Chatham confirms management team capability
NEWS RELEASE 19-19 December 11, 2019
CHATHAM CONFIRMS MANAGEMENT TEAM CAPABILITY
WELLINGTON New Zealand – Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited (TSXV: “NZP” and
NZAX: “CRP” or the “Company") wishes to reconfirm to our shareholders and stakeholders
the depth of talent we have access to within our Board, Management Team, Consultants and
our Technical Advisory Committee.
The majority of these people have been in place for several years and are superbly qualified
to carry out the next steps in our business plan, these being:
(1) sourcing the required financing,
(2) reapplying for and gaining our environmental consent, then
(3) working with our technical partner in establishing our marine phosphate extraction
and marketing business.
1-SOURCING THE REQUIRED FINANCING:
Chris Castle,President and CEO of CRP, is full time working on the required financing:
(i) Chris Castle - Founder and CEO of Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited
Chris leads the company and is the individual primarily responsible for sourcing the
ongoing finance required to maintain project momentum and conclude the financing
requirements for the upcoming EPA application process which will cost approximately
$US4, 000,000
His background includes:
44 years involvement in a range of management roles in the minerals sector
36 years raising capital for Stock Exchange listed companies in Canada, Australia
and New Zealand
Executive director roles in over a dozen listed companies
(ii) Jean-Pierre Colin - Strategy Consultant of Numerous Public Issuers in Mining
and Clean Technology
JP has recently been appointed as a strategy consultant to assist Chris in obtaining the
funds required by the Company.
After thirty (30) years as a successful international investment banker on Bay Street
(Toronto, Canada), leading many corporate finance departments at recognized national
securities dealers and having raised over multiple billions of dollars in the mining
industry throughout his career, JP brings an important number of corporate financing
skills and experience to the Company, especially because of his past high profile mining
finance accomplishments, e.g. Detour Gold, Virginia Gold, Wolfden, Premier Gold
Mines, Pelangio Mines, Audrey Resources, Aur Resources, Louvem, Blue Note Metals
and many others. In clean technology, JP is currently a director of dynaCERT Inc., a
provider of international carbon emission reduction technology. JP also serves on the
board of directors of Sego Resources, developing a copper-gold porphyry project in
Canada and was an advisor to the CEO of the billion dollar BlackRock Metals feasibility-
level project currently advancing to production in Canada.
2- REAPPLYING FOR AND GAINING OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSENT:
Our Board of Directors as well as our Management Team and Technical Advisory
Committee have high profile key people to accomplish our goals.
(i) Board of Directors
The Board comprises Robert Goodden, Chris Castle, Jill Hatchwell, Linda Sanders and
Ryan Wong.
Robert Goodden has been a Board Member as well as a key member of our Technical
Advisory Committee since 2010. Robert brings a wealth of experience to the CRP Board
influencing its business and operational planning. He was previously on the advisory
board for Nautilus Minerals advising on the operations of core drilling and sample
recovery. Robert reinforces CRP’s management depth and knowledge in all exploration
and production matters that are planned by the Company, as evidenced by the
following:
Robert founded Seacore Limited, an offshore drilling and construction contractor
in 1976 and ran the company for 30 years until it was sold to the Fugro Group in
2006.
Robert was President of the International Marine Mining Society for years
2017/2018 and due to his contribution to multiple marine mining projects is
arguably one of the best known individuals in the industry.
Our other board members, Chris Castle (President & CEO), Jill Hatchwell, Linda Sanders
(Chairman) and Ryan Wong variously contribute many years’ experience in leadership,
corporate finance, audit/accounting, stakeholder relations, and engineering skills. Further
detailed information is available on our website, www.rockphosphate.co.nz
(ii) Management Team
The management team comprises Chris Castle, Renee Grogan, Ray Wood, Cam McKenzie,
Dr Robin Falconer, Linda Sanders and Robyn Hamilton.
Renee Grogan - Team Leader for the Marine Consent Reapplication
The Marine Consent is the environmental permit CRP needs to give effect to our granted
mining permit.
Renee Grogan is the environmental management expert required by CRP for steering the team
towards success of the new EPA application process. Her qualifications in that regard are
unique:
Over 13 years’ experience, both with regulating agencies (working in policy as well as
program implementation with the Australian State and Federal Governments), and
within the extractive industries.
