Speaker Programme

An excellent range of speakers are lined up for the Conference, to offer their unique insights. On Monday, 20 March the highly distinguished Professor Kim Esbensen of the Danish Geological Survey and also of Aalborg University will talk about 'Sampling Theory and Practice'. Professor Esbensen is a leading expert in sampling, chemometrics and Process Analytical Technology (PAT). He is a recipient of the Pierre Gy's Gold Medal (2013) awarded for 'excellence in teaching and application of the Theory of Sampling'.

Sunday 19th March

18:30 - 20:00

Welcome Reception – Royal Garden Hotel

Day One – Monday 20th March

08:30 – 09:00 Registration and Coffee

09:00 – 10:30 Session 1: Introduction and the Work of the LBMA

Chief Executive’s Welcome and Remarks

Ruth Crowell, Chief Executive, London Bullion Market Association

Keynote Speech: Sampling Theory and Practice

Professor Kim Esbensen, Danish Geological Survey and Aalborg University

The LBMA Good Delivery System – Recent and Future Developments

Varsha Peiris, Good Delivery List Officer, London Bullion Market Association

Historical Review of the Good Delivery Applications and Proactive Monitoring

Dr Stewart Murray, Good Delivery Consultant, London Bullion Market Association

10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30 Session 2: Assaying

Problem Elements in Precious Metals Assaying

Dr Alessandro Ruffoni, Argor-Heraeus SA

PGM Impurities and Fire Assay

Chris Walne, London Assay Office

Determination of Deleterious Elements within Incoming Gold and Silver Dore by EDXRF

Mike Hinds, Royal Canadian Mint

Analysis of high purity gold (999.9 fine) by the Fire Assay Method - Sources of Error

Dippal Manchanda, Technical Director, AnchorCert Group

12:30 – 13:45 Lunch

13:45 – 14:45 Session 3: Analytical Methods

Oxygen in Silver

Dr Stewart Murray, Good Delivery Consultant, London Bullion Market Association and Quentin Bochud, Laboratory Manager, Metalor Technologies SA

Method Development of a DC Arc Spectrometer for Analysis of 9999 Au and 999 Ag

Bob Lawrence and Katsuji Kobayashi Asahi Refining

Study of Iridium, Ruthenium and Osmium distribution in Gold Jewellery

Ankur Goyal & Pankaj Deshmukh, MMTC-PAMP India Pvt. Ltd

14:45 – 15:15 Coffee Break

15:15 – 16:00 Session 4: Asset Management

Metal Reconciliation

Peter Gaylard, Independent Consultant

Metal Accounting

Munyar Chirisa, Deloitte Canada

16:00 Panel Session – Q&A on Day 1 Sessions

Chairman: Neil Harby, London Bullion Market Association

16:45 Close of Day One

18:30 Pre–Dinner Cocktail Reception & Conference Dinner, Quaglino’s

Sponsored by Argor-Heraeus, Metalor Technologies, PAMP, Rand Refinery and Tanaka

Day Two – Tuesday, 21st March

09:00 – 09:20 Gold in the Ancient World

Susan La Niece, British Museum

09:20 – 10:20 Session 5: Reference Materials

Reference Materials (Statistical Analysis)/LBMA Project Update

Mike Hinds, Royal Canadian Mint

LPPM Certified Reference Material

Hiroshi Sawai, Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.

EZ OCM Reference Materials of Precious Metals

Liudmila Gorbatova and Elena Anchutina, Ekaterinburg Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Plant

Reference Materials, The System of Certified Reference Materials Production in Russia

Konstantin Shatnykh and Alexandra Gavrilova, JSC Krastsvetmet

10:20 – 10:50 Coffee Break

10:50 – 11:30 Session 6: Assayers

Swiss Sworn Assayer System

Thomas Brodmann, Swiss Precious Metals Control

Distance BCIT Assayer Training Program

Elaine Woo, British Columbia Institute of Technology

11:30 – 12:10 Session 7: Refining

Best Practices in Gold and Silver Refineries

John Fairley and Alan Gibbon, Wallace Trading Ltd.

The Art (Science) of Bar Casting

Ilonka McDougal, Rand Refinery Pty Ltd

12:10 – 13:15 Lunch

13:15 – 13:55 Session 8: Standards

9999 Au Standard

Stefan Zorn, ISO Technical Committee

Proficiency Testing Au and Ag

Jonathan Jodry, Metalor Technologies SA

13:55 – 14:55 Session 9: General

Role of the Referees

Daniela Manara, PAMP SA

Counterfeit Gold Coins

Roland Zils, Deutsche Bundesbank, Nationales Analysezentrum für Münzen

ALS AcidLess Separation

Philippe Cettou, IKOI

14:35 – 15:20 Coffee Break

15:20 Summary and Q&A: Neil Harby, London Bullion Market Association

15:50 Close of Conference

Day Three - Wednesday, 22nd March

Optional Tours and Sampling Workshop

10:30 – 12:00 Tour of the London Assay Office

at Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane including lunch. Founded to regulate the craft or trade of the goldsmith, the Goldsmiths' Company has been responsible since 1300 for testing the quality of gold, silver, from 1975, platinum, and from 2010, palladium.

09:00 – 12:30 Tour of Inspectorate International

which includes lunch and coach transportation from the Royal Garden Hotel. Inspectorate provides an independent inspection, sampling and testing services.

09:00 - 11:00 Workshop on Sampling Theory and Practice

Professor Kim Esbensen. This workshop will be held at the Royal Garden Hotel and will focus on the fundamental principles and definitions of the Theory of Sampling (TOS), different types of sampling (grab sampling, composite sampling, representative sampling) and the multi-stage process of representative sampling. Heterogeneity, sampling error and practical sampling examples will also be covered.