Canadian Mining Vice-President of Exploration dies in Burkina Faso
Kirk Woodman — Photo courtesy LinkedIn
The CBC is reporting that the vice-president of exploration, Kirk Woodman, of Vancouver-based Progress Minerals Inc. has been found dead in Burkina Faso, after an earlier report of him being kidnapped.
According to Mr. Woodman’s LinkedIn account he had worked for Progress Minerals since July 2017. He had held various exploration and consultant positions with a number of mining and exploration companies over the years.
Mr. Woodman attended Acadia University from 1981 to 1985 and obtained a degree in Geology. He spoke both English and French.
Here is how Mr. Woodman described his experience in the mining exploration business, “I have worked continuously for more than 30 years since graduating with a BSc. (Geology) from Acadia University and have gained considerable experience in the mining exploration and development industry. I have spent a large part of the last 15 years exploring for gold in the Archean greenstone belts of West Africa.
I have been responsible for project management of a wide range of exploration programs, from grassroots through feasibility stage, in underground and open pit operations, predominantly in search of gold. During my career I have acquired significant experience in target generation, developing and monitoring QAQC programs, budgeting, day-to-day planning and implementation of exploration programs while mentoring and training both expat and national geologists.
My most significant accomplishments have been the development of the geological models for three, currently-operating gold mines in West Africa and the role I played in bringing these projects through feasibility. During this time I have worked extensively with Target (GeoSoft) and gained experience working with Surpac modelling software.”
Also according to his LinkedIn profile this is the role of Progress Minerals in the exploration business:
Progress Minerals Inc. is a private exploration company, focused on the West African Birimian Greenstone Belts, targeting large, low-cost, high-quality, gold deposits. Progress is currently earning into a portfolio of permits in both Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, covering approximately 2,000 km2 including anchor projects in each jurisdiction; the Bira Trend Project (Burkina Faso) and the Bobosso Project (Côte d’Ivoire).
On the Bira Trend Project, Progress is currently conducting a power auger program targeting a 24km geochemical anomaly and recently completed a concurrent follow-on 5,129m (49 hole) reverse-circulation drill program to test priority targets within an area of known mineralization. Progress is earning into a 70% interest in a large property package in Burkina Faso in partnership with Predictive Discovery Ltd. (ASX:PDI), whereby Progress is sole-funding US$5 million in expenditures by October 2021 to earn a 70% interest, after which time a joint-venture will be formed. Progress expects to achieve an initial earn-in of 51% by May 2018 after spending the first US$1 million in eligible expenditures in Burkina Faso.
On the Bobosso Project, Progress has recently released final assays from its 2017 reverse-circulation drill program which have generated a number of targets for further follow-up within a large 7km2 gold-in-soil anomaly. Progress is earning into a 55% interest in a large property package in Côte d’Ivoire also in partnership with Predictive Discovery Ltd., whereby Progress is sole-funding US$2.5 million in expenditures by February 2019 to earn a 55% interest, after which time a joint-venture will be formed. Progress achieved the initial earn-in of 30% by completing US$1 million in eligible expenditures on Côte d’Ivoire in early 2018.
Mining and Energy extends condolences to Mr. Woodman’s colleagues and family.