Renee’s industry experience includes achieving permitting and compliance outcomes
for mining companies across Asia-Pacific. As a consultant Renee advises on
environmental impacts of terrestrial and seabed mining to intergovernmental bodies
including the World Bank and European Union, and government agencies across the
world.
She has delivered in excess of 30 successfully permitted Environmental Impact
Assessments (EIAs) and Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) and has extensive
experience developing community engagement plans and negotiating with government,
non-government and community stakeholders. Renee successfully delivered the world’s
first EMP for a seabed mine in Papua New Guinea in 2015.
Renee’s EIA experience includes terrestrial and marine mining and waste disposal, port
operations, transport and pipeline corridors and water management, all of which will
help the CRP proposal for a favourable EAP outcome.
Renee is also Managing Director of Gro Sustainability Pty Ltd (Australia), a Director of the
World Ocean Council and an Advisory Board Member of the European Union Viable
Alternative Mine Operating System Project. She has a Master of Business Administration,
specialising in Sustainable Supply Chain Management, and a Bachelor of Science.
Ray Wood, Chief Operating Officer
Ray is the Director of CRP-OCS Consulting Limited and Chief Operation Officer for
Chatham Rock Phosphate. He retired from GNS Science in 2013 after a 34 year career as
a marine geoscientist. He was a Principal Scientist at GNS and held several management
positions in the resources division.
Ray is an enthusiastic promoter of the exploration of New Zealand’s marine territory
and has led or contributed to studies of much of New Zealand’s EEZ. He was the lead
technical advisor to the New Zealand continental shelf project and to the MFAT team
who negotiated New Zealand’s maritime boundary with Australia. He has an extensive
publication record on a wide variety of topics, but most of his research has focused on
the tectonic evolution of the New Zealand region and its influence on the distribution of
natural resources. Because of his expertise on the continental shelf as described in the
United Nations Law of the Sea he has provided technical advice to Brunei, the
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Oman and the United States.
Ray has been involved with studying the Chatham Rise phosphate deposit since the
early 1980s. As COO he has been involved in all of the technical aspects of the project,
including the design of the proposed mining system and process with CRP’s partner
Boskalis, leading surveys to the licence area to collect geological and environmental
data, and overseeing the analysis of CRP’s data for resource assessment and
environmental characterization.
Ray has had extensive experience using geographic information systems to interpret
and model geological and other data. This included GIS support for the development of
the fishing industry’s proposed benthic protection areas and analysis of the extent of
trawling on the sea floor for the New Zealand Government.
Campbell McKenzie - Vice President Technical Services
Campbell is an exploration geologist who has worked in the minerals industry
for over twenty years. He has held upper management roles with mineral sector
consultancies, government and industry.
He is currently the business development manager of the international resource
consultancy RSC Mining and Mineral Exploration Ltd. RSC operates globally from key
offices in New Zealand and Australia.
Campbell is also a non-executive director of ASX listed Pacific Bauxite Limited. He is a
member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a member of the
International Marine Minerals Society. He provides technical support across CRP’s
business including exploration planning, stakeholder and environmental management,
and corporate affairs.
Robin Falconer (PhD, BSc-Hons, BSc) – Principal Scientist
Robin is the principal of Robin Falconer Associates Ltd, with more than 40 years’ experience
in geosphere, atmosphere, and ocean science surveys and research as a university lecturer,
government scientist, consultant, industry employee and research group manager; in New
Zealand and internationally. Robin’s background is fundamental to CRP success moving
forward.
Robin’s work and experience is crucial to CRP’s EPA application. He has included marine
mineral and oil exploration, seabed surveys, weather analyses, oceanography, environmental
studies, Geographic Information Systems, and computer mapping. He has worked at sea off
New Zealand, Australia, South Pacific, New Caledonia, China, Antarctica and the Arctic; for
New Zealand, the USA, Canadian, Australian, SE Asian, German and UK companies and
research institutes.
Robin has several years at sea experience on a wide range of industry and research institute
vessels like the ones used by CRP. He is a former chairman of the guiding committee of
GEBCO, the joint International Hydrographic Organization and UNESCO Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission Organisation that coordinates world ocean bathymetry mapping.
In marine minerals, Robin has worked on offshore exploration projects for gold, chromite and
phosphate.
