Bartell Wilhelm Coetzee

Mining operations and gold-processing professional with more than 10 years of progressive experience across smelting, refining, gold recovery, CIP, elution, electrowinning, bullion production, sampling, crushing, milling, thickening, leaching and plant supervision. Experienced in leading multidisciplinary teams, maintaining strict health and safety controls, coordinating maintenance, troubleshooting production losses and achieving demanding throughput targets. Combines hands-on metallurgical plant capability with senior operational leadership.

Chief Smelter & Dayshift Foreman at Pan African Resources (2023-01 – 2024-12)

• Led safe, efficient smelt-house and production-section operations, including toolbox talks, risk controls and daily production coordination.
• Supervised electrowinning-cell cleaning, nitric-acid cathode treatment, Johnson press operation, calcine ovens, induction and arc furnaces, and bullion pours.
• Managed bullion weighing, assaying, fineness improvement, strong-room records and secure dispatch coordination.
• Controlled slimes-dam reclamation leach plant operations, including leach circuits, CIP carbon balance, elution, pumps and plant section start-ups.
• Investigated production shortfalls, optimized smelting reagents and coordinated maintenance teams with artisans.

Chief Smelter / Shift Foreman at Blyvoor Gold Capital (2021-01 – 2022-12)

• Managed daily smelting, gold-room and refinery activities while maintaining safety, quality and production controls.
• Operated gold-sludge drying, calcining, crucible installation, induction-furnace pouring, bullion weighing, assaying and reconciliation processes.
• Ran crusher, conveyor, milling and thickener sections and controlled ore distribution and particle-size requirements.
• Controlled cyanide and lime dosing, leach circuits, CIP carbon addition, elution columns, electrowinning and pump systems.
• Coordinated bullion dispatches, strong-room records, production reporting and shift workforce activities.

Chief Operations Officer (COO) at TNT Refineries (2018-01 – 2021-12)

• Directed daily operations, production planning, workforce performance, client relationships and monthly production targets.
• Prepared and controlled operational budgets, production expenditure and monthly revenue plans.
• Oversaw gold elution, carbon loading, 24-hour elution cycles, electrowinning, smelting-house operations and bullion production.
• Coordinated trucking, screening and earthmoving contractors and conducted site visits and operational inspections.
• Led weekly production meetings and corrective actions to improve productivity, cost control and operational performance.

Chief Sampler at Green Leaf Rehabilitation (2017-01 – 2017-12)

• Supervised sampling teams and gold wash-plant head-grade, loaded-carbon, water-pH and final-product testing.
• Managed bagging, tagging, laboratory submissions, bottle-roll results, tonnage records and daily operational reporting.
• Developed grid-sampling and blending plans to improve grade accuracy and gold-recovery value.

Site Supervisor at Rock Holdings (Pty) Ltd (2016-01 – 2016-12)

• Supervised plant, loading and sampling operations and verified sampling locations and machinery condition.
• Completed daily PPE and equipment inspections, managed production workflows and carried a 4.2 appointment at the plant.
• Applied grid-sampling and blending controls to support accurate Au/g results.

Sampler at Nikkel Mining (Pty) Ltd (2015-01 – 2016-12)

• Collected, bagged and tagged samples and submitted material to the mine laboratory.
• Maintained records for trucked tonnage, bottle-roll results, head grades and grid-sampling blends.
• Identified blending areas to support accurate Au/g results and product acceptance.

Rubber Liner / Safety Officer at Rubcon Construction (2014-01 – 2015-12)

• Performed rubber lining of pipes, tanks and mining equipment and supported field breakdown repairs.
• Controlled workshop quality and safety, conducted safety meetings and assisted with accident and incident investigations.
• Supervised crews during breakdown work at mine sites.

Auto Electrician Apprentice at Manitou Heavy Machinery and Cranes / Spullers Auto (2012-01 – 2013-12)

• Repaired forklifts and telescopic handlers, installed safety systems and waterproof alternators, and completed rewiring and field breakdown work.
• Assisted with stores control and equipment maintenance.

National Senior Certificate / Matric – Barachel Christian Academy (2013-01 – 2013-12)