ECR Minerals plc (LON: ECR) has appointed Mike McRae-Williams as Operations Manager for Australia as the company prepares for increased activity across its Australian gold portfolio.
McRae-Williams joins following ECR’s acquisition of Paleogold, where he was Exploration and Production Director, and brings around 35 years of mining industry experience.
His appointment comes as the Maddens Underground Mine approaches production, with ECR increasing operational activity across the wider Maddens Flat Group of Mines, in which it holds a 50% interest.
McRae-Williams has worked closely with Maddens for several years and has detailed knowledge of its underground operations, processing infrastructure and workforce. He has also been involved in upgrades to production and processing operations and continues to support optimisation of the processing circuit.
His experience extends across the wider Maddens Flat portfolio, including the Brothers and other historic workings, where ECR is assessing additional opportunities.
McRae-Williams also has detailed knowledge of the Salt Bush Gold Project in South Australia, in which ECR holds a 20% interest, and has helped develop a proposed programme of trenching, sampling and metallurgical test work.
Chairman Nick Tulloch said “Mike joins ECR at an important moment. As previously announced, Maddens is approaching its production phase and our priority is increasingly about operational execution on the ground.
“Few people know Maddens and the wider Paleogold portfolio as well as Mike. He has worked closely with the project and its processing infrastructure for several years and brings exactly the combination of practical mining, metallurgy and plant experience that we need as activity increases.
“Importantly, his skillset will be invaluable across the wider Maddens Flat Group of Mines, not just at the Maddens Underground Mine. As previously announced, we are already evaluating additional opportunities across the Brothers and the other historic workings, and Mike’s knowledge of both hard-rock and alluvial operations gives us considerable flexibility as we seek to advance those projects.
“He also knows Salt Bush extremely well and brings valuable experience that can be applied across Blue Mountain and our other Australian opportunities.
“Mike already knows the projects, the people and the equipment. Bringing him into ECR on a senior management role provides continuity and additional operational leadership at exactly the point when we need it most.”
