Illustration of a hammer striking a mountain peak, the Apex Consultants Logo

About Us

Headshot of Daniel Chafetz, the founder of Apex Consultants, a man with glasses, red hair, red beard, wearing a white shirt and dark suit jacket, and a pin shaped like Nevada made of volcanic tuff, against a light background.

Daniel Chafetz, CPG | Owner & President

Daniel Chafetz is the President and Founder of Apex Consultants LLC, a specialized geologic advisory firm built to operate as a high-impact "Owner's Team." With extensive experience across the Great Basin and the Mojave corridor, Daniel bridges the gap between rugged field execution and corporate strategic development.

Alongside his leadership at Apex, Daniel serves as the Vice President of Project Development at Surge Battery Metals. In this role, he is responsible for comprehensively de-risking the Nevada North Lithium Project through to production. His focus extends far beyond the field, driving the critical engineering, permitting, and metallurgical frameworks required to add billions of dollars to project NPV.

His operational philosophy is simple: eliminate corporate bloat, deploy capital efficiently, and deliver actionable, drill-ready targets for ethical operators. Daniel holds a B.S. in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and an M.S. in Geochemistry & Mineralogy from the University of Nevada, Reno. He is a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG). When he is not evaluating assets or managing field crews, he is an avid rock climber and skier based out of Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

Headshot of Eli DenBesten, a man with red hair and beard, wearing a black suit and white shirt, against a gray background.

Eli DenBesten | Co-Owner & Principal Geologist

Eli DenBesten is the Co-Owner and Principal Geologist of Apex Consultants LLC, where he provides high-level technical and strategic geologic support across asset evaluation, development planning, and project execution.

Prior to founding Apex, Eli spent over six years at Tap Rock Resources in senior geologic and leadership roles focused on asset development and acquisitions. During his tenure, he played a critical role in the evaluation and execution of Tap Rock I and II, directly contributing to successful asset sales to Civitas Resources and Jonah Energy that delivered approximately 10x and 5x returns, respectively.

Earlier in his career, Eli drove technical operations and subsurface evaluation for FourPoint Energy, Double Point Energy, and Whiting Oil & Gas, alongside work in independent consulting and applied geophysics. This rugged, hands-on background heavily informs his practical, execution-focused approach to mineral asset evaluation and development today.

Eli holds a B.S. in Geology from Grand Valley State University. He has completed advanced coursework in geomechanics through Stanford University, GIS through Michigan State University, engineering at the University of North Dakota, and field studies in South Africa through Michigan Technological University. He is an active member of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists.

Daniel Chafetz sitting on a beautiful flow-banded rhyolite outcrop in a desert landscape, wearing a blue hoodie, sunglasses, and hiking boots while holding a rock hammer with a hand lens hanging from his neck
Eli DenBesten with a backpack and hat pointing at distant mountains on a mountain trail under a cloudy sky in Colorado on a summit over 13,000 ft.

Leading the field in resource development, technical engineering, as well as financial and economic modeling.

Sun setting behind a mountain range at the Nevada North Lithium Project with sagebrush and trees in the foreground. The Sun is red because of the smoke in the air from a nearby forest fire
An oil drilling rig at sunset with workers in safety gear, mountains in the background, and equipment illuminated in the foreground.
A young man with a beard and colorful checkered shirt is looking into a microscope in a laboratory setting. He is wearing a red and gray cap and a black wristwatch.
A dirt bike with large tires and a storage box parked on a dirt trail in a mountainous desert landscape at sunset.
Man working on blueprints at a desk with industrial model and technical drawings.