Akobo Minerals appoints Helge Rushfeldt as head of mining operations and new member of the executive management group
OSLO, 27 June 2023: Akobo Minerals AB (publ) (Euronext and Frankfurt: AKOBO), the Scandinavian-based Ethiopian gold exploration and boutique mining company, today announced that Helge Rushfeldt will join Akobo Minerals’ executive management group from 1st of July as head of mining operations.
With more than 20-year experience from the Norwegian mining industry, Rushfeldt brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Akobo team as it transitions from development to production. Rushfeldt has been a consultant to the Norwegian mining and minerals industry for the last 10 years. He has also worked at many of Norway’s major mines and mineral processing facilities including Titania AS, Norwegian Talc AS and Hustadmarmor AS. His scope of activity has ranged from production management to exploration projects via financing towards production.
Rushfeldt was vice president, then president, of the Norwegian Mining Association between 2012 and– 2015. He is the co-author of a Norwegian book on health, safety and environment in the mining industry, published in 2020. He holds a Master of Science in Mineral Processing from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway.
Rushfeldt has been a board member at Akobo Minerals since late 2021. He recently spent two weeks on-site in Ethiopia learning more about the project and building relationships with the operations team. Now that Rushfeldt is a member of the management team, he will step down as member of the board once a qualified replacement is found.
Commenting on his appointment, Helge Rushfeldt said: “As a board member at Akobo Minerals for the past 20 months I have developed a good understanding of the strategic direction of the company, and I am now looking forward to bringing my experience to bear on supporting the business at an operational level. With full gold production in view, it is an exciting time for everybody connected with the company and I am looking forward to playing my part in its success.”
Jørgen Evjen, CEO of Akobo Minerals, said: “At Akobo Minerals we are committed to delivering mining operations of the highest international standards, and I believe that Helge will help us achieve that goal. I look forward to working with him and the entire management group to continue driving innovation and excellence at Akobo and in the wider Ethiopian mining industry.”
For more information, contact:
Jørgen Evjen, CEO, Akobo Minerals
Mob: (+47) 92 80 40 14
Mail: [email protected]
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/akobominerals
About Akobo Minerals
Akobo Minerals is a Scandinavian-based gold exploration and boutique mining company, currently holding an exploration license covering 182 km2 and with an ongoing mine development in the Gambela region and Dima Woreda, Ethiopia. The company has established itself as the leading gold exploration company in Ethiopia through more than 12 years of on-the-ground activity.
Akobo Minerals holds a 16 km2 mining license and is working to start up mining of its very promising Segele target. It has an Inferred and Indicated Mineral Resource of 68.000 ounces yielding a world-class gold grade of 22.7 g/ton, combined with an estimated all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of 243 USD per ounce. Still open to depth, the gold mineralised zone continues to expand and will have a positive impact on future resource estimates and mine life. The exploration license holds numerous promising exploration resource-building prospects in both the vicinity of Segele and in the wider license area.
Akobo Minerals has an excellent relationship with local communities all the way up to national authorities and we place environment and social governance (ESG) at the heart of our activities – as demonstrated by a planned industry-leading extending shared value program.
Akobo Minerals has built a strong local foothold based upon the principles of sound ethics, transparency, and communication, and is ready to take on new opportunities and ventures as they arise. The company is uniquely positioned to become a major player in the future development of the very promising Ethiopian mining industry.
Akobo Minerals has a clear strategy aimed at building a portfolio of gold resources through high-impact exploration and mining, whilst adhering to a lean business operation. The company is headquartered in Oslo and is listed on the Euronext Growth Oslo Exchange and Frankfurt DAX under the ticker symbol, AKOBO.
