Carl E. Nelson

Carl E. Nelson Boulder, Colorado 80304

email: nelson [at] cbmap.net

 


geologic mapping

(in the rain),

Pueblo Viejo District,

Dominican Republic


Discovery History

McLaughlin gold deposit, California (3.2 Moz gold produced, 1985 – 1997). While with Homestake Mining (1980-1982), developed a model for gold mineralization in hot spring systems and, with the Homestake exploration team, applied that model to the discovery of a significant gold deposit at the site of the abandoned Knoxville mercury mine.

Crofoot/Lewis gold deposit, Nevada (2.5 Moz gold, 1987 to present). While with Homestake Mining Company (1980-1982), identified hot-spring related mineralization and sited the first drill holes in the Sulfur district, Nevada. The resulting discovery was eventually put into production by Hycroft Resources.

San Andres gold deposit, Honduras (1.4 M ounces gold, 1983 to present): As a consulting geologist in 1993, recognized potential for bulk mineable gold mineralization at San Andres. Credited by then-owner, Ed Campbell, with the discovery of gold deposits that were put into production by Greenstone and are operated currently by Aura Minerals.

Cerro Chorcha, Panama (2.5 billion pounds Cu, not in production): As a consulting geologist, discovered the Cerro Chorcha porphyry copper deposit in 1991 by following up on anomalous stream sediment samples collected by Asarco in the 1960’s. As president of Bellhaven Copper and Gold (2004-2007), acquired 100% of the deposit and developed NI 43-101 compliant resources of 117,352,000 tonnes of 0.5% Cu, 0.07 g/t Au.

El Aguila gold deposit, Mexico (1.5 Moz Au, began production in 2010): As a consulting geologist for Apex, conducted geologic mapping and recommended a drill program in 1998 over what is now an open pit. The mine, operated by Gold Resource Corporation, has indicated resources of 1,000,000 tonnes at 3.24 g/t Au.

Anabella, Guatemala (not in production). As a consulting geologist in 1999, conducted geologic mapping for Aquest and sited the first drill holes at the Anabella (now 418,000 ounces) and Los Lirios (now 260,450 ounces) gold deposits.

El Roble, Colombia (currently in production): Co-founder, in 2011, of Atico Mining Inc., a company created to acquire the operating El Roble Cu-Au mine. Recommended a drill program that was followed within a year by the announcement of new resources totaling 1.58 Mtonnes at 4.45% Cu and 3.17 g/t Au.

El Capitan, Mexico (0.4 Moz Au, 1.8 Moz Ag). As vice-president of exploration for Riverside Resources, recognized potential for a hot spring gold deposit and proposed a drill program that resulted in discovery and led to the announcement, in 2015, of NI 43-101 compliant inferred resources of 20.7 M tonnes of 0.46 g/t Au and 2.8 g/t Ag.

 

Employment History

President of Recursos del Caribe: 1988 to present
Recursos del Caribe, S.A. is a consulting firm incorporated in Panama and in Costa Rica. The company’s expertise is in the Caribbean Basin where it served dozens of clients and has a number of discoveries to its credit. These include the 1991 discovery of the Cerro Chorcha porphyry copper deposit in Panama, the 1993 discovery of bulk mineable gold mineralization at the San Andres deposit in Honduras; the 1998 discovery of the El Aguila gold deposit in Mexico, the 1999 discovery of the Anabella and Los Lirios gold deposits in Guatemala and the 2012 discovery of new Cu-Au resources at the El Roble VMS deposit in Colombia. Publications on the metallogenic evolution of the region and on the geology of the Pueblo Viejo district (see publications list, attached).

Co-founder of Cuprum Resources: 2005  
Mr. Nelson was a co-founder of Cuprum Resources, a junior exploration company that acquired the Cerro Chorcha porphyry copper deposit in Panama. Cuprum was absorbed by Bellhaven Ventures in 2006.

President and CEO, Bellhaven Ventures: 2004 through 2006
Bellhaven Ventures, now Bellhaven Copper and Gold, is a junior exploration company with properties in Panama and Colombia. Mr. Nelson took the company from “shell” status in 2004 to a market capitalization of $15M in 2006. During this period, Bellhaven raised $6M in three fully-subscribed financings. Mr. Nelson built an NI 43-101 compliant resource of 1.4 billion pounds copper (average grade of 0.5% Cu) at the company’s flagship property, Cerro Chorcha.