As Principal Scientist of the Company, Robin provides input on the practical and
management aspects of CRP’s marine operations, including general seabed, oceanographic
and environmental mapping; and technical input on all aspects of the CRP project. He has
also been involved with our Chatham Rise project since the early 1980s.
Linda Sanders (Dip Journalism) – Stakeholder and Corporate Communications
Manager
Linda provides investor and stakeholder relations, marketing and communications expertise
to the Company. Linda has more than 40 years of experience as a communications executive
and journalist and has significant board experience with New Zealand listed companies and
community organisations. At CRP, Linda manages crucial investor relations with an
immediate goal of attaining a $US4,000,000 financing or strategic investors to fund the
Marine Consent reapplication.
Robyn Hamilton, Chief Financial Officer
Robyn has been the Chief Financial Officer of CRP since its formation in 2004. Robyn is a
Chartered Accountant with 25 years of commercial experience. She has worked as a
Chartered Accountant in New Zealand and Australia and brings a range of expertise in the
areas of due diligence, internal control, corporate governance, international financial
reporting and statutory compliance. She is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and
New Zealand and the Governance Institute of Australia. Robyn has an extensive background
in oil and gas and mining listed companies working for listed companies Bass Oil Limited,
Aorere Resources Ltd and previously Asian Mineral Resources Ltd
(iii) Technical Advisory Committee
Members of CRP’s longstanding Technical Advisory Committee include Robert Goodden,
Dr Hermann Kudrass, Professor Cees van Rhee and George Lagers. Their role is to act as a
sounding board to the Board and management and to provide technical advice relating to the
dredging operations and phosphate recovery.
Robert Goodden’s background has already been discussed.
Dr. Hermann Kudrass, a former director of the German Federal Institute for Geosciences
and Natural Resources (“BGR”) and a seabed phosphorite mineralisation expert.
Dr. Hermann Kudrass first visited the Project site when BGR was extensively sampling
phosphate resources in 1978 aboard the R.V. Valdivia, working under a joint West German-
New Zealand Agreement for Scientific and Technological co-operation. Dr. Kudrass was
involved with all aspects of the development of sample procedures, sampling, and grade
analyses conducted on the cruise. In addition:
Dr. Kudrass was again involved as a marine geologist and as cruise leader on behalf of BGR
on the R.V. Sonne second cruise in 1981 where he was involved in all aspects of sampling.
He has published a number of scientific papers detailing the work conducted on the two R.V.
Valdivia and R.V. Sonne cruises including previous resource estimations of the deposit.
33 years later, Dr. Kudrass again visited the Project aboard the Dorado Discovery for
approximately 12 days during the April 2012 geotechnical survey conducted by Chatham
Rock Phosphate.
Professor Cees van Rhee has been engaged with research for the dredging industry since
1985 working with Deltares, then at Van Oord At the end of 2002, he obtained his PhD
degree. Since October 2007, he has been Professor of Dredging Engineering at Delft
University of Technology. . His group is engaged with Msc and Phd students in DSM reseach
projects as JPI oceans, Blue Mining, Blue Harvesting (EU) and TREASURE
(Netherlands).His main scientific achievements are modelling of highly concentrated
sediment water flows and high velocity erosion of granular sediments, a significant aspect of
the CRP application to the EAP.
George Lagers has close to 40 years’ experience in offshore engineering, in the design of
mobile drilling units, floating storage and production units, pipe-layers and other mobile
structures.
In 1977 he co-founded Marine Structure Consultants and then worked for them as a
senior engineer (4 years) and as its managing director (11 years). While senior
engineer, he was seconded to Lockheed Ocean Systems (California) for their nodule
mining project.
He has also consulted for Shell, Intec, Bluewater and others. He co-authored a book on
50 years history of offshore technology, which appeared in July 1997
SUMMARY
Our team is world class and, based on feedback during the last eight years, recognised as
such by other companies in our industry group.
It’s a striking statistic that three of the team, Hermann Kudrass, Robin Falconer and Ray
Wood, have been involved in the project since the early 1980s with a combined total of ~118
years.
Our shareholders are fortunate to have such a strong management team, a team which has
achieved all of its objectives to date, apart from one final step, the Marine Consent.
For further information please contact:
Chris Castle
President and Chief Executive Officer
Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited
64 21 55 81 85 or chris@crpl.co.nz
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