Mr. Prochnau is a mining engineer and geologist with degrees from the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, and McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Early in his career, Mr. Prochnau held management positions with Selection Trust Group, where he was in charge of American operations and the discovery and development of the Alligator Ridge Gold Mine in Nevada, and Billiton International Metals B.V. of the Netherlands. He formed his consulting company in 1984 and has subsequently managed several private exploration syndicates and publicly listed mineral companies responsible for a number of gold and base metal discoveries and mine developments in the United States, South America and Australia.

Mr. Prochnau was founder of Brancote Holdings plc of which he was managing director until 1999. Brancote Holdings plc's Argentinean subsidiary, Minera El Desquite S.A., discovered the high-grade Esquel Gold Deposit which was acquired by Meridian Gold Corp. for USD $368 million.

Mr. Prochnau is currently Chief Executive Officer and a director of Hidefield Gold Plc, which is listed on the Alternative Investment Market ("AIM") of the London Stock Exchange, and is a director of Columbus Gold Corporation. Mr. Prochnau is one of eleven distinguished members of the Kitco/Casey Explorer's League, and is also a member of a panel of advisors to Anglo Pacific Group plc, an AIM listed company primarily involved in strategic acquisitions in the mining sector.

* Is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101