Dig Deep

In this episode, we chat to Noora Ahola, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Mawson Finland, a gold development company working in the mining friendly jurisdiction of Finland, who are developing and advancing the Rajapalot Project in the northern region of the country. Noora has a background in studying forestry, landscape management, and mining and has developed strong experience within the Finnish environmental administration, applying environmental and other land-use legislation for nature protection. She has also been part of the Lapland Chamber of Commerce and Finnish Mining Association boards. In today’s episode, we explore Noora’s leadership journey, her insights on operating in Finland’s highly regulated ESG environment, community engagement strategies, and what’s next for Rajapalot - including drilling updates, feasibility work, and full-scale permitting. KEY TAKEAWAYS Mawson Finland emphasises the importance of community involvement and transparency in its operations. The company actively engages with local stakeholders, ensuring that their concerns and suggestions are heard and addressed. Mawson Finland is advancing its Rajapalot project, with successful drilling seasons leading to new discoveries and resource growth. The company is currently analysing results to determine the next steps Northern Finland is recognised as a safe and mining-friendly jurisdiction, with established infrastructure, a skilled workforce BEST MOMENTS "I think our shareholders share the same vision with me, that we're going to build up a responsible mine, which actually benefits the locals in the area greatly in the future." "It's not a single experience or anything. It's just the whole big picture." "We have done very well... there is always someone who is against or opposed, but it's clearly the minority." 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  MFL website: https://mawsonfinland.com/ MFL Socials: X - https://x.com/MawsonFinland Linkedin - https://ca.linkedin.com/company/mawson-finland-limited Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Mawson-Finland-Ltd/61560946421734/ 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/

Grant Sboros, CEO of Euro Sun Mining, shares his expertise from a rich background in finance and mining with Deloitte and Glencore. He discusses the impressive Rovina Valley project's potential, boasting 10.4 million ounces of gold equivalent. Grant reveals a pivotal $200 million financing deal with Trafigura, essential for construction while protecting shareholder interests. He notes a favorable shift in Romanian government attitudes towards mining, which may expedite the permitting process, fostering optimism for the project's future.

In this episode, we chat with Alex Passmore, CEO of New Murchison Gold, who are an ASX listed mineral exploration and development company that holds a substantial package of tenements in the prolific Murchison goldfield near Meekatharra in Western Australia. Alex is a geologist by background but spent much of his career on the finance side of the industry. He is an experienced corporate executive and has a number of company directorships under him, and in this episode, he gives us an overview of Murchison Gold, an update on the operation, and views on finance in the industry and in the junior space and more. KEY TAKEAWAYS New Murchison Gold is a gold mining company located in the Murchison district of Western Australia, focusing on gold exploration and development. The company has a significant package of tenements and has recently shifted its focus solely to gold assets. The company has successfully commenced mining operations at the Crown Prince site, achieving its first blast on June 30 and completing four blasts by mid-July.  New Murchison Gold has established a beneficial relationship with West Gold Resources, which allows them to sell their ore to West Gold's Bluebird mill.  There is significant upside potential in the Crown Prince ore body, with expectations of underground extensions that could enhance production.  BEST MOMENTS "We’ve managed to unlock significant value by discovering the Crown Prince ore body, which underpinned a big uplift in resources and the publication of an ore reserve earlier this year." "We are selling our ore and get paid 83% of the value of the gold that's in that ore to West Gold Resources, which has a plant 36 kilometres away." "We are confident in the ore body and the grades as we've put out publicly in the production profile." "Crown Prince will be producing around 60,000 ounces annually, and if we can bring on the other two, we start to head towards that magic 100,000-ounce production per annum rate." 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.newmurchgold.com.au/https://www.newmurchgold.com.au/news-media/videos-podcasts/https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-passmore-23025549/https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-murchison-gold/X:   @NMG_GoldASX 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 to a returning guest, who appeared in October 2024 (episode 471). John Lee, CEO and Executive Chairman of Silver Elephant, but also the CEO of CleanTech Vanadium Mining Corp who are a listed critical mineral exploration company who acquired Campbell-Crotser Fluorspar project in Kentucky. John has an Economics and Engineering degree, a CFA charterholder, and accredited investor who specializes in mining M&A, raising over $150 million through the TSX and TSX Venture Exchange for junior companies since 2009. He talks about the history of CleanTech, more about Fluorspar, including supply and demand, more about Kentucky as a mining jurisdiction, and his take on the precious metals at the moment. KEY TAKEAWAYS Fluorspar is an essential mineral used in various industries, including nuclear power production, solar energy, EV batteries, and pharmaceuticals.  The global production of fluorspar is heavily reliant on China, which produces 66 million tons annually, while the U.S. has no domestic production.  The recent acquisition of the Campbell Prosser project in Kentucky positions Cleantech Vanadium Mining Corp to capitalise on the growing demand for fluorspar.  Fluorspar prices have seen significant increases, with projections suggesting they could double or even quadruple by 2030 due to rising demand in critical applications and government initiatives aimed at self-sufficiency in mineral production. BEST MOMENTS "China produces today 66 million tons of fluorospar per year, and global production is 10 million tons. This creates a critical supply issue." "The project is in an excellent location with over 30 neighboring fluorospar projects... and has excellent infrastructure." "I think it's going to be within this current administration, you're going to see potentially doubling of the fluorospar price." 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://ca.linkedin.com/company/cleantechctv https://cleantechctv.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 have a returning guest who last appeared on the show back in July 2023 (Ep 360). Scott Williamson, MD of Blackstone Minerals, a listed mining company who are developing a high-grade undeveloped copper-gold porphyry projects in the world and is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the untapped potential of the Mankayan Copper-Gold Project in the Philippines. Scott is a mining engineer by background, working in operations and corporate roles during his career and has exposure to corporate finance and capital markets, investor relations, and project management during his career. He has been at the helm of Blackstone for nearly 8 years now and gives us an update since he was last on, discusses the Mankayan project, talks about gold and copper porphyry, and what the Philippines is like as a mining jurisdiction, and more. KEY TAKEAWAYS The current copper market is experiencing tight supply due to increasing demand driven by electrification and the transition to electric vehicles. This has resulted in high copper prices Blackstone Minerals plans to conduct extensive exploration, aiming to drill around 50,000 meters over the next 12 to 18 months. This includes systematic exploration techniques to identify new ore bodies Strong community relations have been established, with previous owners successfully engaging local stakeholders. Blackstone has inherited a solid foundation, including a 25-year mining license and agreements with indigenous communities The project offers multiple development pathways, including the potential for a smaller-scale operation focusing on high-grade ore, which could generate cash flow to support larger-scale mining in the future BEST MOMENTS "Copper is probably the tightest copper concentrate market the world has ever seen... Unfortunately, the supply is quite limited, and it takes a long time to bring copper mines online." "This particular ore body has already got 10 million ounces of gold and another 10 million ounces of gold equivalent in copper... It's already a world-class scale." "We want to drill around 50,000 meters... We want to do a lot of drilling, but we also want to do that systematic exploration." "The good thing is that we're not just inheriting a world-class ore body, we're inheriting all of that great work that the previous owners have done." 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://blackstoneminerals.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackstone-minerals/ https://x.com/Blackstone_BSX 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 Tim Biggs, an experienced company adviser and part-time academic, focused on the mining industry. He is a director of Grainge Advisory Limited, which provides advisory and consultancy services to companies, investors, and other organisations, predominantly in the mining sector. We met recently at the UK mining conference in Cornwall, and Tim, who is a regular listener to the podcast, asked if he could come on to the show to discuss his recently released book…"Mining - Why It’s Essential for a Sustainable Future". The book is available at bookstores, online through Waterstones, Amazon etc, using the search “Timothy Biggs” or “Mining”, and direct from the publisher using this link: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=9781509567492 KEY TAKEAWAYS Mining is essential for modern life, as nearly everything we use contains metals and minerals derived from mining.  There is a significant lack of understanding about mining among the general public, particularly among younger generations and students.  The mining industry has historically been poor at promoting its importance. The focus should shift from showcasing machinery to highlighting the essential role mining plays in everyday life and sustainability efforts. To ensure the future of the mining industry, it is crucial to attract young talent. This can be achieved by improving the industry's image, providing scholarships, and engaging educators to promote mining BEST MOMENTS "Everything uses the products of mining, metals and minerals. The only things that don't have metals and minerals in them are things that are grown, like our food." "If you don't appreciate how important mining is, then you clearly need to understand what we use all of the products of mining for." "The industry has not really felt that it's necessary to do much about its image... No image turns into poor image when something goes wrong." "As we move towards a more sustainable world, you're going to need more mining, not less." 