Our Team
A small, senior team with deep experience across exploration and mining geology in Australia and internationally.
Kenneth Bush
Kenneth Bush is a highly experienced geologist and mining industry leader with over 12 years of specialised expertise in exploration and mine geology. As Director of Vanning Resources and Core Prospecting since 2018, he manages multiple mining licences and exploration tenements across Victoria, overseeing M&A activities, joint ventures and feasibility studies.
Kenneth's career spans diverse roles from underground mine geologist to exploration manager and senior research positions with high-profile clients including Agnico Eagle's Fosterville Gold Mine, Southern Cross Gold Consolidated's Sunday Creek Project and Mandalay Resources' Costerfield Mine, as well as international projects across the world. With particular expertise in narrow-vein, high-grade gold deposits and structural controls on mineralisation, he has successfully transformed historical mines into producing operations and delivered comprehensive economic evaluations across brownfields and greenfields exploration programs.
With a Master of Economic Geology from UTas and First Class Honours from Monash University, Kenneth combines academic rigour with practical industry experience, specialising in resource modelling, geochemical vectoring and NI 43-101 and JORC-compliant reporting across gold, antimony and base metal projects throughout Australia and internationally.
Managing Director
Patrick Tucker
Pat is a geologist with 8 years' industry experience in Victorian orogenic gold and Central NSW structurally controlled polymetallic base metal deposits.
Pat has specialised in 3D modelling, utilising observations from micro to ore-body scale, structural geology and geochemistry to develop and unlock value from advanced exploration projects. He has been instrumental in the successful re-interpretation and remodelling of multiple advanced mining projects to support resource growth, accurate resource estimation and mine design.
Pat has a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours from Monash University.
Director
Shaun is a skilled exploration geologist with 8 years industry experience across all stages of the exploration process. He has spent many years working across the Victorian goldfields in narrow-vein, high-grade orogenic gold.
He has been working with Core Prospecting since 2021 and is currently finishing a Masters in Geology with the Mineral Deposit Research Unit at UBC in Vancouver, Canada.
Shaun specialises in structural geology, field mapping and 3D modelling, with a particular focus on integrating structural, geochemical and geophysical data into robust exploration targeting.
Director
Shaun Haney
Hannah is a geologist with 8 years experience in open pit and underground mining as well as greenfields and brownfields exploration. She started her career in Australia, working in orogenic and intrusion-related gold projects, and has since worked in the Canadian Yukon as an exploration geologist and resource geologist.
She has planned and executed drilling programs with a range of drilling techniques, as well as completed advanced 3D modelling of lithological, structural, alteration and mineralisation features for improved targeting and resource definition. As a team lead, she focuses on training and upskilling team members and prioritises information sharing and collaboration.
With a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours from QUT and CODES (UTas), and a recently completed Masters in Hydrogeology from UWA, Hannah endeavours to continue to work within the mining and exploration space on both geological and hydrogeological projects.
Director
Hannah Couper
Gianni is a geologist with over six years of exploration and mining experience, predominantly in Victorian orogenic gold systems. He has worked in all phases of exploration from greenfields campaigns through to resource drill outs.
Gianni specialises in 3D modelling, with a particular skill set in combining multiple data sets including geophysics, geochemistry and surface mapping, to build a coherent model for exploration targeting. He has an extensive understanding of various drilling techniques, with experience in both percussion and diamond drilling methods to support the growth of various exploration and near-mine projects.
Gianni holds a Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours from Monash University.
Senior Project Geologist
Gianni Mercuri
Past & Current Client List
We have been privileged to work with a range of exploration and mining companies, from emerging explorers through to established producers.
Some of our work is conducted under confidentiality, and not every client is shown here.
