Centaurus Metals Ltd (ASX:CTM, OTCQX:CTTZF, FRA:G1R) has appointed Brazilian mining executive Thiago Costa as project director for its 100%-owned Jaguar Nickel Sulphide Project in northern Brazil as the company moves closer to a final investment decision.

Costa is a mechanical engineer with more than 25 years of experience across project implementation, commissioning and production in both greenfield and brownfield mining operations in Brazil.

He joins Centaurus after most recently serving as project director of the Brazilian operations of Equinox Gold, prior to the sale of those assets to China Molybdenum Co Ltd.

Costa was previously project director at Ero Copper, where he led development of the Tucumã Copper Mine and four million tonne per annum processing plant, located about 50 kilometres from Centaurus’ Jaguar project in the Carajás Mineral Province.

He has also held senior project roles with OZ Minerals and Anglo American, including oversight of the Pedra Branca underground copper-gold mine development and work on the 25Mtpa Minas-Rio iron ore project through implementation, commissioning, optimisation and expansion.

The appointment adds significant in-country development experience to its senior executive team as it advances Jaguar towards construction.

Commenting on the key appointment, Centaurus’ managing director Darren Gordon said: “The appointment of Thiago as Project Director for the Jaguar Nickel Project represents a major coup for Centaurus, bringing one of Brazil’s most experienced and highly regarded mine developers into our senior executive team.

“Thiago is a Brazilian national with an outstanding track record working for major international mining companies, with recent specific experience in developing major new mines in the Carajás Mineral Province of northern Brazil on time and on budget.

“This experience will be invaluable to Centaurus as we prepare for the imminent start of development at Jaguar, with basic engineering work nearing completion, project financing rapidly taking shape and a Final Investment Decision targeted for Q3 this calendar year. With our development strategy rapidly gaining momentum, this appointment represents another key plank of our strategy to bring one of the world’s most important new nickel mines into production.”

Proactive caught up with Gordon yesterday, to discuss the project in more detail: