Dig Deep

Elaine Dorward-King, a seasoned mining executive with over 30 years in the industry, shares her insights on the pivotal role of Boards of Directors. She discusses her transition from operational leadership to board service and highlights the importance of diverse perspectives in board recruitment. Elaine explains the necessity of effective corporate governance, detailing how independent directors help prevent governance failures. With a focus on ESG, she emphasizes its critical role in risk management and previews her upcoming panel on social license to operate.

In today’s episode, we're joined by Pascal Hamelin, President and CEO of Abcourt Mines, a Canadian gold producer and explorer with a strong footprint in Quebec. We’ll be discussing Abcourt’s flagship Sleeping Giant Mine, the company’s focus on narrow vein underground mining, and how innovation, automation, and community engagement are shaping its next phase of growth. Pascal 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 more. Dig Deep The Mining Podcast is proud to partner with Resourcing Tomorrow so to register, go to https://hubs.ly/Q03JvH2K0 and use DIGDEEP10 for 10% off your pass. KEY TAKEAWAYS The company, originally focused on zinc, shifted to gold assets in Northern Quebec in the mid-2000s, leveraging its ownership of the Elder Mine and eventually acquiring the high-grade Sleeping Giant Mine and Mill in 2016. Abcourt secured financing in mid-2025 to restart the Sleeping Giant Mine, which boasts historically high-grade, narrow-vein underground gold (averaging 10.3 grams/tonne G/T) The company champions narrow-vein underground mining to minimise waste and surface disruption, a model with higher social acceptability Abcourt sees significant deep exploration potential at Sleeping Giant, believing the high-grade deposit extends to greater depths where "no one drilled yet" BEST MOMENTS "The main focus and why I came in was to actually start the Sleeping Giant Mine." "The issue we have with mining that narrow is the equipment is not there... I believe that the advancement of technology right now is going at full speed." "The belief is there's a giant at depth. And no one drilled at depth yet... So we're just scratching the surface on that deposit." "If you have an underground narrow-vein mine with 200 employees, 300 employees, with a 20, 30-year life – that's what people like." 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/

Joining us today is Thomas Lamb, CEO of Myriad Uranium, who are breathing new life into the historic Copper Mountain District in Wyoming, a project first drilled by Union Pacific in the 1970s, but now being revived with modern tech, modern exploration thinking, and at a time when the U.S. urgently needs domestic uranium. We’re going to discuss what that actually means on the ground, how Myriad is modernising decades-old data, and whether AI is truly moving the needle in exploration… or still mostly buzz. KEY TAKEAWAYS New chemical assays on historical drill samples are revealing 60% higher grades of uranium than originally detected by the 1970s probe technology, which has the potential to transform the project's volume and grade. Tom highlights the danger of "analysis paralysis" in junior mining, suggesting that a lack of industry specialisation can sometimes lead to a bolder, more successful entrepreneurial path. The recent ban on Russian uranium imports and geopolitical factors are creating an urgent push to rebuild a domestic U.S. uranium industry This is perfectly positioning companies like Myriad Uranium, operating in the mining-friendly state of Wyoming, for massive growth. BEST MOMENTS "We have now a chance to do something special here... The high-grade uranium and significant volumes of it probably sits in these near-vertical faults instead of in a band of low-grade uranium kind of near surface." "The AI is absolutely incredible at inhaling [geochemical data] and delivering insights... you can get them in five or 10 minutes” “A lot of these projects would take months for a geologist having to go through all the and try and figure out the ratios." "If you can be in the centre of Wyoming, we're next to a highway, we're next to high tension power, we're next to the railway... and we've got lots and lots of uranium. This is the opportunities for juniors like ours." 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/company/myriaduranium/ https://www.facebook.com/myriaduranium https://x.com/MyriadUranium Website: https://myriaduranium.com/ Tom's Email: tlamb@myriaduranium.com 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 Jeff Court, CEO of Tungsten West, the company redeveloping the Hemerdon tungsten project in Devon, UK Jeff’s worked on mining projects all over the world, and we’ll be talking about his journey into leadership, why tungsten is such a critical mineral, and what it takes to bring a historic mine back into production. We’ll also cover the company’s new feasibility study, financing challenges, and what the EU Critical Raw Materials Act means for Hemerdon. KEY TAKEAWAYS Tungsten is classified as a critical mineral due to its unique properties, such as high density and tensile strength, making it essential in various industries, including mining, construction, transportation, and defence. Tungsten West requires approximately $93 million to restart production at the Hemerdon project, with funding expected to come from a combination of debt and equity. The feasibility study indicates a strong economic outlook, with a potential internal rate of return (IRR) of around 48%. The project incorporates modern mining practices focused on sustainability, including noise reduction measures and community engagement to ensure compliance with environmental standards and to maintain good relations with local residents. The Hemerdon project has been designated as a strategic project under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, which enhances its profile and may facilitate access to government-backed funding BEST MOMENTS "Tungsten's not gold, it's not iron ore, it's a very interesting specialty metal space that also has a lot of off-take supply requirements around it too."  "We have about a 12-month period before we start production."  "It raises profile, certainly... it solidifies our credentials."  "We want to be a good neighbour. We're going to be there a minimum of 40 years."  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  X - @TungstenWest https://x.com/TungstenWest LinkedIn - @ Tungsten West plc https://www.linkedin.com/company/tungsten-west-plc/ Facebook - Tungsten West plc https://www.facebook.com/tungstenwest/ Website: https://www.tungstenwest.com/  Contact: TungstenWest@blytheray.com 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/

