John Parker

John has over thirty years’ experience as a chemical and process engineer. His most recent roles include Managing Director, Head of Technology and Process Engineering and Acting Managing Director of SNC Lavalin and Bateman Engineering.

Since 2014, John Parker has consulted to the mining and process industries as an independent contractor under his own company brand, Process Ideas.

John is a long-standing associate of Core Consultants and assists in client engagements where process engineering services are required. John began his career in operations gaining experience in gold, uranium and platinum group metals.

For the past 21 years he has worked for various project management and engineering companies holding positions from senior process engineer through to divisional managing director. His particular skill is in the practical application of process technology across minerals processing, pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy.

On the minerals processing front, John has been responsible for the implementation of metal recovery from slag technology around the world. In pyrometallurgy he has been intimately involved in some of the largest projects in South Africa amongst others the Hernic and SA Chrome ferrochrome furnaces and the 40MW cobalt DC furnace for Chambishi metals.

In hydrometallurgy John has done project work in copper, nickel, uranium, gold and cobalt encompassing atmospheric and pressure leach technologies, solvent extraction, ion exchange and electro winning. Most recently John has been intimately involved with the process design for the Katanga mining copper/cobalt refinery for Glencore and KOV whole ore copper leach SX EW plant in the DRC. During 2010/11 John provided process input to the Tenke Fungurume cobalt plant options study for Freeport McMoran.

John also played a key role in the completion of the Kolwezi copper/cobalt tailings retreatment project for ENRC.