Dr. Feng, both a geologist and an executive, has worked in the mineral resource industry for over 15 years. He’s been involved in several significant mineral resource discoveries in China, through Pacific Minerals (now Jinshan Gold Mines) and currently with Silvercorp Metals. Being well-versed in China’s legal framework and mining industry, combined with an extensive network in China, makes him one of the most knowledgeable geologists exploring there today.
Read MoreSilvercorp Metals (T & NYSE: SVM) received a positive Preliminary Assessment report on its 100% owned Silvertip project in B.C., Canada. Two scenarios were presented: a seasonally operated mine (six months/year, non-winter) that processes 500 tonnes per day, vs. a 200-tonnes-per-day mine that operates year-round. According to the PA, the seasonal mine and mill offer greater economic benefit in terms of capital return and cash flow than the year-round operation. Mine life would be longer, too, and they’d avoid the extreme cold weather and heavy snow.
Silvercorp Metals’ (T.SVM) GC project took another step closer to construction, as management recently received the all-important environmental permit for this silver/lead/zinc mine in Guangdong Province, China. The company will immediately submit an application for a mining permit to the Ministry of Land and Resources in Beijing; upon approval, SVM will begin building the 1,500-tonne-per-day mine and mill operation.
This will be SVM’s next mine, with 28.5 million silver ounces in measured and indicated and 30.7 million in inferred. And like their mines in the Ying District, GC is projected to have low operating costs.
Silvercorp Metals (T.SVM) purchased the Silvertip silver-lead-zinc project in northern British Columbia from Silver Standard. Silvertip is a high-grade deposit with 26.5 million Indicated ounces of silver and 5 million ounces Inferred that are practically mine-ready. Once Silvertip gets permitted, management will begin mining the higher-grade pockets that are already accessible from existing tunnels. The deposit has lots of exploration potential as well, something SVM will pursue aggressively with the cash they’ll get from mining the high-grade ore (similar to what they’ve done with their flagship Ying mine).
Dr. Feng has worked as both a geologist and an executive in the mineral resource industry for over 15 years. He is an entrepreneur with an extensive track record in successfully acquiring and exploring mineral properties and ultimately turning them into profitable mining operations. Over the last decade, Dr. Feng was the founder of several successful publicly listed companies in Canada which have made significant discoveries of mineral resources in China, including Jinshan Gold Mines Inc., formerly, Pacific Minerals Inc. Dr. Feng is well-versed in China's legal framework related to the mining industry and has an extensive network in China's mining and exploration industry.
Dr. Rui Feng obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Geology in China and his Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada in 1992. He was awarded a Post Doctoral Fellowship from the National Engineering and Science Council of Canada from April 1992 to April 1993 to work as a Research Scientist at the University of Montreal. From 1993 to 1994, Dr. Feng worked for the Institute of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology of the Geological Survey of Canada in Calgary as research scientist. He is currently a Director of the Canada China Business Council - BC Chapter Board, and Vice President of the Canada-China Business Association.