Heather White, CEO of Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining Company, brings nearly 30 years of mining expertise to the discussion. She shares exciting plans for restarting the historic Sunshine Complex in Idaho, targeting initial silver production by 2028. Heather also highlights the strategic importance of antimony, crucial for clean energy and defense, while unveiling Sunshine's plans for the U.S.'s only large-scale antimony refinery. Expect insights into investor takeaways and regulatory reforms necessary to accelerate domestic mineral production.

In this episode, we chat to Matt Fifield, Executive Chair of Cyprium Metals, an emerging Australian copper producer focused on bringing the Nifty Copper Project back into production. They recently completed an A$80 million equity raise, strengthening their balance sheet and securing new institutional support from Tribeca and the Tanito Group. With the rebuild of the Nifty operation now underway, the company is on track to deliver first copper cathode within the next 12 months, positioning itself as the only ASX-listed copper developer expected to achieve near-term production. We discuss the company's next milestones, from construction and refurbishment progress, to partnerships with Macmahon and strategies for mitigating execution risk. Matt will also share his insights on funding strategy, the evolving copper market, and how his background in global mining investment has shaped Cyprium’s disciplined approach to growth. KEY TAKEAWAYS Cyprium Metals is an emerging copper producer focused on restarting the Nifty Copper project, a brownfield site in Western Australia with a substantial sulphide reserve. The restart is being executed in two phases: Phase 1 involves bringing the heap leach and SX-EW plant back online for copper cathode production within the next 12 months, followed by Phase 2 The company successfully completed an $80 million equity raise with support from both existing shareholders and new institutional investors, including Tribeca and Tanedo Group A strategic partnership with Macmahon, a major mine contractor, is mitigating execution and schedule risks by providing deep capacity in construction, project management, and mining BEST MOMENTS "What you have to figure out is you have to figure out what do you need to do and then what do you need to stop doing... and then you just need to simplify and get to a place where you can crawl your way out of the situation." "The first phase of what we're doing is we're turning on the heap leach and it generates some really significant early cash flows for us." "We're ahead of the wave of greenfields. This is the time for brownfields. This is the time to restart old plants... you can deliver them faster." 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://cypriummetals.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyprium-metals Email: communications@cypriummetals.com 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 Anthony Vaccaro, President of The Northern Miner Group, which includes The Northern Miner, Canadian Mining Journal, and Mining.com, some of the most trusted voices in global mining media. We talk about a truly unique initiative; The Great Canadian Treasure Hunt, a nationwide adventure blending Canada’s love of exploration with its rich mining heritage. Anthony will share how the idea came about, why it’s captured the imagination of so many Canadians, and how it’s helping reconnect the public with the importance of mining and its role in our modern economy. We also look at how this initiative highlights collaboration across Canada’s mining and investment community and what participants can expect next as the hunt continues. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Great Canadian Treasure Hunt is a nationwide initiative created by the Northern Miner Group to reconnect the Canadian public with the importance and rich history of the mining industry. The hunt involves embedding clues within articles and stories about the mining sector's history and modern relevance, encouraging participants to learn while they search for hidden treasure chests containing gold coins. The top prize is a chest containing 217 gold coins (valued at over $1.1 million), and the hunt has already successfully engaged over 60,000 registered participants and reached over a million Canadians Beyond the treasure hunt for adults, the initiative includes a collaboration with Mining Matters to offer separate, age-appropriate puzzles and prizes BEST MOMENTS "The mining industry has a way of finding you... by far and away the mining sector was the most exciting sector to cover." "We said we're going to go with an emotional connector. People love treasure, people, when they're put in front of it, love gold... We strip that all the way." "This image that maybe I had growing up in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, that mining is all dirty and terrible, no... we want people to see that." "We are excited to hand it over to the winner. So, someone's going to find this treasure. We want it found. This wasn't hidden so that no one would find it." 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  TNM's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@northernminer TNM's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-northern-miner TNM's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/northernminer TNM's X - https://x.com/northernminer TNM's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/northernminer TNM's Website - www.northernminer.com Treasure hunt website - treasure.northernminer.com email - treasure@northernminer.com Subscription link - https://membership.tnm.global/membership-plan 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/

