Tungsten West appoints chief executive to get Devon mine into production
A Devon firm looking to reopen a tungsten mine in the county has appointed Jeffery Court as its new chief executive.
In June, Tungsten West, the mining company focused on restarting production at the Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine in Devon, announced that Neil Gawthorpe had resigned as chief executive with immediate effect.
Currently at contract driller Capital through a UK work visa, Court has worked in the mineral resource sector for over 30 years starting at Rio Tinto and followed by spells at Orica, FLSmidth and Perenti. At Capital, he is head of the drilling and mining services business.
David Cather, chairman of Tungsten West, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to welcome Jeff as the CEO of Tungsten West. I’m pleased that, following a competitive process, we have been able to attract someone of Jeff’s calibre, and I look forward to working with him on progressing the strategically important Hemerdon mine towards production. I am confident that Jeff’s prior experience will prove invaluable to the company, with his work across project feasibility, mining operations, and his responsibility for key corporate divisions, complementing our goal of securing further financing for the project and recommencing mining and processing operations at Hemerdon in 2026.”
Court said: “I look forward to advancing the historic Hemerdon mine towards production and contributing to the development of this key supply project of UK critical minerals, in addition to contributing to the continued reinvigoration of the UK minerals industry. I believe my prior experience will support the team at Tungsten West in delivering the company’s goals in a sustainable manner to maximise value to Tungsten West’s stakeholders.”
Last December former CEO Gawthorpe warned the AIM listed business could face insolvency unless it secured emergency financing or a critical set of permits by the end of this year.
The company wrote in its annual report and accounts for 2023 that its status as a going concern was “reliant on further funding being secured”.
The company was forced to make savage job cuts around 12 months ago and has been looking to raise additional funding for over a year.
Tungsten West aims to revive the Hemerdon mine, which it estimates to be the world’s second largest resource for tungsten.
The mine ceased production in 2018 after the previous owner collapsed into administration.
