Dig Deep

In this episode, we chat with Paul Barrett, CEO of Rome Resources, a company working on the front lines of tin, copper, and zinc exploration at a time when critical minerals have never been more in focus. We’ll unpack what it really takes to operate in the DRC, how Rome has kept momentum through regional uncertainty, and where newly raised capital is being deployed as the company looks toward 2026 and beyond. Paul will also share his views on value creation from potential partnerships or integration with bigger players, to Rome’s own path forward, along with insights from his career and the experienced team behind him.  And with global M&A heating up in the mining sector, we’ll explore whether consolidation may be part of Rome’s future, and how shifting demand for tin and other metals could reshape opportunities ahead. KEY TAKEAWAYS Rome Resources operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which presents unique challenges such as regional instability and complex regulatory requirements Rome Resources recently raised £2 million to fund a drilling program targeting deeper, wider intercepts of tin and copper. The company aims to complete this drilling by early 2024, with plans to update resource estimates shortly thereafter. The tin market is expected to remain strong due to its critical role in technology and manufacturing, while copper demand is also projected to grow, particularly in infrastructure projects The company is exploring potential partnerships, particularly with nearby Alphamin, to enhance value creation BEST MOMENTS "The level of scientific rigour put to drilling holes in the ground for mining is much, much less... I'm trying to bring some of that science in, especially some of the stratigraphic work." "We have a dialogue with IRH on that particular project... extracting Kalai and putting it through Alphamin's facility will not require much in the way of modification." "The tin market is a fascinating market... it's quite small... and of course that then means that it's quite volatile in terms of price reaction to supply hiccups." “We’re concentrating really on adding that value, taking that a bit deeper and seeing where we get to with this next drilling program." GUEST RESOURCES https://romeresources.com/ https://x.com/Rome_Resources https://www.linkedin.com/company/rome-resources-ltd/ 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 todays show, we're joined by Farhad Abasov, Chairman of Millennial Potash, a listed miner who are advancing the Banio Potash Project in Gabon, West Africa, a large, low-cost potash deposit strategically located on the Atlantic coast. Farhad is a veteran mining executive with over $3B in exits. We dig into the real impact of China’s production drop, the rise of Africa’s Atlantic potash corridor, and how Millennial just delivered a 275% jump in Measured and Indicated resources. Farhad breaks down what +100 metres of cumulative potash thickness means for solution mining, how far the system could extend beyond the 5% drilled area, and the toughest technical challenges posed by ERCOSPLAN. We also look at how the U.S. DFC-funded Feasibility Study evolves with this new data, what risks have now been de-risked, and what it means for future supply into Brazil, the U.S and Africa. KEY TAKEAWAYS Millennial Potash has reported a 275% increase in measured and indicated resources, raising the total from 1.7 billion tons to over 6 billion tons, indicating a substantial potential for the Banio Potash project. The project is strategically located on the Atlantic coast of Gabon, allowing for competitive shipping costs to key markets such as Africa, Brazil, and the Eastern seaboard of the U.S The Gabonese government is actively developing infrastructure, including a new port and power facilities, which will support the potash project and enhance operational efficiency. The thickness of the potash deposit, exceeding 100 meters in some areas, will allow for larger caverns, further reducing operational costs. BEST MOMENTS "We think that the drilling that took place last year and this year removes a lot of that technical risk. Now we know that the resource is large, capable of producing at a significant scale." “This was a major milestone for us... we did not expect that it would go up this much. We basically took the resource from 1.7 billion tons all the way to over 6 billion tons." "We think this is going to have a huge impact on supply, specifically for Africa, Brazil, and the Eastern seaboard of the U.S." "We have very good understanding of the southern part of the property... we think that mineralization actually is quite continuous." GUEST RESOURCES Millennial Potash Social Media Links Website: https://millennialpotash.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/millennial-potash-corp X: https://x.com/MLPotash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MLPotash Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ml_potash YouTube www.youtube.com/@MLPotash Ticker Symbols: (TSXV: MLP | OTCQB: MLPNF | FSE: X0D) Email: ir@trxgold.com Tel: (437) 224-5241 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 episode, we chat with Stephen Mullowney, CEO of TRX Gold, who are a listed mining company with its flagship project, the Buckreef Gold Project in Tanzania. Stephen’s going to unpack the human side behind Buckreef’s rapid growth: the moments that forced him to rethink his approach, the wins that mattered more to people than markets, and the misconceptions outsiders still hold about this industry. We explore how leaders handle unpopular decisions, where the real bottlenecks are at site level, the technologies reshaping operations and the ones that haven’t lived up to the hype. We’ll also look beyond production metrics to ask a bigger question: what does success truly look like for TRX in the next five years, and how sustainable is its current growth path? KEY TAKEAWAYS Effective leadership in the mining industry involves understanding the human side of operations, making decisions that prioritise long-term success over short-term gains, and empowering team members to contribute to decision-making processes. Many people mistakenly attribute a mining company's success solely to commodity prices. While prices do play a role, a strong focus on operational efficiency, growth, and cost discipline is crucial for sustainable success, regardless of market fluctuations. Mining operations face numerous bottlenecks at various stages, from drilling and blasting to crushing and milling. Identifying and addressing these bottlenecks is essential for maintaining efficiency and productivity. The mining industry is gradually adopting new technologies, particularly in areas like exploration and communication. BEST MOMENTS "Mining is a commodity space, and a lot of people give credit for success based on the commodity price, but if you don't keep a good focus on growth and cost discipline, it doesn't matter what commodity price you have." "There's always a bottleneck, and there's always a problem, and it's always in a different spot. Mining has so many little things along the process timeline that can knock you down." "I think technology is really going to help us on the exploration side. We're doing studies now to identify new structures, and competing technology can be good there." "I think the model of not diluting has been good for TRX at Buckreef, and it could continue. I don't see any reason why it can't." GUEST RESOURCES ●      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TRXGoldCorp ●      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trx-gold-corporation/  Email: ir@trxgold.com Tel: (437) 224-5241 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/