Johan Coetzee, Strategy and Consulting Lead for Resources at Accenture South Africa, brings nearly 30 years of experience in the mining sector. He discusses how digital innovation is reshaping African mining through automation and AI. Johan dispels myths around costly transformations, advocating for phased approaches. He emphasizes the balance between meeting global mineral demands and fostering local development. The conversation also highlights leveraging data for sustainability and profitability, along with strategies to enhance cybersecurity and close skill gaps.

In this engaging discussion, Geoff McNamara, Executive Director of Tesoro Gold, dives into the ambitious El Zorro Gold project in Chile, where they aim to expand their 2-million-ounce resource to over 3 million ounces. He elaborates on their recent $34 million raise to fund drilling and a pre-feasibility study by mid-2026. Highlighting the project's strong financial metrics—NPV over $650 million and an attractive IRR—Geoff also discusses the favorable mining environment in Chile and plans to meet permitting targets while addressing community engagement.

In this episode, we chat with Joachim Braun, Global Division President, Process Industries, at ABB, to explore the future of copper mining and its critical role in the global energy transition. With copper demand forecast to significantly outpace supply by 2035, the mining industry faces both enormous opportunity and intense pressure. We discuss how companies are adapting strategies, the sector’s responsibility for global emissions, and the path to net zero. Joachim shares insights from ABB’s research with 400+ mining leaders, highlighting barriers to progress, the importance of incremental innovation, and where miners can seize low-hanging fruit to drive real impact. From aligning production with sustainability to building future-ready operations, this conversation unpacks the strategies that will define the next generation of copper mining. KEY TAKEAWAYS Copper demand is forecasted to significantly outpace supply by 2035, driven by the energy transition and decarbonisation efforts, requiring the industry to accelerate the development of new deposits and increase extraction from existing assets. The sector's biggest sustainability challenge comes from extraction processes, primarily fuel-powered mining vehicles, which can be electrified with commercially viable solutions that also offer better performance, higher speed, and increased throughput. The most effective strategy for aligning production and sustainability goals involves incremental innovation, such as replacing diesel gensets with solar panels over time, rather than a "big bang" implementation, as this is more suited to the industry's long asset lifecycles and risk-averse mindset. Future-ready copper mining operations will be defined by full end-to-end electrification and digital integration, allowing for remote operation centres, predictive maintenance, and integrated planning BEST MOMENTS "The good news is that there are solutions, not only available, but becoming even more and more commercially viable without any legislative interventions into the market." "The challenge is that the lead time to develop copper deposits is incredibly long. It is longer than most legislators would imagine." "The worst thing what could happen is that with the aim of decarbonisation you basically end up with production losses, loss of competitiveness... whoever has the most efficient way of producing is basically winning the race." "If you bring this together, you already get a lot of benefits without really changing the way you operate, without massive investments." 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/joachim-braun-ba59654/  https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/abb-process-automation/  https://www.youtube.com/abbmining 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/