Neil Andersen

Managing Director

Degrees

  • BSc (Geology, Chemistry and Marine Geology), University of Cape Town.
  • BSc Special Honours (Geology), University of Rhodesia.
  • MSc (Structural Geology) University of Pretoria.

Professional Associations

  • Registered Natural Scientist
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa
  • Tectonics Division (Tdogs) of the Geological Society. Previously a committee member and secretary
  • Groundwater Division of the Geological Society
  • Bushveld Branch of the Geological Society

After initially training as an underground surveyor, Neil started his mining geological and geological exploration career in 1970 as chief geologist and surveyor during the opening of the Oamites Copper Mine, in Namibia. On joining Phelps Dodge of Africa he worked on regional exploration in Namaqualand during the discovery of the Aggeneys base metal deposit and then as regional exploration geologist in the Barberton Mountain Land. He later worked for Sorepmas on uranium exploration in the Namib and on granite-greenstone exploration in Zimbabwe. In 1981 he joined the Atomic Energy Corporation. During the 15 years he spent with the AEC he worked extensively in Namaqualand on the establishment of the Vaalputs Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste Disposal site as well as the establishment of nuclear sites around the coastline of South Africa. The work included geological and geophysical exploration and groundwater studies. He held the position of Consulting Scientist. Andersen Geological Consulting was formed in 1996.

