Dig Deep

Ross Bhappu, Partner and Head of Private Equity Mature Funds at Resource Capital Funds, brings over 25 years of expertise in mining investment. He discusses the need to change public perception of the mining industry and shares insights on the rising demand for critical minerals driven by the energy transition. Bhappu also highlights career pathways into mining private equity and the importance of realistic project assessments. His anecdotes reveal the dynamic nature of the sector and the strategies to attract investments while emphasizing responsible practices.

In this episode we chat to Peter Arkell, MD of Carrington Day who are a consulting company that assists international companies doing business in China and Chinese companies to go abroad. Peter is a prominent member of the mining sector in China, being the Chairman of the Global Mining Association of China (GMAC), the international mining community’s peak representative body, and founding Chairman of the Oriental Mining Club. Peter is also a Member of the Melbourne Mining Club International Advisory Board. We talk about the Chinese mining industry, what is actually happening in the Chinese economy, not what we just her in the media and what the outlook is for the country. Peter is going to be attending Europe’s largest mining event, Resourcing Tomorrow, (Formerly known as Mines and Money London,) which is taking place in London on the 28-30 November, a great platform for the entire mining value chain, fostering learning, lively debates, and providing valuable networking opportunities. Register NOW by going to www.resourcingtomorrow.com/register to receive a discount on current early bird prices using the code DIGDEEP10.        KEY TAKEAWAYS  China has a significant domestic mining industry, including gold, iron ore, copper, rare earths, lithium, and coal production. The Global Mining Association of China (GMAC) represents the international mining community in China and promotes collaboration between Chinese and international mining companies. Chinese mining companies have been actively investing in international projects and forming partnerships with Western mining companies, such as the collaboration between Rio Tinto, Chinalco, and Baosteel in the development of the Simandou project. The Chinese economy is currently facing challenges in the property market and consumer demand, but it is still projected to achieve 5% growth this year. BEST MOMENTS "China emerged in the industry, in the global industry, at the time which became known as the mining boom, going back to early 2000s, when China decided that it couldn't provide for itself from its own domestic mining that it needed to get resources from abroad."  "Mining is the solution. We need to be able to show that the mining industry is a big part of the solution. It's not the problem itself."  "China will continue to be a customer and Chinese demand will continue to be important for the industry. But China is also an investor. It's also a miner itself, an international miner."  "The mining industry is a great place to be, it's a great place to work. You and I helped to find talent to work in it. It's always a privilege." 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 Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

In this episode we chat to David Awram, Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Sandstorm Gold, a royalty and streaming company focused in the precious metals space David Co-founded Sandstorm Gold back in 2008 and has been instrumental in growing the company from a start-up to a leading mid-tier royalty company. David has been involved in billions of dollars worth of royalty financings and has evaluated hundreds of resource projects, including on-site due diligence at mines all over the world.  Today we are going to speak about how the company has developed and what they have been up to more recently. David is going to be attending Europe’s largest mining event, Resourcing Tomorrow, (Formerly known as Mines and Money London,) which is taking place in London on the 28th-30th of November, a great platform for the entire mining value chain, fostering learning, lively debates, and providing valuable networking opportunities. So get your tickets by going to: www.resourcingtomorrow.com/register to receive a discount on current early bird prices using the code DIGDEEP10 KEY TAKEAWAYS Sandstorm Gold is a royalty and streaming company focused on the precious metal space, with a strong belief in the value of owning royalties and streams. The company has a diverse portfolio of over 250 royalties and streams, with 40 cash-flowing assets and a focus on projects with long-term growth potential. Investing in a royalty company like Sandstorm Gold offers the benefits of exploration upside, expansion potential, and commodity price upside without the risks associated with owning a mining company. The mining industry is currently facing a lack of capital and outside investment, but the long-term demand for commodities like copper and gold suggests that this situation may change in the future. BEST MOMENTS "We have a real strong belief that there's a lot of great aspects of owning royalties and streams, of course, being attached to assets without having to spend the capex." "For a royalty streaming company, if you see the commodity price go up or margins go up, you can be guaranteed that as an owner, as a shareholder of it. It really is that much more protected and easy to understand model for investors looking into the space."  "The fact that nobody in the greater investment world has really taken that seriously or looked at that is really astounding. And so at some point, though, that really that problem has to come home to roost." "We've been accumulating bits and pieces of projects that we believe eventually are really going to get there. Now, of all 250 of our projects, or how many of them are going to be up and producing 10 years from now? Well, it's certainly not going to be all 250." 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 Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

