Bechtel executive named President of Louisiana

While many mining experts are skeptical about the technology Louisiana is planning to test at its MMV No 1 project, Harvard believes that Frank Mashburn and Sam Cretser can make it work.

Mashburn is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a former executive with San Francisco engineering firm Bechtel. Cretser was assigned by Bechtel to be project manager at Newmont Mining’s Maggie Creek gold mine at Carlin, Nev.

Situated near Las Vegas, the MMV No 1 property hosts 6.9 million tons of grade 0.069 oz gold per ton, according to Louisiana.

Harvard claims that by using acid-based leaching technology instead of cyanide, the amount of gold and platinum recovered from Louisiana’s 1,440-acre property can be enhanced sufficiently to make a mining operation feasible.

Richard Jones, an economic geologist with the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, doubts that he is right. But the Louisiana chairman is waiting for the results of a pilot program on an adjacent property controlled by Micron Mining before going ahead with a feasibility study on the MMV No 1 claims. By year-end Micron expects to know if the vat leaching technology will also produce platinum as a byproduct on its Moapa No 1 claims.

According to Harvard, the MMV feasibility study, which would follow, will be overseen by Mashburn who was recently named president of Louisiana. Having agreed to acquire almost all of the 25% control block held by Harvard, Mashburn is also set to become company chairman following Louisiana’s annual meeting in Calgary, Dec 21. Cretser is scheduled to be named Louisiana’s vice-president of operations.

“Shareholders couldn’t be in better hands,” said Harvard, who will continue to hold a stake in both Louisiana and the MMV project.

At the annual meeting, the shareholders will be asked to approve the proposed amalgamation of Louisiana, Micron Metals Canada and Candol Developments (TSE) of Vancouver.

Micron Metals holds a 10% working interest in Moapa No 1 and is also controlled by Micron Mining President Gordon Lee.

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