Ben Whiting

What inspired you to pursue a career in the mineral industry?

My uncle Eric Whiting was a prospector and explorer, with a thousand stories. He probably planted in my mind the seeds of adventure in the mining industry. I later served as an officer aboard a Navy diving tender, which was seconded to the Circum-Pacific Plutonism Project. A group of scientists came aboard and it was the first opportunity I had to interact with a diverse group of geologists in the field. They gave me my first rock hammer. I transferred into Geological Sciences at the University of British Columbia.

What project stands out as the most rewarding in your career, and why?

I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the world and work on fascinating mining properties, but one project does stand out. I was contracted as Chief Geologist to conduct an exploration program for Orko Silver Corp in Latin America. We acquired an option on an old mineral prospect from Luismin called “La Preciosa” in the Silver-Trend of the Mesa Central, Durango, Mexico. Mapping started in 2004 and in April 2005 the first diamond drill rig arrived on site. Our interpretation was that the whole structural block had been rotated proved useful in discovering hidden veins. More drill rigs were added to the program and the first mineral resource was published in 2006. By 2008, we had topped the 100 million ounces of silver-equivalent and it kept on growing. It was at 265 million ounces of silver-equivalent in 2013 when Orko underwent a takeover battle, the winning bidder being Coeur Mining Corp. Coeur later sold the project to Avino Gold and Silver Mines Ltd., which has now placed La Preciosa Silver-Gold Mine into production. I had the honour of receiving the IAC “Explorer of the Year” for my role in the discovery of “La Preciosa” (The Precious).