In this episode we chat to Lisa Ali, Chief People Officer at AngloGold Ashanti who are an independent, global gold mining company with a diverse, high-quality portfolio of operations, projects and exploration activities across nine countries on four continents. Lisa has over 30 years experience in the extractive industries in mining and oil & gas working for the likes of BP and Newcrest in an executive HR capacity. Lisa discusses the skills short in our industry, something I also echo and is going to dig deeper into this subject and hopefully provide some ideas and solutions as to how we can improve this within our industry. Lisa is going to be attending Europe’s largest mining event, Resourcing Tomorrow, (Formerly known as Mines and Money London,) which is taking place in London on the 28-30 November, a great platform for the entire mining value chain, fostering learning, lively debates, and providing valuable networking opportunities. Register NOW by heading to www.resourcingtomorrow.com/register to receive a discount on current early bird prices using the code DIGDEEP10.         So book your ticket NOW KEY TAKEAWAYS The mining industry is facing a significant skill shortage, with a growing demand for metals and minerals but a limited supply of skilled workers. The industry needs to actively promote its value proposition, including its commitment to sustainability, technological advancements, and positive contributions to local economies and communities. Closing the gender gap in the mining industry is crucial, as women are underrepresented in the workforce. Efforts should be made to attract more women to STEM careers and create a safe and inclusive work environment. Collaboration and partnerships among industry players are necessary to address the skills gap. This includes working with universities to develop programs that meet industry needs and providing opportunities for on-the-job learning. BEST MOMENTS "We've not done ourselves any favours as an industry… We have a very strong value proposition as an industry."  "We have seen a jump in enrolment of females into STEM disciplines… So those excuses don't hold."  "Be very systematic… actively go after the opportunities that will give you the on-the-job experience to build those skills."  "We've always looked for the one silver bullet… You have to go at this with a number of parallel levers all at the same time."  "We actually have to demonstrate that this is one of the best industries to be in… It provides such an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others going forward."  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 Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

Mark Cutifani, Chairman of Vale Base Metals and former CEO of Anglo American, shares his insights on the urgent need for the mining industry to improve its image. He emphasizes the critical role mining plays in the energy transition, providing vital materials for renewable energy. Cutifani discusses the challenges faced by junior mining companies in securing essential minerals and advocates for collaboration between governments, communities, and mining firms. He also reflects on the importance of mentorship and innovative practices for sustainable business leadership.

In this episode, we chat to Ian Stalker, Executive Chairman of Bradda Head Lithium, a multi-listed junior exploration and development of World Class Lithium Deposits and Resources in Nevada and Arizona in the USA. Their projects include brine, hard rock and clay deposits, and they aim to be a leader of Lithium to the local domestic market. Ian has a wealth of experience building companies and mines across the world and holds a number of directorships, we chat with Ian about the Bradda Head Lithium story, their strong management team who have a proven track record, an update on the current projects and what they are looking to achieve in the Lithium, battery and critical mineral space in the US. KEY TAKEAWAYS Bradda Head Lithium is a multi-listed junior exploration and development company focused on world-class lithium deposits in Nevada and Arizona in the US. The company has a diverse portfolio of lithium mineralization, including brine, hard rock, and clay deposits, positioning it to be a leader in the local domestic lithium market. Bradda Head recently announced a resource update, revealing over a million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent in the clays, with the potential for further growth. The company is also actively exploring pegmatite deposits in San Domingo, with initial drilling results showing encouraging signs of mineralization. BEST MOMENTS "We've got the right package of material. We've got the right team of people working on it." "America genuinely wants its own lithium supply… They really want their own independence to a level."  "We are not discouraged with what we're seeing on the ground… We like what we see."  "We're feeling pretty healthy and bright ahead… We're feeling good." 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: Email: info@braddaheadltd.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bradda-head/ X: https://twitter.com/BraddaLithium Newsletter: https://www.braddaheadltd.com/mailer Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace

In this podcast episode, we chat with Andreas Steckenborn, COO of Borealis Mining Company, a privately owned gold company who have a project located within the Walker Lane Gold Belt in Nevada, US. Andreas, who is an active listener of the show is going to tell us more about the Borealis project, their plans with the drilling program, and what they’re looking to achieve. We also discuss how we should connect with the next generation of engineers, geologists, and other mining graduates who are entering our industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Borealis Mining Company is a privately owned gold company with a project located in the Walker Lane gold belt of Nevada in the US. The company has a history of mining in the area and has produced 650,000 ounces of gold since the 1980s. Borealis is located in one of the largest epithermal alteration zones in Nevada, which provides the potential for a large-scale mineable deposit. The company is currently conducting a 7,500-meter drill program to further build the resource and explore new prospects on site. BEST MOMENTS "We're starting a drill program. It's going to be the biggest drill program that's taken place at the mine since 2006."  "I think precious metals has a value from an ethical perspective in that people work very hard to earn their money to make a living."  "Living those values, both on the why of what you do and also the how you do it."  "We have a permitted project, as I said, we have a plant, and I think we have very good potential and a great outlook to bring this mine back into production in the 2024 period." VALUABLE RESOURCES Email:     asteckenborn@borealismining.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/steckmining 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 Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

In this episode we chat with Simon Popple, MD of Brookville Capital, and a sound money expert in gold investing, having dedicated his career to the gold industry for the last 15 years.  Simon is on the show to discuss the main misconceptions of investing in gold and why now is probably more important than ever to understand why gold is an important investment vehicle to maintain and build wealth. Simon is going to be attending Europe’s largest mining event, Resourcing Tomorrow, (formerly known as Mines and Money London,) which is taking place in London on the 28th-30th November, a great platform for the entire mining value chain, fostering learning, lively debates, and providing valuable networking opportunities.  So Register NOW and get your tickets by heading to www.resourcingtomorrow.com/register to receive a discount on current early bird prices using the code DIGDEEP10.         KEY TAKEAWAYS Gold is a valuable investment vehicle for maintaining and building wealth. It has limited supply and is globally recognised as valuable, making it a universal currency. There are misconceptions about investing in gold. The first misconception is that people think they need to physically possess gold, but in reality, it can be stored and insured by professionals. The second misconception is that gold doesn't provide any income, but there are ways to generate income from gold investments, such as investing in gold stocks. The third misconception is that investing in gold is risky, but there are different levels of risk depending on the type of investment, and physical gold can act as a form of insurance. It is important to have a balanced portfolio that includes exposure to both gold and fiat currencies. Gold can protect against inflation and economic collapse, while fiat currencies provide stability and liquidity. The price of gold is influenced by factors such as debt levels and supply and demand dynamics. As debt continues to rise, there is a good chance that the gold price will also increase. BEST MOMENTS "I think property probably falls into that boat. So even though I did very well out of property, I didn't see it as something I could always make money from."  "You don't have to invest in the riskiest format. And I think a lot of people, they look at gold, and they hear about these junior mining stocks, and they go, that's too risky."  "I think all I would say is, I think gold's better days are ahead of it rather than behind it, so I feel comfortable with the price where it is at the moment."  "I think it's a bit scary if you've got 100% exposure to gold and silver and no exposure to fiat currencies. I think it's all about balance."  VALUABLE RESOURCES For your free download go to https://goldprogram.co.uk/free https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-popple-4a382a16/ http://www.brookvillecapital.com 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 Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

In this episode, we chat to Neil Marston, MD & CEO of Flynn Gold who are an Australian-based mineral exploration company targeting gold and battery metals (lithium, tin, nickel, zinc) in under-explored areas of Tasmania and Western Australia. Neil has over 30 years of experience in the mining and minerals exploration sector and is a proven ASX-listed company leader, with a strong governance and corporate finance background. He joined Flynn Gold just over a year ago so he talks about his career, what the company has achieved to date with its Golden Ridge project, and what the outlook is for the company. KEY TAKEAWAYS Flynn Gold is an Australian-based mineral exploration company targeting gold and battery metals in under-explored areas of Tasmania and Western Australia. The company has achieved significant drilling results at the Golden Ridge Project in Northeast Tasmania, including intersections of high-grade gold veins. Flynn Gold has expanded its portfolio by acquiring two projects in Tasmania, namely the Fire Tower and Warrantina gold projects, and plans to conduct further drilling and exploration in these areas. The company also has projects in Western Australia, including the Mount Dove and Yarri projects in the Pilbara region, and the Kooyenobbing, Forestania, and Lake Johnson projects in the Yilgarn region. BEST MOMENTS "The analogies between Northeast Tasmania and the Victorian Goldfields are very strong geologically, and there's no reason why we can't be finding some very high-grade gold deposits on our ground." "There's no doubt that it's having a negative impact on some of the companies that are exploring purely for gold. You're seeing a lot of gold explorers pivoting towards these other commodities."  "Australia is a great place to come and build a career and a lifetime of work around our industry."  "We've got some ground up in the Pilbara, which is in the northern part of Western Australia. Two projects there, Mount Dove and Yarrie. Mount Dove is surrounded by the Hemi Goldmine to the northwest of us and to the southeast and east we've got the Pilgangoora and Wodgina, which are two Lithium projects in production at the moment." 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 https://www.linkedin.com/company/flynn-gold/  X: https://twitter.com/FlynnGoldLtd/   /  @FlynnGoldLtd  https://flynngold.com.au/   Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

In this episode we have a returning guest who appeared back in October 2021 (Episode 178). Daniel Major, CEO of GoviEx Uranium, who are a mineral resource company focused on the exploration and development of its African uranium properties in Niger and Zambia and another project in Mali. Daniel is a Camborne School of Mines mine engineering graduate and has been at the helm of GoviEx since 2012, developing the company into a position to become a Uranium producer in the near future and is here today to give us an update on the company and about the uranium market in general. Daniel is going to be attending Europe’s largest mining event, Resourcing Tomorrow, (Formerly known as Mines and Money London,) which is taking place in London on the 28-30 November, a great platform for the entire mining value chain, fostering learning, lively debates, and providing valuable networking opportunities. KEY TAKEAWAYS GoviEx Uranium is a mineral resource company focused on the exploration and development of uranium properties in Niger, Zambia, and Mali. They have two mine permitted projects in Zambia and Niger, and an exploration property in Mali. The uranium market is currently experiencing a significant rise in prices, with uranium prices jumping 12% over the past month and reaching the highest levels in 12 years. This is driven by factors such as increasing demand for nuclear power, the need for clean energy sources, and concerns about security of energy supply. The coup in Niger has affected the company's plans for the Madaouela project, as it has put a pause on the debt financing process.  The Muntanga project in Zambia is a low-cost, open-pit heap leaching operation with favourable economics. It has a net present value (NPV) of $189 million at the current uranium price, and the company believes there is potential to further improve the project's economics. BEST MOMENTS "The uranium market is actually flying at the moment. We've been talking about supply and demand fundamentals changing and improving, tightness in the market, declining inventories, all these good things. And then finally, the clock is right, and it's absolutely flying."  "If you want clean energy, you can't do it with renewables alone. And certainly, if you want it to be commercially viable, you can't do it with renewables."  "We're now able to make sure that our Zambian project is pushing forward while we wait to resolve what is going on in Niger. We keep pushing forward on that" "The momentum is definitely in the uranium market. As we said, we're massively undervalued. We've got two great projects. You're getting one of them for a third of its value and the other one you get for free. And it is a complete leverage. So if that changes around, you get all of that uplift that's sitting there in that project as well." VALUABLE RESOURCES Register NOW (www.resourcingtomorrow.com/register) to receive a discount on current early bird prices using the code DIGDEEP10. 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 Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.