Dig Deep

In this podcast, we interview Tim George, the CEO Pensana Metals Ltd who are heading towards being a significant supplier of raw materials to the magnet metal market, and who are currently developing a mine in Angola.  Tim is here to discuss the opportunities of mining in Angola and the infrastructure that is currently present in the country. We also talk about Pensana Metal’s Longonjo project who will be a significant supplier of raw materials to the expanding magnet metal market - a market driven by the electrification of transport and the drive to green energy generation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Angola has always been focussed on oil in terms of major revenue streams. International concerns have been mining the area for decades. The government is doing its best to turn the economy away from oil and gas now, and is actively promoting mining, tourism and agriculture. The Chinese have put a lot of money into rebuilding the Angolan transport infrastructure, including an essential railway system which has meant a huge access vein has been opened in the country. Developing and maintaining a healthy relationship with the Angolan government has been of huge benefit. But it’s important to have this relationship right the way down through the chain, including with local governments and councils. Access has been a problem in the past, but with the investment in turning the country into an investment opportunity, including clearing land mines, Angola has become a viable target for many international companies. Tim believes that the key to an development going forward is to get out there and integrate as much as possible with the country, not only to decide if the project is right for your company, but also to see if the project is a fit for the environment and its inhabitants.  The impact of any mining operation will be significant, environmentally and economically. We must always make sure that these effects are positive. BEST MOMENTS ’For the first time in 35 years you have cheap hydro-electric power available to that region’ ’Now effectively Angola has an over-supply of power’ ‘It’s a project that’s designed to make use of the existing infrastructure’ ’These windows of opportunity don’t come along very often’ ‘You really need to get your boots on the ground'   VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes https://www.pensanametals.com Tim George - Bloomberg Profile - https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/21037248 tim.george@pensanametals.com ABOUT THE HOST 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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.   Rob 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, 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 organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3    

In this episode, Rob talks to Jeff Quartermaine, MD & CEO of Perseus Mining, a diversified and multi-jurisdiction West African-focused gold production, development and exploration company with operations in Ghana & Cote d’Iviore.  Join the conversation about how Perseus Mining has developed as a company, the challenges of mining in Ghana & Cote d’lvoire and how to develop CSR with governments and local communities in those jurisdictions. KEY TAKEAWAYS Perseus have gone from being a single-mine single-country exposure to having two operations, one in Ghana and one in Cote D’Ivoire, with a new development also beginning in the latter. To become a successful mining operation, you need five things: Good physical assets grounded in solid infrastructure A good human resource base made up of a good quality team Funding - without funding and investment you can’t go anywhere Markets for your products A social licence to operate. A core value of Perseus is to deliver on its promises. This is especially important when it comes to dealing with governments, where outcomes are promised, and Perseus prides itself on having delivered on those. Ghana has many prospects when it comes to mining, but in Jeff’s opinion, the government needs to do some work to ensure that the country is a suitable environment for potential investors to take risks in. Perseus have set themselves the goal of producing around half a million ounces of gold by 2022, and aim to generate and sustain several hundfred millions of dollars a year by then. Investing in a third country, too, will ensure that risk can be spread and managed. .BEST MOMENTS ‘I got typecast very early on as someone who could sort out very complex situations’ ‘The biggest challenge I’ve had is to build the trust of our shareholders’ Foreigners often go into countries and take a lot out, but leave very little behind’ ‘What governments seem to forget is that international investors have choices’ VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes Perseus Mining - http://www.perseusmining.com Jeff Quartermaine - LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST   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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.   Rob 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, 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' organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3