START OF CONSULTANCY

1996 - 1997 / Mr Andersen worked for Caledonia Mining Corporation as their Chief Regional Exploration Geologist, mainly in the Barberton Mountain Land but also in the Pietersburg Greenstone Belt on the Eersteling Gold Mine and on albitite-greenstone shear zones in the Roodepoort Gold field (Pietersburg).
1996 – 1998 / Structural geological/geophysical expert on Palla Road-Khurutshe groundwater resource development, Botswana. Eighteen months. Project leader in wireline logging and interpretation. Emphasis on structural geological evaluation and development of a tectonic model for groundwater exploration.
1998 / Structural geological/geophysical expert on Hydrofracture Project, Dept. of Water Affairs, Botswana. March 1998 to December, 1998. Structural Geological evaluation of wireline logging from 24 boreholes for the purpose of directing the hydrofracture activities, and there-after evaluating the results.
1998 / Relogging of saprolite diamond drill core on Sadiola Mine, Mali, West Africa. Structural geology of Pit. Interpretation of wireline logging for the purpose of developing a tectonic framework to aid deep sulphide exploration and mining.
February 1999 – April 1999 / Eskom. Evaluation of Pumped Storage Schemes Sites at Braamhoek and Steelpoort. Appointed as Structural Geological Consultant for the evaluation of the wireline logging for structural engineering purposes.
March 1999 – November 1999 / Eskom PBMR. Sub-contractor to the Poltech (Pty) Ltd - Africon Consortium for the EIA/EIMP of the Koeberg, Thyspunt and Bantamsklip nuclear sites for the purpose of locating a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor. The work involved the evaluation of the geology, structural geology and seismotectonics of the three sites with respect to International Nuclear Regulatory Guidelines.
July 1998 – on-going / Anglo Coal South Africa. Coal Bed Methane study in the Waterberg Coalfield for Anglo Coal. Structural Geological Evaluation using remote sensing, airborne geophysics and field mapping. Use was made of the Fractal Gradient (FG) analysis of the aeromagnetic data for the purpose of mapping fracture densities. Proposal of a Tectonic Fault Block Model of the Waterberg Coalfield to aid exploration. Structural geological evaluation of wireline logging on an on-going basis. Hydrochemical water monitoring.
1999 – 2006 / Anglo Coal South Africa. Lindley Helium Gas Project. Structural analysis from aeromagnetics and remote sensing, geological mapping, geophysical wireline logging and interpretation, reflection seismic surveying and time domain electromagnetic surveys, site selection, drilling and supervision of 7 gas wells, evaluation of gas resource and modeling. The FG analysis of the aeromagnetic survey data was extensively used in the site selection of the gas wells
2005 – 2006 / Anglo Coal South Africa. South Rand Colliery CBM Project. Aeromagnetic interpretation, geological modeling, target generation, selection and drilling of 3 gas boreholes. Geological logging, degassing, wireline geophysical surveys. Use was again made of the FG analysis of the aeromagnetic survey. Gas hazard reporting and integration with future mine layouts.
2006 – 2011 / Anglo Coal South Africa. Shale Gas Exploration of the main Karoo Basin in South Africa. Regional aeromagnetic and gravity studies, tectonic analysis, evaluation of previous Soekor petroleum wells, evaluation of the Karoo Supergroup and possible target horizons. Depth to target horizons, petrophysical and geochemical/petrographic evaluation of target horizons. Selection of sites for further investigation.
2005 – Present / Anglo Coal Botswana. Botswana CBM Project. Regional Geological Evaluation, aeromagnetic interpretation, structural modelling, and target generation. A structural fault block model was developed for central Botswana.Supervision and drilling of 26 CBM exploration boreholes, geological logging, coal sampling and degassing, wireline interpretations, hydro chemical modelling and reporting, training of local staff.
2011 – 2012 / Anglo Coal South Africa. Waterberg CBM 5 Spot. Water Monitoring, hydrochemical analysis, reporting.
2011 – Present / Anglo Coal South Africa. New Vaal Lifex CBM Project. Aeromagnetic interpretation, geological modeling, target generation, selection and drilling of 3 gas boreholes. Geological logging, degassing, wireline geophysical surveys. Gas hazard reporting and integration with future mine layouts.
2011 – Present / Anglo Coal South Africa. Elders Underground Life Extension Project. Aeromagnetic interpretation, FG analysis, geological modelling, target generation, selection and drilling of 3 gas boreholes. Geological logging, degassing, wireline geophysical surveys. Gas hazard reporting and integration with future mine layouts.
2011 – Present / Anglo Coal South Africa. Evaluation of the Trans frontier Limpopo-Tuli-Sabi Karoo Basin. Regional Geological/Structural Studies. Interpretation of the extent of the Karoo Basin and possible CBM and coal targets.
1999 – 2008 / Lonmin Platinum. Western Limb of Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC). Pre-Sink Shaft Safety Analysis using wireline geophysics and geotechnical logging for 1 Shaft Complex, 14 Shaft, 16 Shaft, 16A Main Shaft and 20 Shaft, Wilkenson Shaft (K4) with a follow up in 2011 on two vent shafts to serve the K4 shaft (in progress). In 2008 we conducted geotechnical analysis on Karee Mine for MK 59 and MK 61 both of which were potential shafts.
2006 / Lonmin Platinum. Loskop Dam Project (BIC). Structural Geotechnical analysis on 22 boreholes for both shaft sinking and mining purposes at Lonmin’s Loskop Dam project.
2008 – 2009 / Lonmin Platinum. Akanani Pre-Sink Shaft Safety Analyses – Stickplot Analysis. Geotechnical analysis on ZF1, ZF2, ZF4 and ZF18 all of which were potential shafts and followed with ZF44, ZF48, ZF57 and ZF72 where we determined hanging wall stability for the potential stopes.
2006 / Debswana. Orapa Mine. Geotechnical analysis for pit slope stability on 13 boreholes on the Orapa mine in Botswana.
2011 / De Beers. Pre-Sink Shaft Safety Analysis. Shaft stickplot for De Beers Venetia diamond mine.
2001 – 2003 / Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa).Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) Site Safety Analysis. Detailed geological and tectonic evaluation using aeromagnetics, remote sensing, field geological mapping and seismo-tectonic analysis, detailed reporting.
2008/2009 / Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa). Pelindaba Site Hazard Analysis for the manufacture of PBMR fuel, working in conjunction with Rizzo International. Detailed geological and tectonic evaluation using aeromagnetics, remote sensing, field geological mapping and seismo-tectonic analysis, detailed reporting.
2004 – 2005 / Impala Platinum. Pre-Sink Safety Analysis. 20 Vent Shaft, 16 Shaft, 11 Shaft using wireline geophysics and geotechnical logging.
2007 – 2008 / Nu-Energy Corporation. Cameroon. Uranium Airborne Geophysical Survey followed by data interpretation and structural and geological modeling.
1999 – 2006 / Lafarge Gypsum South Africa. Southern Africa Gypsum Exploration. Geological evaluations of Gypsum deposits in South Africa, target generation and selection of the Geelvloer deposit. Drilling, sampling and resource evaluation. Geohydrological monitoring and analysis, reserve estimation.
2007 – 2008 / Transafrika Resources. Mauritania. Mineral Exploration. Gold and Base Metals.
2008 – 2010 / Transafrika Resources. Zimbabwe Platinum Project. Modeling of geochemical and geological data.
2008 – 2010 / Transafrika Resources. Burgersfort Platinum Project. Modeling of geochemical and geological data.
2007 – 2008 / Lost Valley Estate Development. Water usage license, establishment of water supply and mapping for the estate.
2011 – 2012 / Exxaro Botswana. CBM Exploration – Pumpout and Permeability Testing, wireline logging and interpretation.
2010 – Present / Umbono Capital Partners (Pty) Ltd. CBM Exploration. Aeromagnetic interpretation, FG analysis, structural modelling and geological mapping, borehole site selection, drilling supervision, core logging, wireline geophysical analysis, degassing, reporting. Ermelo Project, Mopane Project, Springbok Flats Project, Kasane Project, Botswana.
2011 – Present / ENRC. Exploration Drilling for Coal Reserves in Mozambique and the Waterberg, South Africa. Aeromagnetic interpretation, structural and geological modeling, core logging and coal sampling.
2012 / Sasol Petroleum International (SPI). CBM Research in South Africa – Geological and Geophysical Interpretation. CBM Research in Botswana – Geological and Geophysical Interpretation. Drill supervision and core logging.
2012 / Coal Of Africa. CBM Exploration in Tshipise Coal Basin.
2009 – 2011 / Impact Minerals. Production of 1:250 000 geological maps of the eastern edge of the Karoo Supergroup in Botswana using borehole database, satellite imagery and existing geological maps.