People

Ian R. Pontifex, BSc. (Hons), MSc, Aus.I.M.M., G.S.A., A.I.G...

As owner/manager of this independent geological laboratory, Ian has over 40 years experience in geology and the application of mineralogy, petrology and mineragraphy to various aspects of mineral exploration, ore genesis, primary metallurgical studies and general geological investigations.

Between 1963 and 1969, Ian worked in the Bureau of Mineral Resources, which included three years as a petrologist - ore microscopist; also as part of regional geological mapping teams in Northern Australia and PNG. The following five years were spent as Chief Mineralogist of a former Consulting Group, servicing the mineral exploration industry.

Since 1974, as an independent consultant, work continues in the management and execution of routine and project petrological and mineralogical investigations of ores and rock suites, from a wide variety of geological environments.

Alan C. Purvis, BSc. (Hons) PhD, G.S.A. as principal petrologist...

Alan has been involved in research and consulting in various aspects of detailed petrological and geochemical investigations over the past 35 years on rock suites from numerous geological terrains throughout Australia, including a PhD thesis on ultramafic, basic and BIF facies in the Yilgarn. Since then, he has continued as a consultant with Pontifex & Associates in the assessment of a diverse range of rocks, minerals and integrated geochemistry relating to exploration, mining and geological mapping projects, for an equally diverse range of geoscientific organisations.  He has numerous publications, including a chapter in 1988 on Early Pre-Cambrian Mafic Magmatic Rocks of Australia for a world treatise of this subject.