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 Paul Heut, Executive Chair and CEO of Americas Gold & Silver, who are a growing precious metals mining company with multiple assets in North America, including the Galena Complex in Idaho, US, and their Cosala operation in Mexico. With a mine engineering background, Paul has a strong command of capital markets and has served at all levels of engineering and mine operations so well versed to build and develop a mining company. As the CEO, he is leading the company's strategic vision to establish it as a premier North American-focused silver producer. On the podcast, he speaks about the business, his experience turning around operations, the importance of mentorship, how to build a culture of safety and efficiency, and ways to acknowledge and reward employees. KEY TAKEAWAYS The transition from miner to CEO was significantly influenced by mentorship opportunities, including being sponsored for an engineering degree, which highlights the importance of investing in talent  The current strategy for America's Gold and Silver is operational success and efficiency, with a goal to increase silver production at the Galena Mine  Extensive knowledge in narrow vein mining and long hole methods is crucial for tackling technical challenges such as dilution control and stope stability America's Gold and Silver is undergoing a significant turnaround, focusing on strengthening its operations and financial position after previous struggles BEST MOMENTS "I started off at an entry-level position... it was about proving myself and what could I do over the next several years."  "One of the issues we're going to have in our industry in the future is the talent pool" "We have a very strong proven track record... we will get to 5 million ounces." "If you have any type of leniency or you give up too easy, you'll struggle in mining because this is an industry that's a tough business."  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://americas-gold.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/americas-silver/ https://x.com/americas_silver https://www.instagram.com/americasgoldandsilver 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 Blake Mclaughlin, Vice President of Exploration at Axcap Ventures, a North American investment firm with a focus on mining, holding some of the most prospective gold belts in the United States and Canada, combining historical drilling success with modern exploration upside. Blake has spent over a decade in the mining and metals industry and is highly experienced in taking mining companies from development into production. From grassroots junior exploration to advanced exploration, resource development, and project construction. He’s worked for a number of companies in the pre-resource to maiden resource stage. Blake is on the podcast to give us an overview and history of Axcap, to talk about where to find exploration success, M&A in the junior space, and much more around the junior market. KEY TAKEAWAYS The company emphasises acquiring projects with substantial historical data and exploration spend, allowing them to leverage existing information The current macroeconomic environment, characterised by geopolitical stability and monetary policies, is seen as favourable for gold prices Axcap is actively conducting a 5,000-meter drill program at the Converse project, with initial results indicating promising intersections that could support a path toward a 10 million ounce resource Axcap Ventures aims to advance and de-risk its projects rather than build large-scale mines, positioning itself for potential acquisition by larger producers BEST MOMENTS The structural setup for gold to perform well for the foreseeable future is pretty strong, in my opinion." "We're in the middle of a 5,000 meter drill program right now at Converse in Nevada. The goal of this program is to show that there's a path towards a 10 million ounce resource." "I think the exploration upside is a big part of that. We're underpinned by resources, and each of them has a really paradigm-changing exploration attribute that we will test." 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 This episode is sponsored by Hawcroft, leaders in property risk management since 1992. They offer: Insurance risk surveys recognised as an industry standard Construction risk reviews Asset criticality assessments and more Working across over 600 sites globally, Hawcroft supports mining, processing, smelting, power, refining, ports, and rail operations. For bespoke property risk management services, visit www.hawcroft.com GUEST SOCIALS  Axcap Ventures LinkedIn Page Blake McLaughlin LinkedIn Page Contact: info@axcapventures.ca 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 have a returning guest who appeared twice back in 2022 (episodes 217 and 267). Marc Bishop Lafleche, CEO of Ecora Resources, who are a leading royalty company focused on supporting the supply of commodities essential to creating a sustainable future. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange, they have a proven track record of delivering value-accretive growth. Marc has a banking and international finance background and has been with the company for the past 11 years, moving into the CEO role 3 years ago. Marc gives us an update on the company since we last spoke, and why they have changed focus, their recent acquisition, update on the current royalty market, and his thoughts on financing within the mining industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Ecora Resources has shifted from relying heavily on a single coal royalty stream (Kestrel) to diversifying its portfolio with future-facing minerals The company emphasises a strategy of quality over quantity in its royalty acquisitions, targeting low-cost assets that are expected to generate strong cash flows and withstand commodity price cycles. With a sector-leading copper pipeline, Ecora is well-positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for copper driven by urbanisation, renewable energy, and electric vehicles Royalty companies have become a key source of financing in the mining sector, providing flexible and less risky funding options compared to traditional debt and equity BEST MOMENTS "We've been quite deliberate and methodical... to build this business with the strategy of quality over quantity." "I think 2025 will be a pretty important year for this company... starting to see free cash flow growth from a lot of the assets we've put into the business." "The royalty sector has emerged as a key source of financing... because of its evergreen nature." "The demand for electricity and the need for these critical minerals to me is really, really clear." 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 This episode is sponsored by Hawcroft, leaders in property risk management since 1992. They offer: Insurance risk surveys recognised as an industry standard Construction risk reviews Asset criticality assessments and more Working across over 600 sites globally, Hawcroft supports mining, processing, smelting, power, refining, ports, and rail operations. For bespoke property risk management services, visit www.hawcroft.com GUEST SOCIALS  https://www.ecora-resources.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecora-resources-plc https://x.com/EcoraResources 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 to Honourable Shane Jones, member of the NZ government and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Resources, Associate Minister of Finance, and Associate Minister for Energy. Shane entered Parliament in 2005 and joined New Zealand First as an MP in 2017. As a proud born and bred Northlander, Shane has always asked the tough questions, identified policy solutions, and accelerated implementation in his political life …and has been a very vocal supporter of the mining industry, including the possibility of seabed mining. He very much sees New Zealand’s own natural resources as a pathway to economic prosperity, creating regional wealth and jobs.  On the podcast, we discuss what the mining industry means to NZ, the policies the government have, and are looking to implement to make the industry more attractive and why companies should invest into NZ’s mining industry and much more. KEY TAKEAWAYS The New Zealand government, under the leadership of Shane Jones, is committed to revitalising the mining industry, reversing previous bans on oil and gas New Zealand has developed a Critical Minerals List and a mineral strategy aimed at restoring pride in the natural resources sector The introduction of Fast Track legislation aims to streamline the environmental permitting process for mining projects, allowing for quicker allocation of permits  A $200 million co-investment fund has been established to encourage both local and international investment in the mining sector, addressing concerns about potential future government changes BEST MOMENTS "I believe a lot of the climate change hysteria is actually going to wreck Western economies unless we restore some balance to it."  "We've got a kind of figurative Sahara desert of iron sands resource, largely in the ocean."  "Any economy that races ahead, demonises, cancels its fossil fuels industry without an affordable strategy... is dicing with economic calamity."  "No one enjoys a perfect history. So what we've got to do is ensure that mining as it goes forward is strongly defended." VALUABLE RESOURCES A Minerals Strategy for New Zealand - Read more: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/minerals-and-petroleum/strategies/a-minerals-strategy-to-2040 New Zealand’s Critical Minerals List - Read more: https://www.mbie.govt.nz/building-and-energy/energy-and-natural-resources/minerals-and-petroleum/critical-minerals-list/critical-minerals-list-2025 Free access to geoscience data: https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/maps-geoscience/geodata-catalogue https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/maps-geoscience/core-store https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/the-mineral-potential-of-new-zealand-part-1-overview-of-new-zealands-mineral-deposits-and-their-resources.pdf Improving regulatory settings - Read more: https://www.nzpam.govt.nz/nz-industry/rules-regulations/fast-track-approvals-process Connecting with New Zealand’s mining sector - Read more: https://mineralscouncil.co.nz/ -Invest NZ - Read more: https://www.nzte.govt.nz/page/invest-or-raise-capital-with-nzte 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 This episode is sponsored by Hawcroft, leaders in property risk management since 1992. They offer: Insurance risk surveys recognised as an industry standard Construction risk reviews Asset criticality assessments and more Working across over 600 sites globally, Hawcroft supports mining, processing, smelting, power, refining, ports, and rail operations. For bespoke property risk management services, visit www.hawcroft.com CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/