Alex is a geologist and mineralogist with more than ten years' kimberlite research experience in Russia, including a PhD in mineralogy. In addition to his research credits he has extensive diamond exploration experience in Angola, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone, the latter with African Minerals Limited (formerly Sierra Leone Diamonds Limited).  Alex's experience in all laboratory aspects of sample treatment and kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM)recovery and identification enables Leland to quickly focus its resources on high priority targets for additional work even before subsequent chemical analysis of KIM is undertaken at a specialist laboratory in South Africa.