Dig Deep

Join mining engineer and author Elvis Kamba as he shares insights from his time at Randgold under the iconic Mark Bristow. Elvis discusses Bristow's transformative leadership style and how Randgold positioned Africa as a land of investment rather than just resources. He highlights key moments like the Morila discovery, the lessons learned from the Syama mine, and the impressive engineering feat of Kibali. Explore how Randgold built trust with communities and shaped local talent, alongside the broader message of sustainable mining for future leaders.

In today's show, we're joined by Chris Showalter, CEO of Lifezone Metals, the company behind the Kabanga Nickel Project in north‑west Tanzania, one of the world’s highest‑grade, development‑ready nickel sulphide deposits.  We discuss how the company fits into the evolving critical minerals landscape, its role in building Western refining capacity, and why its Hydromet Technology could be a game-changer compared to traditional smelting. Chris will also share highlights from the recent Feasibility Study and the key milestones Lifezone is targeting over the next 12–24 months. KEY TAKEAWAYS LifeZone's innovative approach leverages chemistry to process ores, reducing the carbon footprint and operational costs associated with high-temperature smelting. The recent feasibility study for the Kabanga project revealed a net asset value of $1.58 billion and a 23.3% internal rate of return (IRR) at conservative nickel pricing LifeZone is actively seeking partnerships and funding to support the development of the Kabanga project. The company is working with the U.S. Development Finance Corporation and other international entities to secure approximately $700 million in debt financing Over the next 12 to 24 months, LifeZone aims to finalise its equity consortium and advance its project financing. Additionally, the company is exploring other opportunities, such as recycling metals from autocatalytic converters BEST MOMENTS "We are going to be one of the most critical sources of nickel with byproducts of cobalt and copper for the Western nations to wean away from the tightly controlled Indonesian market." "HydroMet is focusing on water-based solutions and really letting the chemistry do the hard work in a much more energy-efficient process." "Our total ore production is 52.2 million tons, creating 1.98% nickel, which is very high... that drives the economics." "Kabanga's time has come. This mine will be built. It's these flagship projects with this kind of grade, and this is the right time for Kabanga." GUEST RESOURCES LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifezone-metals/ Website: https://lifezonemetals.com/ Email address: info@lifezonemetals.com VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In today’s episode, we're joined by Alastair Goodship, COO of Mila Resources, a mining company that targets stranded assets with robust geological potential, by leveraging existing infrastructure and geological data, and then applying their team's multi-disciplinary experience, they are able to identify key value opportunities where they can advance to tangible production-stage studies. We discuss Mila’s strategy and portfolio, then zero in on the Yarrol project in Queensland and what exploration has shown so far, what the next phase is targeting, and the key milestones on the horizon. We’ll finish with the outlook for the wider Queensland portfolio and what shareholders should watch next. KEY TAKEAWAYS Mila Resources' strategy is to find de-risked assets that are stranded due to lack of funding or being lost in a larger portfolio, but which possess clear potential for scalability. Personal career development should include gaining broad experience across various disciplines and dedicated time to up-skill in areas like data set management and remote sensing to improve exploration efficiency. The Yarrol project is compelling because it has a historical resource, significant drill intercepts to depth, and satellite targets that all indicate gold mineralisation but has been largely overlooked for 20-30 years. The near-term focus is on aggressively drilling to expand the mineralised footprint, with a key milestone being the announcement of a new, updated resource for Yarrol to drive future development strategy. BEST MOMENTS "Mila’s aim is to find assets that have already been de-risked and progressed along the development curve, but are stranded due to lack of funds or being stuck in a larger portfolio of projects." "I had the space then to actually spend some kind of dedicated time actually getting understanding how the data works, how these processes work... and build my own skill set at the same time." "The first thing for us was to get some validation drilling in there... Every hole we put in hit, which gave us confidence to really move forward and be a bit more aggressive with Yarrol." "We've got a really prospective ground and we feel we're on to something, as do most juniors obviously, but we think we're backing it up with the data we have." GUEST RESOURCES Website - https://milaresources.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mila-resources/ X - https://x.com/MilaResources VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In this engaging discussion, Brad Valiukas, Managing Director of Kaiser Reef, shares his journey from hands-on roles in mining contracting to leading a successful gold producer in Australia. He highlights the importance of broad experience in mining, emphasizing that it fosters better leadership. Brad discusses the current gold market, advocating for a conservative yet optimistic approach to pricing. He also offers valuable advice for young professionals, urging them to seek diverse experiences and understand the industry's internal dynamics.

