“My name is Dr. Mehmet F. Taner and I am Consulting Geologist and Mineralogist situated in Ontario, Canada. I have worked with and consulted to Patrick O’Brien for nearly 10 years. In the fall of 2007 Mr. O’Brien and Dr. Christian Derosier of Novawest Resources Inc. (now VanadiumCorp) and I met in Quebec City to discuss at length the potential of acquiring and developing Vanadium-Titanium-Iron mining projects in Canada and in parallel building an industry around the minerals derived from such mines in Quebec, Canada. At that time Mr. O’Brien had just spearheaded the staking of the renowned Lac Dore deposit for Novawest Resources Inc. of which he was the Chief Executive Officer. I found Pat to be very sincere and forthright in our discussions. At that time, all present realized there was a good chance that the Lac Dore staking was going to be contested by SOQUEM of the Quebec Government and that it may be a 2-3 or more years before Novawest would be allowed to perform work on the claims.Our meetings and discussions were focused mainly on the Lac Dore, Lac Dore North mineralization couple with that of extensive Vanadium-Titanium mineralization I had discovered at Matagami, Quebec. We discussed teaming up and sharing our expertise and desire to develop these various projects under one umbrella. Our discussions successfully led to an agreement whereby Novawest Resources Inc. would acquire the initial group of claims my partners and I had put together at Metagami. We further agreed that Novawest would undertake a massive staking program to increase the Matagami claim package to take in all the important contiguous mining claims and lock out potential competitors. Upon his return to Vancouver Mr. O’Brien executed the purchase of the claims expeditiously and followed it up with the prompt staking of the adjoining claims as promised. Pat was a pleasure to deal with and very professionally completed the transactions.
At a later date, on behalf of his Board, Mr. O’Brien invited me to join the Technical Advisory Board of Novawest, to which I gladly accepted. Shortly after joining Mr. O’Brien and Mr. Derosier’s Advisory Board I introduced Pat to Dr. Maria Skyllas-Kazacos who had invented the Vanadium Redox Battery. Mr. O’Brien had several communications with Maria and she too chose to accept his invitation to join the Advisory Board. Both of us remain on the Advisory Board to date.
In 2012, I privately contacted Mr. O’Brien of PacificOre (previously Novawest) and asked him to work with me in spearheading and hosting my 2nd Vanadium Symposium. I planned to coincide with the CIM Conference in the fall of 2014 in Vancouver, Canada. In 2012 Pat agreed to my invitation to work with me on the Vanadium Symposium and brought PacificOre on board as the lead sponsor.
I have always found Pat O’Brien to be a true professional and very decisive in all of our dealings. He is tenacious and works very hard for his company. He makes himself available at any hour or on any day. For a non-geologist, Pat understands exploration and mining concepts very well and can assess situations and opportunities quickly and with clarity. He has a unique ability to couple the right business ideals with prime projects. He is truly a man of his word and I have no hesitation in working with or recommending Pat, which is why I have chosen to once again advise Pat in his newest endeavour JuniorMining.com.”
“I accomplished Corporate Communication Consulting assignments for Pat O’Brien from 1993 to 2008. I joined Pat on a full time basis 2009 to 2012, in Corporate Communications. Pat is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of the Junior Mining space. I found him a ‘super achiever’, who persevered through all challenges, until he achieved a successful result.
He was always available for me or for my clientele, to answer all questions and concerns. Remuneration for my consulting services were always looked after in a prompt manner, and without question. To this day, Pat continues to challenge himself in an excelling manner.”
“I have known Pat O’Brien since 2005. Pat is a sharp-shooter who brings high energy, excellent analytical skills and a sharp financial perspective punctuated by intelligent logic and good sense to the arena of opportunities. Please take the time to listen to his stories of experience and business escapades. He is an amazing powerhouse/treasure trove of invaluable and level-headed information on resource industry, especially junior mining. My deep respect for Pat comes from his enduring willingness to lend a helping hand to those who are eager to learn from his vast business experiences, and endeavours to put you ahead in your knowledge and expertise in the resource industry. Pat is someone who sticks to his guns, his code of ethics and his vision and came out on top while improving the system!”
“My name is Dr. Christian Derosier, P.Geo., and I have worked with Mr. Patrick O’Brien on numerous projects for more than 15 years; and I continue to do so today. I have almost 50 years of geoscientific experience spanning the globe in countries such as Canada, USA, and Peoples Republic of China, Columbia, Peru, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, France, Belgium, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana, Madagascar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Haiti and Guyana. I am fluent in English and French and have a working knowledge of Spanish, Arabian, and German. I am a member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec, the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Past-President of the Prospectors Association of Quebec and currently on the Disciplinary Committee, and a member of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada.I have worked with Patrick O’Brien on screening, assessing and staking and acquiring strategic mining projects such as the Lac Dore V-Ti-Fe Deposit, the Iron-T V-Ti-Fe Deposit, and the GameChanger V-Ti-Fe Deposit to name a few. I also had the pleasure of worked alongside Pat in the legal challenge for title of the Lac Dore claim package against the Government of Quebec. His honesty, integrity and tenacity simply proved too much for the Government of Quebec challenge to overcome. On a corporate level I have found Pat O’Brien to be a brilliant strategic planner and a dynamic tactical leader. His patience and mentoring talents have allowed many to thrive and mature under is thoughtful and insightful leadership style. Pat operates with a total open-door management style that he insists is consistent throughout any organization he is involved in. He is an extraordinarily talented senior manager and Board member who can, with ease and confidence, attract and assemble equally talented teams around him. He displays an extraordinary tolerance for learning and honest mistakes from his personnel and peers and feels that tolerance for an individual’s learning curve is necessary in the kinds of dynamic organizations he originates and that thrive under his leadership.
Pat is a master at spotting and pursuing key corporate opportunities for his shareholders and stakeholders alike. He takes each of their interest seriously and to heart. He thrives on engaging very talented senior management team participants and the best in geoscientists; with lots of experience yet open to fresh and well thought-out ideas. His patience and willingness to listen and learn from other people’s opinions and observations is unique. Although not a trained geologist, Pat has over his many years of experience in the mining industry honed an uncanny ability to screen and identify promising geological targets of exceptional potential along with his finely groomed teams of geoscientific personnel and associates. In fact, the most significant Net Smelter Royalty held by one of his most recent employers is on a project Pat O’Brien acquired with his own funds for that employer.
Pat O’Brien is well known and respected for supporting and encouraging those in the very cyclical mining sector that are struggling from time to time. His caring attributes are a rare and uncommon trait in an industry that is well known for individualists and head-strong entrepreneurs.”
“Pat and I worked together under the Novawest-Apella-ProMinerals banner on projects in Quebec and Ontario for 5 years from 2004 to 2009. We secured the long term future of all Novawest’s Raglan programs which led to their successful divestiture to the shareholders advantage in 2007. The vision of an IOCG model for Chibougamau accompanied by aggressive staking led to a controlling position in properties within tens of metres of past and present resources at Mine Principale, Devlin and Corner Bay. The former Icon copper mine was also secured for the company. Untested geological and geophysical prospects were not drilled as resources were marshalled to secure the Lac Dore Vanadium occurrence and a large portion of the Magnetite Bay-Mont Sorcier vanadium-iron claims. Thorough pre-planning and execution always using the highest integrity resulted in an over-whelming victory in the awarding of the Lac Dore Vanadium claims in March 2009 by the Superior Court of Quebec. Pat O’Brien is a fierce competitor and knows how to use junior mining and shareholder rights when faced with roll-over tactics by major mining houses and any other opposition. His experience and advice as a qualified Director and advisor prove to be critically beneficial. ”
I am a Registered Professional Engineer and a Chartered Financial Analyst with experience in the industrial, high-tech and financial sectors as well as the minerals exploration business. I have worked with Pat O’Brien in varying capacities over the past 20 years in the areas of logistics, regulatory compliance and operations management.Pat is a tenacious, high energy individual who is not afraid to tackle difficult business situations. He is able to quickly identify opportunities and implement strategies to meet the required objectives. Pat is a consummate student and a voracious reader while at the same time being a patient teacher. He has an innate ability to recognize people’s strengths and stands behind the actions of his employees and associates. His ethics are beyond reproach. I am proud to have been associated with Pat and to call him a friend.
“I’ve been involved with Pat as his consulting geologist in the Kirkland Lake, Ontario area since 1995 under his first resource exploration Company, International Homestead and continued through the early days of Novawest. I would say Pat would be ranked near the top of clients I’ve worked with over the past twenty years. I’ve known Pat to be very approachable, very supportive and enjoyable to work with.”