In this episode, Rob Tyson talks to Marco Maestri, the Mining Group Leader at Golder, one of the main providers of independent consultancy, design and construction services to the mining industry at large, who explains the various stages of how a consultant in the mining industry develops their career into management and what key skills, attributes and best practices are needed to develop yourself within this field.  Packed with great content, this episode is aimed at anyone looking to begin their journey into the consultancy field or consultants already in the sector, with details on how and what they should develop to improve their career prospects. KEY TAKEAWAYS Joining as a consultant at the start of a business’s life gave Marco a unique perspective on what the work meant to the birth and survival of a company, instead of being a mere employee. One of the main attractions of becoming a part of the mining industry was the chance to travel and to experience different cultures.  Marco’s division focusses on study work, front end services, mine design, resource modelling, geotechnical design, water, waste and permitting, meaning his remit is extraordinarily large and all-encompassing. In Marco’s opinion, a good consultancy is built upon diversity first and foremost. An individual consultant must show a talent and understanding of engineering, project management, an eye for detail, and entrepreneurialism.  Having an open mind and a positive attitude towards working on projects, as well as surrounding yourself with successful people in your field will allow you to gain, by osmosis, the skills you need to progress further in your career. As your career progresses you can expect to do less and less practical and technical work, because that’s part of the life-cycle of being a consultant. If this doesn’t happen then maybe something is wrong. Before you can properly grow and develop your team, Marco advises a better understanding of the marketplace itself, as well as your competition. Only by doing this can we establish the kind of team needed in order to face these challenges. The outlook for Golder is bright with more innovation and investment on the horizon. Golder are also investing heavily in bolstering existing mining projects as well as searching out new opportunities. .BEST MOMENTS ‘I joined just before the crash. It wasn’t my fault, I just want to make that clear!’ ‘It was great to go out there and do these things; to immerse yourself in a different area and culture’ ‘Start to think strategically’ ‘Experience is one of the most important things, but you’ve got to be present in order to get that experience in the first place’ ‘We’re getting close to a boom time again’ VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes Marco Maestri - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcomaestri1/ Golder - https://www.golder.com ABOUT THE HOST   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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.   Rob 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, Middle East, Asia and Australia. We source, headhunt and discover new and top talent talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3    

How many mining companies really analyse risk?  In this podcast, Rob interviews Robert Fig who specialises in commodity risk management, and who has worked in the banking and mining industry for over thirty years gaining a deep understanding of the risks involved for companies within the mining sector.  We talk about the difference between transactional and strategic hedging and what safeguards exist around it to protect companies such as those the world saw trying to chase up the prices prior to the crash of 2008. We also discuss and identify the major internal costs involved in setting up the infrastructure needed in order to be hedging in the first place. How do we identify these risks? What reporting systems are needed? What instruments are required, and where do we go for the required training? KEY TAKEAWAYS The first major risk that mining companies seem to face is that they are producers of metal, and between the time it is mined and the time it is sold, companies are at risk of the metal’s price going down. Risk management is all about “locking in” that period of risk, so that a mining company can protect itself from a falling price. The second risk is that companies are often sitting upon huge inventories of metal that again can be affected by falling prices. The tactic is to often “forward-sell” these inventories so as to lock in a price and prevent risk. The ever-emerging market for electric cars and their batteries has seen a huge effect on the mining industry. Materials used for batteries, in particular, are of particular value at the moment and look set to stay so for a long time. Transactional hedging is when a buyer agrees a forward-selling price over the term of a contract with a mining company. The buyer is then protected if the price of the material goes up, and the mining company is protected in case it falls. Strategic hedging is locking in the price of a commodity at a slightly lower price for a fixed period, so that falling values could essentially be insured against. There seems to be increasing reluctance in the industry to utilise strategic hedging as a way of managing risk, which Robert believes is a mistake as it allows companies to smooth out volatility on their balance sheets. Risk management must adhere to strict government controls, it requires the correct software, it must follow company policies, and be performed by a rigorously trained body of staff. Risk management done correctly can be extremely advantageous to a company’s bottom line, and will lead to an increase of reputation between your company and lenders. BEST MOMENTS 'Mining is a precarious business. Commodities go through fairly volatile periods' 'One really has to understand what happened in the lead-up to the crash of 2008’ ‘We’re still seeing the consequences and fallout from investors leaving the mining industry, which I think is a serious problem’ ‘Strategic hedging is not plug-and-play’ ‘It’s terribly important for any company to manage risk to a very high standard' VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunesThe Metals Risk TeamRobert Fig - Email   ABOUT THE HOST  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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  Rob 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, Middle East, Asia and Australia. We source, headhunt and discover new and top talent talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3    

