About
KEY PERSONNEL
Forte Analytical
Ryan Allen
Lab Manager - Denver
Ryan Allen has over 25 years of combined experience in mineral processing and chemical manufacturing with a focus in project management, applied research, and process optimization and development. He is a chemical engineer by training and began his career working for multiple Fortune 500 companies in various roles supporting manufacturing operations. Ryan transitioned to the mining industry and was a part of Resource Development Inc.'s metallurgical laboratory (RDi) for the last 14 years. His experience includes the design and supervision of test programs ranging from PEA to Feasibility level studies. This entails process flowsheet development of gravity, leach, and flotation circuits, for precious metals, base metals, and industrial minerals, both internationally and domestic, with an emphasis on refractory ores.
Jessica Axen
Director - Exploration
Jessica Axen has 15 years’ experience in inorganic analytical chemistry and laboratory management focused primarily on supporting mining process research and development. Jessica has worked on extractive processes including beneficiation, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical ranging from bench to continuous pilot scale. She has provided analytical support for materials ranging from geological to process concentrates for precious metals, base metals, rare earths, industrial materials and environmental. Jessica has experience in wet chemistry analysis, atomic absorption (AA), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), x-ray fluorescence, and fire assay.
Garrett Holt
Chemist
Garrett serves as the Chemist at Forte Analytical with 5 years experience in inorganic analytical chemistry laboratories. As our chemist, he evaluates the chemical and physical properties of various organic and inorganic substances. He has become proficient at numerous geochemistry/mining standard operating procedures along with knowledge in Atomic Absorption (AA), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrum (ICP-OES), LECO and microwave digestor instruments. His main duties include sample analysis, QA/QC, data management and research/development of new analytical procedures to diversify laboratory capabilities. His previous work experience is in an environmental geochemistry laboratory focusing on the analysis of trace level contaminants in water, soil, sediment, sludge, waste, biota, and tissue.
Forte Dynamics
Barry Carlson, P.E., P.Eng, QP
CEO/President
Barry Carlson has over 35 years of experience in project management and project design for numerous mining projects and operations across the United States, including heap leach water balance management and analyses, feasibility studies, geotechnical design and analyses, site reclamation planning and remedial action planning. Recent acknowledgments include optimizing recovery of heap leach pads and process components, detailed heap leach process analyses and dynamic systems water balances for heap leach operations in the U.S. and abroad. Included in these projects were flow processes analyses and gold recovery projections. Barry’s experience includes management and interactions with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and multiple state agencies, including Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP), Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Washington State Department of Health (WDOH), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for mining projects on federal and private lands in the United States. Areas of expertise include heap leach/process design, feasibility studies, mine closure and reclamation, geotechnical/civil engineering, hydrologic/hydraulic analysis, site characterization, well installation/monitoring, permitting/compliance and construction quality assurance, which he has provided to clients such as Phelps Dodge Corporation, Alexco Resources Corporation, Barrick Gold Corporation, Kinross and Goldcorp, Inc.
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Deepak Malhotra, Ph.D.
Director of Metallurgy
Mr. Malhotra is a world-renowned mineral processing expert with over 50 years of mining industry experience. He holds a Ph.D, in Mineral Economics and a M.S. in Metallurgical Engineering. He has managed projects in research, process development for new projects, processing plant troubleshooting, plant audits, detailed engineering and overall business management. He has helped commercialize tens of mineral processing plants with capital ranging from $15 to $750M and has performed more than twenty-five audits of mining operations worldwide. He holds four patents and has published over 60 articles and edited several books.
Chase Ruff, MBA, QP
Director of Processing
Chase Ruff is an innovative and self-driven engineering professional with over 13 years of experience in metallurgy, engineering, process improvement, project management, safety and environmental management, mineral processing, operational readiness, and construction management. He has direct operational experience in comminution, gold/copper flotation, copper SXEW, gold/silver heap leach, copper heap leach, CIC, CIP, and refining. His certifications include MMSA Qualified Professional – Metallurgy/Processing and Technical Expert Auditor for the International Cyanide Management Code. Chase is a strong collaborator with demonstrated ability plan and execute projects at all stages and has completed projects in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Russia.