Richard A. Pilon, C.Tech Email & Phone Number

Ontario

Albatross specializes in phosphate & potash mineral process & recovery from igneous and sedimentary ore bodies, including mill process design, optimization & feasibility studies. Albatross also provides consulting/contract services for environmental management, permitting, & regulatory matters primarily for the mining industry. Albatross has assisted with phosphate & potash projects in Canada, United States, Mexico & Brazil, including due diligence metallurgical reviews, flotation optimization studies, wash plant optimization studies, and metallurgical feasibility studies. Member of ISNetworld®.

Saskatchewan, Canada

Member of a project team assembling plans for a Greenfield Potash Mining Operation. Oversaw metallurgical test work, process description, design criteria and material specifications, heat & material balances, PFD's, P&ID's, led process design optimization studies during the Design Basis Memorandum phase, ensured alignment between exploration results and project design criteria, provided operational input to mechanical/piping design, provided performance data for regulatory permitting activities, and assembled pre-commissioning and commissioning plans.

Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

Member of Management Leadership Team responsible for overall production and safety of mill operation of an open pit phosphate mine. Managed all aspects of mill operation including manpower, contractors, shut down planning and execution, mill operating budget, coordination between mining plans and mill operational efficiencies, and long term strategic planning. Participated in Phosphate Business Review of entire phosphate business to optimize and sustain the core business through various business cycles. Assisted in preparing an interactive business production model to optimize ore grade, production rates, and final product quality while achieving lowest cost of production. Conducted due diligence reviews on potential growth opportunities for the business.

Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

Production Coordinator at a phosphate milling operation, responsible for management of Mill Operations Supervisors and Assay Lab, and included mill production targets, final product quality, coordinating ore supply with mine department, assisting with mill operating budget, coordinating with final product facility in western Canada to ensure optimum product specifications, optimizing base business with the final product facility to maximize production and achieve lowest cost of production.

Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

Project Coordinator for mill expansion project at a phosphate milling operation. Oversaw mill, utility and off-site flow sheets, ensured alignment between design criteria and exploration results. Developed, managed and analyzed internal bench scale test work to support equipment decisions. Developed plans for addition of new equipment, conducted Hazop analysis, managed design criteria and equipment selection, provided operational input for mechanical/piping design. Assembled pre-commissioning and commissioning plans, evaluated project completion and prepared post-project report.

Orillia, Ontario, Canada

Member of Team that served the mineral processing industry, coordinating customer requirements with correct equipment selection based on test work, process description and cost. Conducted lab scale test work of ore to define process solutions, including thickener testing (conventional & paste thickening), chemical addition systems and flotation testing for full scale operations. Conducted on-site pilot plant test work for paste thickeners of tailings at lead/zinc operation in Honduras. Conducted on-site test work on flotation cells during plant commissioning stage at Albion Sands in Fort McMurray.

Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

Metallurgical Technician for a phosphate milling operation. Ensured efficiencies of circuits and optimum metallurgical results of phosphate milling operation with emphasis on flotation circuit. Routinely performed bench scale test work to simulate, troubleshoot, and optimize plant performance, including crushing, grinding, scrubbing, sizing, de-sliming, chemical reagents, filters, mixing, assays, mass balances, and both mechanical flotation as well as column cell flotation. Duties included plant surveys, metallurgical balances, performance reports, ore stockpile coordination, pilot plant test work, working with external metallurgical labs/consultants, and providing flotation circuit operator training.

Phoenix, Arizona

Conducted bench scale test work of gravity concentrating circuit including crushing, grinding, roasting, Wifley tabling, and smelting of ore. Assisted with design of 1 ton/hour pilot plant and 500 ton/day flotation plant for extractive process, including slurry flows, pump sizing, flotation circuit, reagent mixing and distribution systems. Operated pilot plant and explored metallurgical performance through use of air sparged hydro-cyclones and reagents mixtures. Duties also included circuit surveys, mass balances and feasibility reporting. Worked with several American Independent Research Scientists on research and development of project to define extractive process options. Co-developed procedure for analysis of gold and platinum group metals in manganese ore.

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Managed, commissioned and operated a 2500 ton/day Air Sparged Hydro-cyclone Mineral Flotation Operation for recovery of gold, copper, nickel, and platinum group metals from sulfide tailings. Assisted with 1 ton/hour pilot plant to determine feasibility and assisted with design and construction of full scale plant. Managed plant operation. Evaluated plant performance, circuit efficiency, feed grade & concentrate, tailings supply/quality, and projected long term feasibility. Duties also included circuit surveys, circuits adjustments, performance reports, managing operators, repairs and shut downs.

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Metallurgical Technician of a palladium/platinum milling operation. Performed flotation circuit surveys, mass balances, reagent testing, sampling, and analysis to continually improve the flotation performance. Assisted with bench scale flotation test work to optimize flotation circuit. Responsible for design and construction of water treatment facility including tank & pump sizing, flocculent/lime addition, mixing, residence, and sizing of settling ponds. Duties also included environmental sampling & monitoring, meteorological data, and tracking pit development wrt ore supply and grade control. Assembled regular performance reports.

Shebandown, Ontario, Canada

Metallurgical Technician for nickel/copper milling operation. Responsible for flotation circuit surveys to ensure optimum metallurgical performance, including mass balances, analysis, reagent mixing, metallurgical accounting, and various mill performance reports. Duties also included coordinating tailings backfill with mine department, maintenance/calibration of fluorescence analyzer, linear sampling equipment, & splitters, reagent addition equipment, sampling, and sample preparation. In earlier days, also functioned as an operator for flotation, crushing, grinding, dewatering, and tailings fill.

Education record

Distance Education: Extractive Metallurgy, Unit Operations & Calculations

Education record

Professional Law & Ethics Exam

Education record

Mining Engineering Technician