In this week’s show, Rob talks to Rick Howes, President & CEO of Dundee Precious Metals, a Canadian based international gold mining company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, mining and processing of precious metals.  Dundee own and operate a gold, copper and silver mine in Bulgaria and have a processing facility in Namibia. Listen as Rob and Rick talk about how Dundee Precious Metals has developed over time, and of the challenges they had to overcome in order to establish a successful mining operation in East Europe. KEY TAKEAWAYS Dundee Precious Metals are heavily invested in gold production, and are looking to expand their gold production facilities in Bulgaria and Eastern Europe within the next five to ten years. This was born out of an investment opportunity in Bulgaria that Dundee took advantage of, and which has paid off handsome dividends. Political stability, and joining the EU in the 2000’s suddenly made Bulgaria and Romania viable sites for mining production. Rick stresses the importance of political stability in planning achievable mining goals. Bulgaria has a highly-educated populace, and presents many attractive opportunities in terms of taxation and royalty benefits due to the governments determination to attract foreign investment. Joining the EU seems to be a huge benefit to mining operations looking for viable sites in Europe. Countries have to adhere to EU standards on democracy and infrastructure, meaning that much time and money is being spent by government on making their countries attractive to foreign investors. Learning about potential cultures and areas is key to mining companies and businesses in general, in order to ingratiate themselves in foreign markets. Community, social and government relations are the key to success in this. Development of people and technology are the future of mining. Rick believes his legacy lies in exploring the benefits that exponential technological advancements can bring to the job, as well as improving the public image of mining as a whole. BEST MOMENTS ‘Once the country joined the EU, we got the benefit of some pro-democracy, and pro-business status’ ‘It took a while to build a level of trust and understanding’ ‘You have to take the time to figure out how things work around the world in order to form those relationships’ ‘Patience is one of our core strengths’ ‘I like mining because of the international nature of the business’ ‘The community of mining is quite tight. There are many adventurous people in the business who like taking risks’ ‘We need the world to stop seeing mining as a “dirty industry"’ ‘Don’t accept the status quo’ VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes Dundee Precious Metals Rick Howes - LinkedIn   ABOUT THE HOSTRob Tyson  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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  Rob 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, 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 organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3

Rick Rule is the President & CEO of Sprott U.S Holdings and a highly experienced investor and speculator, focused on sub $1,000,000,000 market capitalization public and private issuers in natural resource industries.  He has led and participated in hundreds of privately placed debt and equity issuances for resource companies operating internationally, and is also a sought-after investment conference speaker, having presented at hundreds of resource and investment conferences over the last thirty years. In this podcast Rob talks to Rick about commodities in terms of bull-and-bear markets, what make good investments and how should CEO’s position themselves to raise funds? Also, they discuss the commodities and countries in which Rick believes there will be growth.  A must-listen-to episode for anyone looking to invest in the resources sector. KEY TAKEAWAYS So determined was Rick to learn all he could about the finance side of natural resources, that he emigrated to Canada and attended the University of British Columbia. Rick enjoys his job and his chosen vocation so much, that he truly sees it as not work.   Rick believes that no matter what the economic climate may be, investment is paramount to survival in the mining industry. He insists that continually investing even in the face of a few harsh years for the mining industry, have helped Sprott to cement their position as one of the largest investors and speculators in the business. Since the legalisation of cannabis in certain areas of the world, the cannabis market is attracting speculative capital at the expense of the mining business. Rick believes that this is actually a good thing as some junior miners and management teams who were perhaps not as devoted or as skilled in the art of mining, have chosen to move to the cannabis industry. When looking at companies to invest in, value is created by people. Rick and Sprott want to do business with people they know and believe in, or in companies in which those they already