We're joined by Kurt Budge, CEO of Leading Edge Materials are a European-focused company at the forefront of the energy transition, developing projects in critical raw materials that are essential to the future of clean energy, electric mobility, and advanced technologies. In this episode, we’ll get an overview of Leading Edge Materials and discuss how today’s shifting geopolitical landscape creates unique opportunities for companies strategically positioned in the critical minerals space. We’ll also explore the broader outlook for rare earth elements and natural graphite, and where Leading Edge is focusing its efforts across its three core business areas. Kurt shares why the Norra Kärr project in Sweden is considered so vital to Europe’s supply chain resilience, and we’ll look ahead at what’s next for the company as it helps build a more sustainable and secure materials future for the region. KEY TAKEAWAYS Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian company focused on critical raw materials projects in Europe, including a graphite mine in Sweden and a heavy rare earth project called Norra Kärr, which is vital for Europe's supply chain resilience. The ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly between the U.S. and China, have heightened the urgency for Europe to diversify its supply chains for critical raw materials Rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earths, are crucial for defence applications and the energy transition, making projects like Norra Kärr strategically important for Europe’s industrial and military capabilities. The permitting process for mining projects in Europe is often slow and complex, which has hindered the development of critical projects like Norra Kärr BEST MOMENTS "What we've seen in the rare earth space, specifically in geopolitics this year, is a trade conflict between the US and China... the drive for diversification is more important than ever to build... resilience on a single supplier of critical raw materials." "Norra Kärr is the most advanced heavy rare earth project in Europe... it has this long history of other groups saying this is strategically important to Europe." "If you want a mine to produce, you can't just turn a tap and stop the critical raw materials flow. We are talking probably a minimum of 10 years from discovery to a built mine that's producing." "We need to take responsibility for putting these supply chains together... the Critical Raw Materials Act is great legislation, but we need to do more and we need to do it now." GUEST RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-budge-b75287/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/leading-edge-materials-corp/ https://www.leadingedgematerials.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/

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/