This time we talk to Brandon Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of SiTration, a company redefining metal recovery with a chemical-free separation process.   Brandon recently presented at the ACG Mine Closure conference, highlighting SiTration’s breakthrough results in recovery yields and purity — achieved without traditional chemical reagents.   We discuss how the technology works, what challenges come with scaling innovation in mining, and what the future of resource recovery could look like as SiTration grows. KEY TAKEAWAYS The technology is capable of recovering multiple metals, including copper, cobalt, nickel, and precious metals like gold and platinum, making it applicable across various mining and recycling processes. The company has successfully conducted tests with real-world samples, confirming that their recovery yields of over 90% and purity levels of 99% can be achieved outside of controlled laboratory conditions. While regulatory challenges are minimal due to the chemical-free nature of the process, technical and cultural barriers remain significant. The integration of technology could lead to more sustainable mining practices, enabling the recovery of critical minerals from waste streams and reducing the need for new mining projects BEST MOMENTS "Our main thesis in my PhD and postdoc work was if you could transition a lot of these standard kind of chemical and heat-based separations, you could reduce a lot of that energy consumption and have a major impact." "We can actually recover the copper in a very similar way just by mechanically removing it in a very kind of streamlined process from the electrodes." "The short answer is yes, absolutely. It can offset... we're probably never going to get away entirely from new mining, but we can drastically supplement the supply chain with critical minerals recovered from waste." "We want that to loop back to how we're actually doing the mining and making it much more versatile and nimble." GUEST RESOURCES ●      www.sitration.com ●      Brendan's email: bsmith@sitration.com  ●      https://www.linkedin.com/company/sitration-inc ●      https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendansmith2/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In today’s episode, we're joined by Martin Horgan, a well-known figure in the mining industry with a proven track record in exploration, development, and operations, from leading Toro Gold through to his time as CEO of Centamin.  Martin shares his thoughts on what drives him to set up a new mining company, what kind of opportunities he’s targeting next, and how his past experiences have shaped his approach to risk and value creation. We discuss whether gold remains his focus or if other minerals are on the radar, how market factors like high gold prices influence decision-making, and how investor perspectives align with management’s view of risk. Martin also reflects on the lessons learned from Toro and Centamin.  Martin is also going to be attending the upcoming Resourcing Tomorrow event - the premier gathering for the world’s mining leaders taking place in London from 2-4 December. What sets this event apart is its unmatched audience: C-level executives from the biggest mining companies worldwide, over 40 government ministers, leading mining technology providers, and many more mining professionals in the industry. Dig Deep The Mining Podcast is proud to partner with Resourcing Tomorrow. To register, go to https://hubs.ly/Q03JvH2K0 and use DIGDEEP10 for 10% off your pass. KEY TAKEAWAYS There is a strong desire to re-enter the mining sector, driven by a combination of personal enjoyment and the current geopolitical landscape, which presents unique opportunities for mineral supply and investment. When evaluating potential projects, the primary focus is on geological potential, followed by the stability and regulatory framework of the jurisdiction.  The current high gold prices influence decision-making, particularly in terms of project evaluation and negotiations with local partners. Funding Strategies: The choice between private equity and public markets for funding is crucial. BEST MOMENTS "I think it's a really interesting time within the sector where increasingly people are focusing back on it... where the various basic building blocks of society actually are sourced from." "We feel comfortable working somewhere within that sort of life cycle... there's probably more opportunity in the sort of exploration resource phase than there is maybe in the pre-development development phase." "I think the ideal model would be if you're in a cash flowing business, the listed space is very good... if you're in a pre-development basis, exploration as well, I think the private equity model works." GUEST RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-horgan-038b298/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Today we’re taking on a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime: gender-based violence, or GBV, and what it means for mining’s culture, safety, and future. Joining me are three people who’ve helped bring this issue into sharper focus recently and their recent collaboration on The Intelligent Miner opened up a powerful and, at times, uncomfortable conversation about how mining can — and must — do better. Carly Leonida, founder and editor of The Intelligent Miner; Abbi Buxton, an independent consultant who partners with organisations across the resource sector, including mining companies, to tackle GBV and advance equality in workplaces and communities and Mahmood Sonday, Managing Director at Reos Partners, a global advisory firm that helps organisations address systemic challenges. He has worked with numerous mining companies to develop and implement strategies to successfully tackle GBV and harassment. KEY TAKEAWAYS The mining sector has a strong culture that can hinder open discussions about GBV. There is a need for leadership commitment to change this culture, which includes creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak up Tackling GBV requires a collaborative approach that involves not only mining companies but also governments, civil society, and communities Companies must go beyond relying solely on formal grievance mechanisms to understand the prevalence and nature of GBV within their organisations Addressing GBV is not a one-time project but requires sustained effort and commitment BEST MOMENTS "Gender-based violence is a human rights violation and I think often we forget that."  "The impacts of violence against women and girls amounts to something like 2% of global GDP every year, which is quite staggering when you think about it."  "The road to hell is paved with good intentions and bad incentives."  "It's not hard to imagine how these things that we might think are unadministrative or bureaucratic can lead to incidents of violence in the home or at work." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ ●      Intelligent Miner article: https://theintelligentminer.com/2025/07/16/silence-breeds-shame-why-the-mining-industry-needs-to-keep-talking-about-and-acting-upon-gender-based-violence/ ●      Intelligent Miner homepage: https://theintelligentminer.com/ ●      Carly's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyleonida/ ●      Abbi's LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/abbi-buxton-67bba433  ●      Abbi's Email: abbi@abbibuxtonconsulting.com  ●      https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/theme ●      Abbi's Briefing Paper: https://www.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2025-03/22610iied.pdf ●      Mahmood's LinkedIn profile: http://linkedin.com/in/mahmoodsonday ●      https://reospartners.com/  ●      Mahmood's Email: sonday@reospartners.com ●      https://reospartners.com/blog/gbv-positive-corporate-culture  CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Mark Cutifani, former CEO of Anglo American and Chair of the ICMM, brings invaluable insight into the world of mining. He discusses the critical need for trading across geopolitical blocks due to no single country dominating mineral supply. Mark highlights the lengthy project approval timelines as the real supply challenge, not the resources themselves. He emphasizes the importance of flexible production to outperform peers and warns of future supply bottlenecks in specialty alloys. Mark's advice on securing long-term contracts and boosting cyber defenses further underscores the industry's future resilience.