trust, believe in. But in addition to proven success, Sprott are also convinced that a company’s specific skill-set must match the task at hand. Rick believes the industry is in fact over-capitalised. Of the 1500 listings, Rick considers around 1200 to be non-viable, and the fact that they have bids in place is evidence of over-capitalisation. For those wishing to speculate or invest in mining projects, Rick advises looking for companies involved in large Tier 1 or Tier 2 projects in the early stage. Grade matters, and so does size. Expertise and a track record of success are essentials, as is alignment. When you set the price of a commodity below the cost of producing that commodity, over a long period of time the mining industry’s ability to keep producing it becomes constrained. When you balance supply-and-demand by reducing the supply element, as the market “firms”, the industry is no longer able to increase supply to meet demand. Copper is difficult to mine and expensive to initiate when it comes to new mines. There seems to be a lot of focus on copper at the moment as it’s a necessary component for the growing electric car market. But Rick advises that copper is required for way more than just electric cars. It’s also a vital component in providing material goods to those who have recently found wealth. This is why its value has recently risen, and will again. The Democratic Republic of Congo has a lot of what the world needs in terms of resources and is an area that will be highly valuable in terms of investment in the coming years. In Rick’s opinion, there is a tremendous challenge arriving for the mining industry in terms of skills. Many seem to be placing the responsibility for the future of mining on older shoulders, where he believes that a younger generation should instead be trained and instructed using the wisdom and knowledge of older miners, in order to ensure the prosperity and long term prospects of the business. .BEST MOMENTS ‘I’m a born boy!’ ‘Sometimes I resent going home at night. It’s a business that’s treated me very well’ ‘This business is deeply, deeply cyclical and capital intensive’ ‘You are either a contrarian or you will be a victim’ ‘My personal expertise in cannabis ended four decades ago!’ ‘The back side of a hockey stick is just as steep as the front side’ ‘Mining is a knowledge business. Value is added by answering a series of unanswered questions’ VALUABLE RESOURCES  Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes Rick’s Email: rrule@sprottglobal.com Rick Rule - LinkedIn Sprott Website   ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson 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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.   Rob 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, 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' organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3

Rob talks to Steve Poulton, Founder of Altus Strategies PLC, which is listed on the London & Toronto Stock Exchange. Altus are a project and royalty generator in the mining sector with a focus on Africa who create value by making mineral discoveries across multiple licences.  In this episode we talk about the importance of mentoring and networking in furthering your career and what Altus Strategies are achieving in the exploration and geology space. KEY TAKEAWAYS Steve employed a natural entrepreneurial mindset to take advantage of the lack of competition in the sector, and carve out a collection of new companies, including Ariana, and ultimately Altus, having gleaned a number of skills and a thirst for business from his brief, yet intense career thus far. Steve was not interested in a career spent working for someone else. He wanted to see what he could personally achieve in his working life,m with the aim of reaping as many benefits for himself as he could. Mentoring is very important in the Altus environment. By helping his team to be the best that they can be, not only does it improve the strength of his company, but also of the mining industry as aa whole. Steve is happy to know that he is contributing to the future of the industry. Both Steve and Rob stress the importance of networking as part of your mining career. Knowing the right people, mixing with those with more experience, and learning from the mistakes of those who walked the path before you, is a vital component of your growth and development in the mining industry. Steve chose to focus on Africa because of the “prospectivity", the ease of finding materials to mine, and also because of the simplicity of obtaining the right licences from the government. Africa is unexplored and has rich potential for geological discovery. Technological advances are causing huge shifts in the mining industry. Some mines are now fully automated, and leaps in tech can lead to a wealth of untapped discoveries. But the industry will always need people. Altus’s business model is primarily generative exploration, exploring the geology of Africa, looking for areas that are perhaps less fashionable than others, applying for licences based on having undertaken deep remote sensing study on a region or area.   