Murray Pearson has over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering and design of specialty chemical and metallurgical process plants, including a diverse background in piping, instrumentation, estimating, procurement, and project engineering. His project assignments include feasibility studies, basic engineering and detailed design of autoclave facilities & related processes for the oxidation & extraction of non-ferrous metals such as gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, and copper.  His assignments have included extensive site work on a variety of projects for sulphide oxidation, high pressure acid leaching, sulphide precipitation, strontium refining, titanium dioxide purification, as well as nylon-6 polymer, automotive paint, antioxidants, and organic acids production.

His field experience includes construction, inspection, and commissioning of several novel chemical process (CPI) facilities, start-up support for a synthetic rutile upgrade facility, commissioning, and start-up of a cobalt pressure oxidative leach circuit in Zambia.  Between 2003 and 2006, Murray oversaw the engineering and design of novel demonstration plants for chloride assisted oxidative leaching of nickel and copper sulphides (Voisey Bay Nickel, Usina Hydrometallurgical Carajas), and commercial processing of Pentlandite (Glencore/Xstrata CCR). From 2006 to 2012, Murray supervised the mechanical design of the world’s largest pressure oxidation facility, constructed by Hatch, for the Pueblo Viejo Project, a 24 000 tonne per day refractory gold plant located in the Dominican Republic. From 2017 to 2021, he was project manager for Polymetal’s Amursk Phase 4 POX Hub Expansion, and oversaw the design, fabrication and delivery of the world’s largest pressure oxidation autoclave and its associated pressure oxidation facility.

Murray graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, and an MBA from Queens University, Smith School of Business. As Director of Technology Development for Hatch’s High-Pressure Metallurgy practice, his responsibilities include research & development of new technologies for hydrometallurgical applications, patents, and intellectual property related to pressure hydrometallurgy.

Murray is an industrial supporter of the Green Surface Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (Green-SEAM) Network and member of its Scientific Committee.