Co-founder, Vice President and director, Riverside Exploration: 2007 – 2008      
Mr. Nelson, a co-founder of Riverside Exploration, was responsible for recognition of hot spring gold potential at El Capitan, Penoles District, Mexico. Drilling led to definition of a 20 Mtonne inferred resource.

Co-founder of Atico Mining Company: 2010 – 2012  
Mr. Nelson was instrumental in identifying and acquiring the El Roble mine, a copper and gold bearing volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit in Colombia. The company completed its initial public offering in 2012 and has since discovered and is developing an NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource of 1.58 Mtonnes at 4.45% Cu and 3.17 g/t Au.

Consulting Exploration Geologist: 1982 to 1988
Mineral exploration and property evaluation including two years (May 1982 to April 1984) as senior consulting geologist to Cimarron Exploration. In addition to his consulting work, Mr. Nelson published a number of papers on hot spring and Carlin-type epithermal precious metal deposits.

Research geologist: Homestake Mining Co., 1980 to 1982
Mr. Nelson developed a model for gold mineralization in shallow epithermal (hot spring) systems. This model led to the 1980 discovery of the McLaughlin deposit, the first of many hot spring gold deposits discovered around the Circum-Pacific ring of fire. Mr. Nelson pursued hot spring deposits throughout the western United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan and New Zealand. A model relating hot spring gold deposits to hydrothermal eruption events was published in Economic Geology (Nelson and Giles, 1985).

Staff Geologist: Anaconda Copper Company, 1976 to 1980
Hard rock uranium exploration in the western United States and Canada including major projects in the Marysvale volcanic field (Utah) and the Copper Mountain district (Wyoming). Mr. Nelson supervised of a team of three geologists and managed an annual budget of $500,000. His model for Schwarzwalder-type uranium mineralization was published in Economic Geology (Nelson and Gallagher, 1982).

Education

Amherst College: Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology awarded magna cum laude in June, 1973. Grade point average of 3.4 (4.0 scale). Elected to the Sigma Xi Research Society.Thesis: Stratigraphy, structure and metamorphism of Paleozoic rocks, Sterling area, Central Massachusetts.

Dartmouth College: Masters degree in geology awarded in June 1975.Grade point average of 3.6 (4.0 scale). Dartmouth College and J.W. Simpson fellowships.Thesis: Structure and petrology of the Thorndike Pond area, southwestern New Hampshire.

Univ. of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): Graduate work in solid inclusion piezo-thermometry through June 1976.

Grade point average of 3.6 (4.0 scale). Shell fellowship and National Science Foundation research assistantship.

University of Costa Rica: Fulbright Foundation Faculty research grant from September, 1987 through December, 1988.Research topic: Gold mineralization of the Caribbean Basin – Source and Potential.  

 

Miscellaneous

Professional Societies:

  • Geological Society of America
  • Society of Economic Geologists
  • Amer. Assn. Petrol. Geologists
  • Denver Reg. Expl. Geol. Soc.

Health: excellent

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Publications

Torró, L., Proenza, J.A., Melgarejo, J.C., Alfonso, P., Farré de Pablo, J., Colomer, J.M., García-Casco, A., Gubern, A., Gallardo, E., Cazañas, X., Chávez, C., del Carpio, R., León, P., Nelson, C.E., Lewis, J.F., 2015, Mineralogy, geochemistry and sulfur isotope characterization of Cerro de Maimon (Dominican Republic), San Fernando and Antonio (Cuba) lower Cretaceous VMS deposits: formation during subduction initiation of the proto-Caribbean lithosphere within a fore-arc. Ore Geology Reviews, v. 72, p. 794-817.

Roman-Alday, M.C., Torro, L., Proenza, J., Melgarejo, J.C., Romero, J., Amarante, A., Espaillat, J., Nelson, C.E., 2015, The Romero Cu-Au-Zn deposits, Cordillera Central, Dominican Republic: Preliminary data on the mineralogy and geochemistry of mineralization: 13th SGA Biennial Meeting, 2015, Proceedings, v. 5, p. 2087-2090.

Nelson, C.E., Stein, H., Dominguez, H., Carrasco, C., Barrie, T., Torró, L., Proenza, J., 2015, Re-Os dating of molybdenite from the Pueblo Viejo Au-Ag-Cu and Douvray Cu-Au districts, Hispaniola: Economic Geology, v. 110, p. 1101-1110.