Steve is devoted to mining because of the variety of the job, the fact that no two days are ever the same, plus it offers a wealth of challenges and rewards that Steve finds personally intoxicating. Altus’s responsibilities to its shareholders will always be of paramount importance to Steve. The drive to ensure that his investor’s capital is always on the increase spurs him on each day to achieve more, and to make Altus as successful as possible. Mining is an industry in which you get out what you put in. Steve stresses the fact that you need to work as hard as you possibly can. Keep going and you’ll be successful in the end. Take on all the challenges you can and look for the bright spots. Make your mining career as enjoyable as possible. BEST MOMENTS ‘I always had an ambition to work for myself’ ‘Everyone has setbacks and challenges. But a little bit of luck doesn’t go amiss’ ‘Having a strong network is one of the greatest strengths you can have in the mining sector’ ‘We’re focussed on Africa because you can find things there very quickly’ ‘It’s only a matter of time before the market wakes up to the opportunity in mining’ ‘There are hurdles in the process, but the prize is fantastic if you’re able to achieve it’ ‘The key to success is to wake early, work hard and strike oil’ VALUABLE RESOURCES  Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes Altus Strategies info@altus-strategies.com Steve Poulton - LinkedIn   ABOUT THE HOST  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 insight to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  Rob 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 the first world to third world countries from Africa, Europe, 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' organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3

Today’s podcast is all about Uranium, and features an interview with Daniel Major, CEO of GoviEX Uranium, a mineral resources company focused on the exploration and development of uranium properties in Africa.  TSX listed, GoviEx’s principal objective is to become a significant uranium producer through the continued exploration and development of its mine-permitted projects in Niger, Zambia and Mali.  We discuss Daniel’s mining career and how he had some time in the banking and finance industry, gaining and learning new skills that helped him in more senior roles, before moving onto the subject of Uranium, the supply and demand of this commodity, and how it will affect the industry and world moving forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS GoviEx are currently seeing huge growth in the uranium market. Nuclear demand is growing by the day, increasingly so as people get behind green deals and come to the realisation that the cleanest way of producing energy is nuclear. Wind and solar energy farms require seventeen times more material to build than nuclear facilities. As plants spread across the globe, so too does demand for uranium. Daniel began in Camborne mines, and went from there to mines in South Africa and the Transvaal. Self-employment followed, and subsequent projects work for mines, and then part of HSBC’s mining analyst team. Having worked on so many different commodities, Daniel has come to realise that there are numerous similarities between most mining products. They all require the same basic processing and procedures. The main differences are the value additions that come later. The best CEOs of mining corporations tend to come from a financial background, which allows them to see both sides of the mining business - the practical side and the monetary side. Daniel prefers his team on the ground to take ownership of any projects they have to negotiate for. Many companies, especially those of a multi-national standing, allow their projects to be overseen remotely, but Daniel prefers his mines to be overseen locally. China are currently building eight reactors a year. The demand for nuclear energy is on the rise. The world can’t meet the energy requirements of the Paris Accords without investing heavily in nuclear. Subsequently the demand for uranium is increasing tremendously .BEST MOMENTS   “We focus really only on uranium projects. We don’t like to diversify too much’ ‘It does help you to see the big picture, and to appreciate what drives a company’s share price” “You cannot be all things to all people around the world” “I think we’re going to turn a corner very, very fast” “Our driving force to is to keep adding value”   VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes GoviEx Daniel Major - LinkedIn   ABOUT THE HOST   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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.   Rob 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, 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 organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ www.mining-international.org https://twitter.com/MiningConsult https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3

“Changing the way the world mines” Rob interviews Richard Verkley, CEO & Executive Chairman of Eco Metals Recovery, a new green mining equipment manufacturing business entering the global gold mining market with a unique metals recovery system called the "Separator". Richard talks about what the company are doing in the industry and about Karuschain, a type of blockchain that aims to transform the supply chain within mining. KEY TAKEAWAYS Eco Metals Recovery was “born in the jungles of Ecuador”, and was sparked by the notion of removing poisons from a river. From a conversation between Richard and another engineer, they began to wonder if they could use the same practice to separate precious metals from minerals, but the technology wasn’t quite ready. The answer to this conundrum was found in the use of aerospace polymers, which were able to bypass such outdated practices as centrifugal separation, in order to better ensure that metals and minerals could be separated early in the process. The Separator is more durable than other mining equipment, and due to its innovative design, can be