Mr Stapleton has 40 years of mining industry experience in consulting, planning and management of open cut mining operations including iron ore, coal, porphyry copper/gold/silver, lateritic nickel and gold mines. He is experienced in feasibility studies, resource and reserve estimation, owner-operator and contractor mine cost estimation and budgeting, mine planning, drilling and blasting, in-pit crushing/conveying, mine rehabilitation, and the development and operation of coal and base metal mines in Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Indonesia. Mr Stapleton has experience in planning and management for mining companies and major mining contractors. He also has experience as a consultant to the metalliferous and coal industry. He founded MineOp Consulting in 2007, and in recent years has worked as an expert witness and provided advisory services to a number of metal and coal companies on Partner/Alliance style contract formation and negotiations.