Gray, F., Hammarstrom, J.M., Ludington, S., Zurcher, L., Nelson, C.E., Robinson, G.R., Jr., Miller, R.J., Moring, B.C., 2014, Porphyry copper assessment of Central America and the Caribbean Basin: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5090-I, 81 p. and GIS data: http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20105090I.

Torró i Abat, L., Proenza, J.A., Melgarejo, J.C., Carrasco, C., Dominguez, H., Nelson, C., 2013, Evidences of a magmatic fluid circulation registered in tourmalines from the Ampliacion Pueblo Viejo District (Dominican Republic): 1st European Mineralogical Conference, September, 2013.

Torró i Abat, L., Carrasco, C., Dominguez, H., Lewis, J.F., Proenza, J.A., Melgarejo, J.C., Nelson, C., 2013, Alteration domains under Loma la Cuaba: new insights as to the origin of the mineralization in the Pueblo Viejo district: 12 SGA Biennial meeting, Uppsala, Sweden, August, 2013.

Nelson, C.E., Proenza, J.A., Lewis, J.F., Lopez-Kramer, J., 2011, The metallogenic evolution of the Greater Antilles. Geologica Acta, v. 9, nos. 3-4, p. 229-264.

Nelson, C., Rojas-Agramonte, Y., García-Casco, A., Alvarado, G., Cardona, A., Escuder-Viruete, J., Maresch, W., Martens, U., Martini, M., Serrano, L., Sisson, V., Stanek., K.P., and Whitehill, C. (2009). A Geochronologic Database for the Caribbean Region. IGCP 546 “Subduction Zones of the Caribbean”.

López-Kramer, J.M., Pérez, R.G., Redwood, S.D., Nelson, C.E., 2008, Gold and silver mineralization in continental terrains of SW Cuba (Guaniguanico, Pinos y Guamuhaya). GeoMinas, v. 36, no. 45, p. 17-21.

Nelson, C.E., 2006, Metallic mineral resources: in Bundschuh, J. and Alvarado, G.E., (eds.) Central America: Geology, Resources and Hazards. A.A. Balkema, pub., London, chapter 32, p. 885-915.

Nelson, C.E., Jiménez, J., and Rodríguez, J.J., 2002, Domos volcánicos y mineralización de oro en el distrito Pueblo Viejo, República Dominicana: Revista Geológica de América Central, vol. 25, p. 7-27.

Nelson, C.E., 2001, Gold mineralization in dome fields of the Veraguas Belt, Panama: in, Albinson, T. and Nelson, C.E., eds., New Mines and Discoveries in Mexico and Central America: Society of Economic Geologists Special Publication No. 8, p. 307-316.

Albinson, T. and Nelson, C.E., eds., 2001, New mines and discoveries in Mexico and Central America: Soc. Econ. Geol. Spec. Publ. No. 8, 362 p.

Nelson, C.E. and Nietzen, F., 2000, Metalogenia de oro y cobre en América Central: Revista Geológica de América Central, vol. 23, p. 25-41.

Nelson, C.E., 2001, Reply to Discussion of: Nelson, C.E., 2000, Volcanic domes and gold mineralization in the Pueblo Viejo District, Dominican Republic: Mineralium Deposita, vol. 36, p. 469-471.

Nelson, C.E., 2000, Volcanic domes and gold mineralization at the Pueblo Viejo deposit, Dominican Republic: Mineralium Deposita, v. 35, p. 511-535.

Nelson, C.E., 2000, Volcanic dome emplacement and Au-Ag-Zn mineralization at the Moore Deposit, Pueblo Viejo district, Dominican Republic: in Cluer, J.K., Price, J.G., Struhsacker, E.M., Hardyman, R.F., and Morris, C.L., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits 2000: The Great Basin and Beyond: Geol. Soc. Nevada Symposium Proceedings, May 15-18, 2000, p. 67-77.

Nelson, C. and Ganoza, J., 1999, Geologia de la Franja Aurifera de Veraguas, Panama: Revista Geologica de America Central, no. 22, p. 85-100.

Nelson, C.E., 1996, Gold and copper metallogeny of Central America: in, Coyner, A.R. and Fahey, P.L., eds., Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera: Geological Society of Nevada, vol. 3, p. 1397-1411.

Nelson, C.E., 1995, Porphyry copper deposits of southern Central America: in Pierce, F.W. and Bolm, J.G., eds., Porphyry copper deposits of the American Cordillera, Arizona Geological Society Digest, vol. 20., p. 553-565.

Nelson, C.E., 1992, Exploration and Mining Activity in Central America: Randol at MineExpo ’92 – Workshop Proceedings, Randol International Ltd., p. 5-8.

