 2008. KAZ Minerals operates the large-scale open-pit copper mines at Bozshakol and Aktogy in Kazakhstan, as well as a complex of underground mines in the Eastern Region of Kazakhstan. Andrew works in London and his career includes more than 30 years in natural resources, including senior finance roles at Rio Tinto in London, Placer Dome and Woodside Petroleum in Australia and BP New Zealand.
Richard Elmer (Chairman) - is the Director of Knight Piésold UK, a mining consultancy in London primarily focused on tailings and mine waste management. Richard is a geotechnical specialist with over 30 years of experience, specialising in mine waste facility design and review. He is responsible for a significant portfolio of mine waste facilities reviews and audits, and regularly presents on mine waste and tailings management best practice at industry seminars and conferences.
David Skeels - is currently a Director of Eurasian Energy Ventures Limited a consultancy for upstream oil and gas in the Eurasia area. His career has included over 20 years with Conoco in technical and managerial positions in exploration and field development. This was followed by a 10 year career with BG Group as General Manager BG Kazakhstan. More recent years have included working with DEA as a Representative in Azerbaijan and Advisor for Central Asia based in Kazakhstan. He was the founding Chairman of the Kazakhstan Petroleum Association and founding Chairman of the Kazakhstan Foreign Investors Council Association.
Alex Walker - is a mining investment banker and resources executive based full-time in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Alex is the CEO of East Star Resources, a principally copper focused explorer in Kazakhstan. Originally from Australia, Alex has more than 15 years of mining finance and management experience. Alex has an MSc in Mineral and Energy Economics, a GDip in Applied Finance and Investment, a Bcomm, a BSocSci, a GAICD, and is a former Captain in the Australian Army Reserves..