Copyright 2001 - 2009 by    Wolfgang Hampel

No part of the site may be reproduced without prior permission

This site summarises my working experience the range of professional services I am offering to the international minerals industry.

The second part recapitulates some of the numerous projects and studies I have carried out in recent years. In a third part, consultant geologists from different African countries offer their services.

I am a professional minerals geologist working in the mining and mineral exploration industry since 1992. I finished my studies at Technical University of Munich-Garching, Germany in late 1991 as 'Diplom-Geologe' (equivalent to a MSc). Already during my studies I had the chance to work on a wide range of mineral related topics including pure research work as well as projects financed by the mineral industry.

Soon after my studies I was hired as a junior consultant by a German company for a gold exploration project in Niger, West Africa. From 1992 to 1999 I stayed permanently in West Africa working as a consultant for various junior and major mining houses. My work focussed on precious metals, base metals and speciality metals like Ta, Sc, REE, etc.

With the downturn of the exploration activities in Africa and elsewhere in the world, I decided to return to Europe and offer my services from Germany. Until mid-2002 I was a consultant to mining companies and was evaluating investment opportunities (mainly gold mines) and was developing exploration programmes for commodities such Au, Pb/Zn/Cu, Ta/Nb, REE and coloured gemstones in Europe and Africa. Some achievements of my exploration career include:

• discovery of a previously unknown Pt-Os-mineralisation in the Floiten Valley, Austria (1989)
• joint development of the Samira gold deposit, Niger, now standing at 1.8 mio ounces (1992/93)
• joint discovery of a 14 km long extension of the Samira gold horizon (1998/1999)
• discovery of a new 10 km alkaline ring complex (prime target for Ta/Nb, REE, Sn, etc.) close to the border Niger-Algeria (2001)

From 2002 to 2006, I held the post of Deputy Head at the Africa Section of the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hanover/Germany. In 2006 I joined Fugro Consult GmbH, the German Branch of Fugro NV, the well-known international company for geotechnical, survey and geoscience services. At Fugro Consult, I held the post of Head of Section “Mining, Infrastructure & Mineral Exploration”.

Since October 2008 I am in charge of the development of a new major REE-Ta-Nb-Zr deposit in Madagascar for a private company.

Besides my mother tongue, I speak fluent English and French and understand a few African languages and dialects.