Nelson, C.E., 1992, Gold mineralization in maar craters, two examples from southern Central America: Randol at MineExpo ’92 – Workshop Proceedings, Randol International Ltd., p. 55-58a.

Nelson, C.E. and Arauz C., A., 1992, Depositos de metales preciosos de gran tonelaje en la region del Caribe: Revista Geologica de America Central, vol. 14, p. 39-57.

Nelson, C., Muto, P., Robinson, D., 1991, Hot spring systems: in Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin – Field trip Guidebook Compendium, vol. 1, p. 393-400.

Nelson, C.E., 1991, Metalliferous marine black shales and fossil petroleum reservoirs – source rock and host environment for Carlin-type gold deposits: Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin – Symposium Proceedings, Geological Society of Nevada, p. 249-254.

Nelson, C.E., 1990, Comparative geochemistry of jasperoids from Carlin-type gold deposits of the western United States: in Hedenquist, J.W., White, N.C., and Siddeley, G., eds., Epithermal gold mineralization of the Circum-Pacific: Geology, Geochemistry, Origin and Exploration, II: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, vol. 36, p. 171-195.

Nelson, C.E., 1990, Bulk mineable epithermal precious metal deposits of the Circum-Caribbean region: in Hausen, D.M., Halbe, D.N., Petersen, E.U., and Tafuri, W.J., eds., Gold ’90 – Symposium Proceedings. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Littleton, Colorado, p. 149-161.

Nelson, C.E., 1988, Gold deposits in the hot spring environment: in Schafer, R.W., Cooper, J.J. and Vikre, P.G., eds., Bulk mineable precious metal deposits of the Western United States – Symposium Proceedings. Geological Society of Nevada, p. 417-432.

Cunningham, C.G., Nelson, C.E., Bonham, H.F., and Izawa, E., 1986, Selected bibliography of epithermal precious metal mineralization: United States Geological Survey Open File report 86-266, 48 p.

Nelson, C.E. and Giles, D.L., 1985, Hydrothermal eruption mechanisms and hot spring gold deposits: Economic Geology, vol. 80, no. 6, p. 1633-1639.

Giles, D.L. and Nelson, C.E., 1982, Principal features of epithermal lode gold deposits of the Circum-Pacific Rim: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Transactions of the Third Circum-Pacific Energy and Mineral Resources Conference, p. 273-278.

Nelson, C.E. and Gallagher, J.R.L., 1982, Proterozoic origins of uranium mineralization in the Colorado Front Range: Economic Geology, v. 77, no. 5, p. 1221-1225.

Cleary, J., Dann, J., Hallager, W., Hyde, D., Nelson, C., Page, R., Reynolds, J., Stimson, J., Struhsacker, E., 1980, Mapa geologico de Nueva Santa Rosa, Guatemala (1:50,000): Instituto Geografico Nacional, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Beaty, D., Bergquist, C., Beyer, W., Dann, J., Dobson, D., Erler, E., Hyde, D., Hitzman, M., Jacobsen, G., Nelson, C., Reynolds, J., 1980, Mapa geologico de Cuilapa (1:50,000): Instituto Geografico Nacional, Guatemala City, Guatemala.

 

Presentations

Volcanic dome emplacement and Au-Ag-Zn mineralization at the Moore deposit, Pueblo Viejo District, Dominican Republic: Geology and Ore Deposits 2000, World Class Gold Systems, Geological Society of Nevada, Reno, Nevada.May 15-18, 2000.

Volcanic domes and gold mineralization at the Pueblo Viejo deposit, Dominican Republic: Denver Regional Exploration Geologists Meeting, October 4, 1999 and Vancouver Roundup – 2000, January, 2000.

Gold mineralization in the Veraguas Dome Field, Panama: 17th World Mining Congress, Acapulco, October 14-18, 1997.

Gold and Copper metallogeny of Central America: Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera, Geological Society of Nevada Symposium, April 10-13, 1995.

Metallogenic evolution of Panama: Convencion Minera para America Latina, America Minera I, March 8-10, 1995.

Integration of Geology in Exploration and Operations – Epithermal Deposits: Session chariman, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, annual meeting, Denver, February, 1995.

Modelos geologicos de mineralizacion: Colegio Panameno de Geologos, Seminario Taller, December 9, 1994.

Porphyry copper deposits of Southern Central America: Bootprints along the Cordillera, Arizona Geological Society, October 5-7, 1994.