Dominic Raab, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and now Head of Global Affairs at Appian Capital Advisory, shares insights on his shift from politics to mining. He discusses the skyrocketing demand for critical minerals like cobalt and lithium, highlighting the geopolitical complexities involved. Raab emphasizes the importance of public–private partnerships in securing supply chains while addressing how the UK and Europe can remain competitive despite resource limitations. He also offers a bullish outlook for the mining industry, predicting significant growth and innovation in the coming years.

In today’s episode, we're joined by Darryn Quayle, Vice President, Global Mining Sector Leader at Worley, someone with deep experience across government, engineering, and sustainable mining development. Darryn recently returned from an intense and insightful visit to Brazil, as part of the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030, where he and other industry leaders met with investors managing more than $130 trillion in assets, alongside government representatives and even President Lula himself. In this conversation, we’ll unpack what happened during that visit, from the discussions in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, to the moving experience of revisiting the Brumadinho disaster site nearly six years on. We’ll also explore how Worley and the wider mining community are working to align investor expectations, sustainability goals, and real-world project delivery — shaping the partnerships and principles that could define the future of responsible mining. Darryn is also going to be attending the upcoming Resourcing Tomorrow event - the premier gathering for the world’s mining leaders taking place in London from 2-4 December. What sets this event apart is its unmatched audience: C-level executives from the biggest mining companies worldwide, over 40 government ministers, leading mining technology providers, and many more mining professionals in the industry. Dig Deep The Mining Podcast is proud to partner with Resourcing Tomorrow. To register, go to https://hubs.ly/Q03JvH2K0 and use DIGDEEP10 for 10% off your pass. KEY TAKEAWAYS The meeting with President Lula and his cabinet emphasised the importance of aligning government initiatives with investor expectations and sustainability goals Revisiting the site of the Brumadinho disaster served as a poignant reminder of the catastrophic consequences of mining failures, reinforcing the need for fundamental change There is a strong emphasis on the need for the mining industry to adopt first-of-a-kind technologies that can reduce environmental impacts BEST MOMENTS "When we did the investor tailings safety initiative, there was a lack of understanding what a tailings dam was" "Returning to the site after six years was a very surreal experience... I knew that site back to front, particularly up to the latter stages of the geography of the area" "Success looks like reshaping that story... mining is absolutely capable of a fundamental paradigm shift." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ GUEST SOCIALS https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryn-quayle-88016810/ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/