Dr Benedict Pharoe is a driven economic and exploration geologist with more than 10 years of research and field experience in the exploration of metalliferous deposits (mainly Mn+Fe, plus Al, Cu, and Au, Pt placers) using innovative and cross-disciplinary approaches and tools. My experience in geological prospecting and exploration of mineral deposits involves the application of geophysical methods, geostatistical approaches, and geochemical surveys to mineral target generation, amongst others. Furthermore, I am proficient in geological modelling for ore resource estimation and ore quality control. I have mostly worked with Micromine Origin and Beyond and ArcGIS. I have published over 20 scientific articles in peer-reviewed and high-impact factor journals under various geology-related topics. I consider myself a self-oriented and hard-working individual with leadership skills. I have good communication and organizational capabilities, and a high ability to adapt to new and multicultural environments. Research outcomes and achievements in the last 5 years included, amongst other things: 1) Revelation of regional and local subsurface structures for the accumulation of ore elements in depressional structures of Neoarchean dolostones. 2) Developed a genetic model of the ore deposits, which provides a clear understanding of the structural control and spatial patterns of distribution of the ore's useful component. The model is eligible for use during exploration work in the NW regions, underlain by Malmani dolostones. 3) We have developed a geological model for a pyrophyllite deposit in the Ottosdal area through an MSc research project to be defended in 2025. 4) Developed a 3D ore resource evaluation model for the NW Mn deposit, which evaluates the ore body distribution and volume using Micromine Origin & Beyond. The modeling approach can also be applicable to other African regions that are characterized by mineralization in weathering crusts with the same geological structure. Academic and experience: Dr Pharoe obtained his BSc Hons in Geology from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa and his PhD in Economic Geology from the Saint Petersburg Mining University in the Russian Federation. He has previously been a participant in an exchange mobility program under the auspices of AESOP- Erasmus Mundus at the University of Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier while enrolled MSc in Geology at UFH. Upon completing his master's degree, he then joined the Council for Geoscience under the Water and Environmental Division. Under this division, he worked in a project that sought to reduce the environmental impact ascribed to Acid Mine Drainage, which is induced by the legacy of abandoned and derelict mines in the Witwatersrand Basin. In parallel, he was involved in Environmental Impact Assessment Projects prior to small-scale mining activity, which aimed at providing comprehensive measures to reduce the land pollution and impact on the ecosystems according to the Environment Conservation Act No. 73 of 1989. He is currently working as Head of Geology discipline in the Department of Chemical and Earth Sciences, University of Fort Hare. I am also involved in consultancy work in exploration for emerging companies. Research Interests: His research interests are in geology and metallogeny of ore deposits, with special emphasis on the genesis, economic aspects, and potential of ore deposits. Recent research looks at the occurrences of REEs in unconventional deposits such as Mn and coal beds.
