Krakatoa Resources Ltd (ASX:KTA) has strengthened its technical and operational capability at the Zopkhito gold-antimony project in Georgia, appointing underground mining executive Owen Mihalop as technical consultant and regional specialist Graham Wall as country operations manager.
The appointments follow Krakatoa’s 2025 work program at Zopkhito, which confirmed a high-grade narrow vein antimony and gold system between historic underground adits and laid the groundwork for further drilling and development studies.
Underground redevelopment experience
Mihalop is a Chartered Mining Engineer with more than 30 years of international experience, specialising in narrow vein underground mining operations — a skillset directly aligned with the geology at Zopkhito.
Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of Cornish Metals Inc., where he led the redevelopment of the historic South Crofty tin mine in the United Kingdom. His responsibilities included underground rehabilitation, mine refurbishment, workforce development and securing more than £100 million in project funding.
Across his career, Mihalop has combined hands-on underground production management with technical and financial expertise. He has authored and led numerous feasibility studies, mineral resource and reserve audits, and NI 43-101 and JORC-compliant reports for underground precious and base metals projects globally.
Krakatoa said his experience in project restart and redevelopment, along with advancing high-grade assets from evaluation through to potential production, will support the next phase of work at Zopkhito.
Deep regional footprint
Wall brings more than three decades of international natural resource experience, with a strong focus on Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Based in Tbilisi for the past 20 years, he has held senior executive leadership roles overseeing exploration, development and production activities across Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Georgia, spanning both hydrocarbons and mineral projects.
His background includes managing remote field operations, leading multi-disciplinary teams, working closely with joint venture partners and host governments, and overseeing project commissioning. Krakatoa said his regional knowledge and established networks across the Caucasus and broader Eastern Europe will be instrumental as activities accelerate at Zopkhito.
Advancing a high-grade system
Zopkhito hosts historic underground workings and has emerged as a key focus for Krakatoa following encouraging drilling and underground channel sampling results during 2025. The company recently raised fresh capital to fund Phase 2 drilling and further studies aimed at refining the project’s geological model and testing extensions of known mineralisation.
Read more: Krakatoa raises $1.25m to fund Phase 2 drilling and studies at Zopkhito
“The appointment of Graham and Owen represents a crucial step in the progression of the Zopkhito project, following the successful work program of 2025,” said Krakatoa chief executive Mark Major.
“Results confirmed the presence of high-grade narrow vein antimony and gold system between the historic adits,” he added. “The combined skills and experience that Graham and Owen have are exceptionally well suited to the company’s objective and planned activities for Zopkhito. We are delighted to welcome both to the team.”
With underground expertise now embedded in the technical team and strengthened in-country leadership, Krakatoa is positioning Zopkhito for its next phase of systematic drilling and development evaluation.