Mr. Rana Vig reports
BLUE LAGOON RESOURCES FORMS MINING COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE TRANSITION TO PRODUCTION
Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. has formed a
mining committee, marking another major step in the company's transition from an
exploration-focused
company to a
near-term gold and silver producer
at its 100-per-cent-owned
Dome Mountain gold project
in British Columbia.
A strong foundation for growth
The mining committee has been
strategically assembled
to provide
technical guidance, operational
oversight and strategic planning expertise
as Blue Lagoon moves forward toward production. While Dome Mountain remains a highly prospective district-scale property with
15 known high-grade gold veins and less than 10 per cent of the land package explored, the company's primary focus is on safely,
responsibly and efficiently mining its fully permitted deposit
while
self-funding future exploration and resource expansion.
"This committee brings together an exceptional group of professionals who, in co-operation with our in-house technical team, will provide critical oversight as we execute our production plan at Dome Mountain,"
said
Rana Vig, president and chief executive officer of Blue Lagoon Resources.
"With their combined expertise in mine operations, safety and financial structuring, we are ensuring a disciplined and efficient approach as we move toward production. Their leadership will be invaluable as we unlock the full potential of our fully permitted, high-grade gold project.
We will continue to add more qualified members to the mining committee as we advance toward production to ensure we have the best team in place to maximize success,"
he added.
Mining committee leadership
The mining committee will be chaired by
Yannis Tsitos, MSc, a highly respected exploration and mining executive with
over
35 years of experience
and will include a team of seasoned professionals with extensive expertise in
mine
operations, underground mining, safety and financial structuring.
Yannis Tsitos -- chair of the mining committee
Mr. Tsitos has over
35 years of experience in the mining industry, including
19 years with BHP Billiton. Originally a
physicist-geophysicist, he later served as
new business development manager for minerals exploration,
where he was instrumental in
identifying, negotiating and executing over 60 mining agreements worldwide. Mr. Tsitos sits on several company boards, has contributed to four deposit discoveries, and has published multiple articles in exploration and mining publications. He has also been a
strong advocate for anti-corruption policies
in the mining industry, ensuring responsible business practices across the sector.
Mr. Tsitos said: "It has indeed been an amazing positive step to see Blue Lagoon finally receive its full mining permit to reopen the historic Dome Mountain gold mine. The perseverance, community support and engineering creativity demonstrated by the company's management, advisers and consultants deserve recognition within our mining community. Although this is initially a relatively small underground mine, the project holds tremendous potential for organic growth, given the additional mineralized vein
discoveries made over long strike lengths by the company in recent years. The formation of the mining committee by Blue Lagoon's management marks a
significant step forward in the company's transition to production, ensuring that the
right expertise is in place to optimize operations and drive shareholder value, while we ensure that we keep self-funding brownfield exploration activities to expand our geological resources. With plenty of 'bootstrap' work ahead of us in the coming weeks and months, we remain humbled but also committed and enthusiastic in our efforts!"
Peter Espig -- strategic adviser and milling partner
Mr. Espig is a former Wall Street investment banker and mining executive with an extensive background in mine financing, restructuring, and operational turnaround. He currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Nicola Mining Inc., Blue Lagoon's milling partner, where he has successfully led the company's transformation into a profitable cash-flowing mining entity -- a rare achievement for a junior mining company. Since assuming the role of CEO, Nicola's market capitalization has increased 15 times, underscoring his ability to drive growth and create value.
Prior to his leadership at Nicola, Mr. Espig held key executive roles in global finance and private equity, with a focus on mining and resource investments. He was vice-president of the principal finance and securitization group and the Asia special situations group for Goldman Sachs Japan, specializing in complex financial restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and capital investments. Before joining Goldman Sachs, he was vice-president at Olympus Capital, a New York-based private equity firm, where he played a pivotal role in structuring multibillion-dollar investment transactions across multiple industries, including natural resources.
His mining career comes full circle with his leadership at Nicola, as Mr. Espig originally began his career as a diamond driller in the 1980s, giving him a unique bottom-up perspective on mine development and operations. His direct hands-on experience, coupled with his expertise in scaling companies, securing financing and driving operational efficiencies, has enabled him to successfully navigate complex mining projects, maximize shareholder value and position companies for sustainable long-term growth.
Roy Edvardsen -- mine manager
Mr. Edvardsen brings over
40 years of experience
in the mining industry, specializing in
underground
mining operations and safety leadership. Over the course of his career, he has held key positions, including
mine superintendent and underground mine manager, at some of Canada's most well-known mining operations. He played a significant role at the
Wolverine mine in the Northwest Territories, where he was responsible for safety operations overseeing a work force of more than
120 employees, as well as serving as mine superintendent. Prior to that, he worked at the
Ekati Diamond mine (BHP, NWT), where he gained valuable experience in underground operations. He also spent time at the
Eskay Creek gold mine,
one of British Columbia's most notable high-grade gold deposits. His deep knowledge of
mine safety, operations management and underground mining
will be invaluable as Blue Lagoon moves forward with production at Dome Mountain.
Steve Cutler -- principal mining consultant, underground operations
Mr. Cutler is the
founder and president of Roughstock Mining
and has
over 40 years of experience in underground mining. Since
1997, he has been
designing and overseeing underground mining projects
and
previously worked as a
long-hole engineer for Stillwater Mining Company, where he played a key role in the
startup of the East Boulder mine in 2000.
He later became
general manager of the 1,500-tonne-per-day operation
before founding Roughstock Mining in
2012
to serve underground mines throughout
Western Canada and the United States. His expertise in
mine planning and underground operations
will be invaluable in optimizing production at Dome Mountain.
Wayne Kindrat -- underground mining specialist and contractor
Mr. Kindrat brings over 40 years of experience in the mining and construction industries, having started his career in 1973 at the age of 10, working alongside his father at the Cronin mine. His early exposure to underground mining gave him a strong foundation in mine operations, equipment handling and safety protocols, which he has continued to refine throughout his career.
His background includes key roles at Skyline mine, New-Hawk mine and Timmons Nickel, where he worked as a shrinkage stope and drift miner, gaining extensive hands-on experience in underground mine development, haulage operations and safety coordination.
Importantly, Mr. Kindrat has a long-standing history with the Dome Mountain mine, having worked on site during multiple phases of its development. From 1991 to 1993, he played a pivotal role in driving the 1290 drift and overseeing haulage operations on the 1370 level. He later returned in 2016 and again from 2020 to 2023, leading bolting operations on the 1290 and 1370 drifts, conducting bolt pull testing, and working on ventilation raise installations and site preparation.
With certifications in mine rescue and mine supervision, Mr. Kindrat brings a unique combination of operational experience, safety leadership and deep familiarity with Dome Mountain. His extensive knowledge of the site's underground workings makes him an invaluable asset to Blue Lagoon's mining committee as the company moves toward production.
Any production decision in advance of obtaining a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability of the project is associated with increased uncertainty and risk of failure.
We seek Safe Harbor.
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