snapped together like a Lego set, allowing for a level of transportability hitherto unseen in this type of machinery. By building a varied team from different sectors in the mining industry, Richard has managed to assemble an experienced team, each with their own unique gifts, and who are instantly recognised as one of the most respected teams in mining, which stands them in good stead when it comes to approaching governments and other mining groups. A blockchain is something that pulls together a series of transactions between a number of parties. Richard has used the blockchain method to develop Karuschain, an equally linked system of operations designed to transform the supply chain within mining. Karuschain is described by Richard as a utility that runs imaginary wires all the way through the mining process to the end customer, recording every transaction along the way so that each customer can trace the origin and cleanliness, as well as the progress along the way. Eco Metals’ vision for the future is not one thing, but an array of different technologies and advancements designed to push the mining industry forward. Through innovative creations such as the Karus utilities and the Separator, Eco Metals hope to put their stamp on the mining industry as a whole. BEST MOMENTS “Pretty much everything we’re doing is eight hundred years old”  “You could backpack, with three people, a version of this into extremely difficult terrain”  “I want to change how we mine. I want to change what we’re doing to the environment”  “I love the statistic that 70% of all gold is mined in Switzerland” “What we’re doing is re-wiring the world”  “What do I do next, and how do I do something that makes a difference?”   VALUABLE RESOURCES Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunesEco Metals Recovery   ABOUT THE HOST 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 insight to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.   Rob 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, 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 organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/www.mining-international.orghttps://twitter.com/MiningConsulthttps://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.orghttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3        

Rob talks to Murray MacNab, the COO of United Mining Services (UMS) and James Keir, the Group Executive Manager for Engineering Technical Services at UMS Group Of Companies. UMS is an internationally recognised group of companies offering technical, advisory and contracting services to the mining industry, specialising in shaft-sinking and underground mining. James and Murray join Rob on this episode to offer their insights into what has made UMS such a success. KEY TAKEAWAYS Both Murray and James have extensive experience in the mining industry, and are currently part of a tour-de-force operation at UMS, lending their considerable knowledge to improving and expanding its specialised operations. UMS was founded in response to a growing need for a single source of accountability, or as James puts it a “one stop shop” for mining services. As such, UMS is divided into three divisions: processing, mining and shaft-sinking. UMS are looking to expand globally, with focus on the East, the Americas, and a wider expansion into Africa, which UMS considers its “backyard”. UMS continues to grow and evolve as it stakes new claims in new territories. by partnering with local operations, as well as breaking ground on new project types, UMS continues to grow its own skill-sets and partner relations. Murray identifies positive and negative changes in the art of shaft-sinking over the past few decades. Safety has improved exponentially. Productivity has dropped drastically, though, mainly due to the added safety measures.  Remote control and robotics are the technologies that Murray and James identify as being the next big advances in shaft-sinking. Thirty years ago Murray was involved with a crew of 600 people in order to sink a shaft, but due to technological advances, can now sink shafts with a crew of just 50. With limited competition in the sector, UMS are looking to expand their technological capabilities so as to remain on the cutting edge, and to partner with more companies in order to stimulate growth. Talent acquisition is also of paramount importance so as to ensure the future of mining as an industry. BEST MOMENTS “With our three divisions, we can offer a concept-to-closure value chain with single-point accountability to mining clients”  “We’re more than happy to go into partnerships, as we see them as adding huge value to our company”  “Safety has become the number one driving issue these days”  “Shaft-sinking is not considered to be a sexy industry”  “It’s all about looking at the system as a whole”  “Wherever there are minerals that people want, there will always be mining”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunesUMS MiningMurray MacNab – LinkedInJames Keir - LinkedIn ABOUT THE HOST  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 to peoples experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  Rob 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, 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 organisation 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.   CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.orghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/www.mining-international.orghttps://twitter.com/MiningConsulthttps://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.orghttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3