SRK Exploration Services appoints John Paul Hunt as new Local Manager
South African mining consultancy SRK Consulting has appointed John Paul Hunt as a new Local Manager for its Exploration Services Vertical. Hunt will join the firm’s Johannesburg office, and will help with domestic delivery in South Africa as well as international delivery from the firm’s Cardiff office.
Hunt holds a degree in Economic Geology as well as a degree in Resource Evaluation from the University of Witwatersand, and a degree in Applied Geostatistics from the University of Alberta. He began his professional career as an Economic Geologist at Norilsk Nickel Africa, where he worked for a period of six years.
He then moved on to become an Exploration Manager at Newgenco Exploration, following which he ascended to Chief Executive Officer at First Drill – a position that he held for just under two years. Between 2015 and 2018, Hunt worked as a Spcialist Scientist for Economic Geology at the Council for Geoscience.
He joined SRK Exploration Services in August Last year as a Senior Exploration Strategist, and has now been promoted to the position of Local Manager for South Africa. At SRK, he will leverage his expertise in exploration programmes from the planning to the execution phase, at a time when such services are of the essence for the economy.
Following the dip in global commodity prices in 2014, the mining sector in South Africa has struggled to maintain its previously soaring levels, both in terms of revenue and in terms of market capitalisation. Such a scenario has proved catastrophic for the country, given its high dependence on mining.
A number of experts on the mining industry have since been recommending possible courses of action to help instigate a recovery. The broad consensus has been that more expansive and efficient exploration is the solution, given that the country might still have undiscovered mineral deposits.
SRK Consulting has been among the firms most active in supporting the sector through its time of turbulence. The firm has produced extensive analysis on South African mining, informing firms about a range of functions, from digital exploration to cost cutting under new regulatory frameworks.
The firm appointed a new Chairman – William Joughin – early last year, which makes Hunt the second major appointment in a year. Hunt will hope to boost the firm’s competitiveness as international consulting firms look to rush in and support South African mining companies in trouble.
