PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

MILAN UNIVERSITY A degree with thesis on nickel-copper sulphides introduced him to hardrock geology. In retrospect those years forged his interest in economic geology. Wanting practical experience in mineral exploration he moved to southern Africa. DEBEERS PROSPECTING BOTSWANA In the early '70s diamonds were discovered in Botswana. Mining at Orapa had began; Jwaneng and Lethlakane pipes were still under investigation. As geologist, he was involved in the search of diamondbearing kimberlites in Mopipi and Tsabong areas. Field work consisted of supervising sampling, panning/jigging, identification of mineral indicators by trained local laborers. Loaming, trenching, air-drilling and ground magnetic were activities setup wherever pyrope garnets, ilmenite and chrome diopside, diamond mineral indicators abound. Not science, but useful experience. ANGLO AMERICAN PROSPECTING OF SOUTH AFRICA In joining Anglo American base metals division he was sent to Springbock, in Namaqualand. The Aggenays and Gamsberg massive sulphide deposits had just been discovered and the whole mineral exploration world was there in action. Uranium exploration was coming into vogue. A radiometric survey was flown south of the Orange River, and uranium discovered at Henkries. Uranium turned out to be absorbed onto carbonaceous matter in reduced diatomiterich lacustrine sediments, classed in literature as surficial uranium deposit. Like uranium in sandstones (rollfront), samples in surficial deposits are out of equilibrium. All samples had to be assayed. And because the soft nature of the lacustrine sediments, a new percussion drilling technique was devised. Working on this project from the appraisal to feasibility study taught him field management, special logging techniques, assay quality control, and ore body definition. Being too small for Anglo American ambitions, Henkries was put on hold. He worked in base metals exploration in the Richtersveld, a mountainous desert landscape, inhospitable and wild - an adventure which taught him the essentials of survival. McGILL UNIVERSITY To upgrade his professional education he went to Canada. An underground Norandatype massive sulphide lens was studied in detail and several post graduate courses stood him in good stead for the rest of his profession career. 1982 Three months with Anglo American gold division working on a gold prospect in the Barberton greenstone belt, in South Africa, ended by his own will, and
Franco Bonavia

returned home. 1982 -1983 The unexpected fall in metal prices restricted the mineral industry. Many exploration programs were cancelled. Jobs for geologists had become scarce. MINING ITALIANA (ENI GROUP) A firm specialized in geostatistics. He gained practice in ore evaluation, cash flow, sensitive and risk analyses by studying several PbZn deposits. However mining in Italy entered a severe crisis, and progressively all activities ceased (1987). Meanwhile he had returned to Africa. UNIVERSITY OF ADDIS ABEBA Sponsored by the Italian Cooperation, he taught Economic Geology and Structural Geology to undergraduate and graduate students for five years, and carried out scientific research on the Precambrian basement of Ethiopia. PARIS VI (PIERRE & MARIE CURIE UNIVERSITY) Invited by the laboratory head of remote sensing at Paris VI, he worked with different satellite images. SPOT, LANDSAT, RADAR imagery had just become available. The Ethiopian Rift and the Lake Tana region were investigated. This collaboration lasted almost five years. INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT Accountable incumbency were to support a few mineral exploration groups in Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa and Tanzania. The notion of satellite imaging as an exploration tool had advanced enormously from his unsophisticated endeavors in Paris. He learned GIS to handle dataset (ArcGIS) and Image Processing (ER Mapper) to create his own maps. EDUCATION Laurea (4 years, Thesis), in Geology, Milan University, Milan, 19661971. MSc (2 years , Thesis), in Economic Geology, McGill University, Montreal, 19801981. MEMBERSHIP Economic Geology Society of America. LANGUAGES Italian (Mother Tongue); English (Spoken/Written: good); French (Spoken: good); Spanish (understood).
Franco Bonavia