Comparative geochemistry of jasperoids from Carlin-type gold deposits of the western United States: Oil, Gold and Hydrothermal Symposium, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Rocky Mountain Section meeting, Salt Lake City, September 12-15, 1993.

Early Island arc volcanic rock packages and gold mineralization around the Caribbean Basin: Integrated methods in Exploration and Discovery, Society of Economic Geologists Conference, Denver, April 17-20, 1993.

Maar hosted bulk mineable precious metal deposits of the Caribbean Region: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, annual meeting, February, 1993.

Gold and copper mineralization in Central America: Cordilleran Geology and Exploration Roundup, Vancouver, January 26-29, 1993.

The gold geology of maar diatremes: Workshop on the Gold Geology of Maar Diatremes, Randol at MineExpo ‘92, Las Vegas, October 17-18, 1992.

Central America Exploration and Mining Activity: Workshop on Latin America Mining Development and Opportunities, Randol at MineExpo ‘92, Las Vegas, October 17-18, 1992.

 

Gold deposits in maar craters – two examples: Penrose conference on fluid-volcano interactions, Warm Springs, Oregon, October, 1992.

Exploration geochemistry of jasperoids: Assn. of Expln. Geochemists, annual meeting, Reno, 1991

 

Multivariate methods for treating geochemical data from gold deposits: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, annual meeting, Denver, 1991

Metalliferous marine black shales and fossil petroleum reservoirs:Source rock and host environment for Carlin-type gold deposits (poster session).Geological Society of Nevada Symposium on Geology and Ore Deposits of the Great Basin, Reno, 1990

Bulk mineable epithermal precious metal deposits of the Circum-Caribbean Region. Session on Circum-Pacific Epithermal Systems, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration – American Institute of Mining Engineers, annual meeting, Salt Lake City, 1990.

Epithermal precious metal deposits of the Circum-Caribbean Region.Circum-Pacific Energy and Mineral Resources Council Symposium on Energy and Mineral Potential of the Central American-Caribbean Region, San Jose, Costa Rica, 1989.

Gold deposits in hot spring environments.Geological Society of Nevada Symposium on Bulk Mineable Precious Metal Deposits of the Western United States, Reno, 1987.

A comparative study of barren and mineralized Carlin-type gold deposits. GEOEXPO/86, Association of Exploration Geochemists and Geological Association of Canada – Cordilleran Section, joint meeting, Vancouver, 1986.

Applications of multivariate analysis to precious metal exploration in the western United States.Geological Society of America annual meeting, Orlando, 1985, Abs. With Progs., vol. 17, no. 7, p. 675; Geological Society of Nevada meeting, January, 1986.

Bonanza-type epithermal gold-silver deposits.Colorado School of Mines International workshop on Gold Deposit Modeling in Exploration, Golden, 1985.

Tectonic controls on precious metal mineralization in the Circum-Pacific region.

United Nations Development Program International Symposium on Mineral Deposit Modeling, Manila, Philippines, 1985.

Controls on precious metal mineralization in hot spring environments.Society of Economic Geologists symposium on Geothermal Systems and Ore Deposits, Los Angeles, 1984.

Precious metal deposits in brecciated hot spring systems.Invitational research conference on Brecciation and Mineralization – Geologic Occurrence and Genesis, Colorado Springs, 1984

Geology and mineral deposits of the Clear Lake area, central California.

Geol. Assn. of Canada – Mineral Deposits Division Fieldtrip, 1984

Gold in hot spring environments.Denver Regional Exploration Geologists Society, September, 1982; Arizona Geological Society of America Abs. with Progs., v. 13, no. 4, p. 220

Principal features of epithermal lode gold deposits of the Circum-Pacific Rim.Circum-Pacific Energy and Mineral Resources Conference, Honolulu, 1982.

Early Proterozoic origin for uranium mineralization in the Colorado Front Range (with J.R.L. Gallagher).Geological Society of America Abs. with Progs., v. 13, no. 4, p. 220.

A mode-modified molecular norm calculation for igneous and metamorphic rocks (with M. Hibbard).Geol. Soc. America meeting, 1976, Abs. with Programs, vol. 8, no. 3, p. 398-399.

Stratigraphy, structure and metamorphism of Paleozoic rocks, Sterling area, central Massachusetts (with M.A. Kuntz).Geol. Soc. Amer. Meeting, 1973, Abs. with Progs., v. 5, no. 2, p. 201.

References, academic transcripts and publication reprints are available upon request.