Dig Deep

“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 The answer to this conundrum was found in the use of aerospace polymers, which were able to bypass such outdated practices as centrifugal separation, in order to better ensure that metals and minerals could be separated early in the process.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

Rob talks to Gerard Wood, Managing Director of Bluefield Asset Management Specialists and author of Simplifying Mining Maintenance, about the varied services that Bluefield offer, and how they contribute to the mining industry by focussing on efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness. KEY TAKEAWAYS Gerard began in the mining industry in his teens as a tradesman on the shop floor, working his way up and studying. By applying himself from the beginning, Gerard obtained a practical experience of the entire process, an education that has stood him in good stead as managing director of Bluefield Asset Management Specialists. Bluefield differentiate themselves from their competitors by focussing not on themselves as a single company, but by applying their technologies and practices to the mining industry as a whole so as to further the industry’s advancement. Bluefield handles fleet maintenance for a variety of business types, from larger corporations through to smaller companies, and each relationship is built upon the same foundations of trust and excellence. Bluefield nurture each business relationship in the same way, providing excellent service and impeccable expertise across the board. Gerard sees the future of Bluefield Asset Management Specialists in worldwide growth. North America, South America and Asia are potential markets that the company wishes to explore. Most importantly, Gerard wants to focus on adding value to his clients’ operations. By identifying common issues in mining maintenance, Gerard decided to pour his vast experience into the writing of a book that he hopes will aid the industry on a much larger scale. .BEST MOMENTS   “Our vision is an industry vision”   “We operate across the whole range - we like the fact that smaller companies value our services and the bigger companies are also very important to us”   “All of our guys have experience working in the context of our clients”   “To continue to drive yourself to be able to make a difference is what counts”   “My book’s written in very simple language - primarily so I can understand it!”       VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes Bluefield Asset Management Specialists Simplifying Mining Maintenance - Amazon gwood@bluefield.com.au   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        

Rob talks to Kevin Sabin, the Director of Hargreaves Services, a diversified group of companies delivering services to the industrial, mining and property sectors. Kevin heads up their mining division and goes into what exactly Hargreaves offer in terms of services, as well as what makes them unique in their field. Through associations with important initiatives such as the Sirius Minerals project, Hargreaves Services have grown into a valued and trusted part of the worldwide mining industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS Kevin began in the mining industry in 1975 as an apprentice electrician and has worked extensively through mines in the north of England. Since his association with Hargreaves Services, the company has grown throughout the worldwide mining supply chain providing end-to-end solutions through their various divisions. Through their wide experience of mining, logistics and research, Hargreaves have grown into the largest surface mine operator in the UK, handling processing and operating their own transport fleet.  Health and safety is something that Hargreaves particularly believe and specialise in. Maltby Colliery, owned and operated by Hargreaves was the first mine in the world to be awarded the British Safety Council’s Sword Of Honour. Hargreaves have found that lately, there seem to be more and more mining opportunities in the UK, which is resurgent.  Fundamentally, Kevin believes that having competent people in place is far more valuable than having numerous people in place. It’s also about making sure that the people you have in place are trained in not just the methods and qualifications of yesteryear, but also in today’s standards. Kevin believes that even though some from the last generation of UK mining may now not be in a position to take up their former positions, they can still provide valuable and essential training to the new generation of UK miners, and hopes to utilise this past generation’s considerable knowledge in improving UK mining today. Steep-seam geology, and the difficulties it presents have forced Kevin and his team to use more radical thinking in terms of success. He has found that methods used in the UK mines have not translated throughout the world. However, each challenge is an opportunity for growth, and Hargreaves learn from every obstacle placed in their path. In terms of future growth, Hargreaves hopes to diversify their output from products like coal, which has seen its demand slowly decline, to future industries such as biomass processing, and services such as installation, maintenance and operations.      .BEST MOMENTS  “While a lot of our experience has been in coal, it certainly transfers into other minerals” “We really have put a lot of effort into making sure we do the best for the mine and for the services we provide”  “For us it’s about collaboration, looking right across the patch”  “How can we knit all of these opportunities and people together?”  “One of the biggest challenges in the mining industry is the ageing mining population in the UK” “There are lots of willing people out there who want to become a part of the mining industry”   VALUABLE RESOURCES  Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunesHargreaves Services   ABOUT THE GUEST   As Director of Hargreaves Services, Kevin Sabin heads up their mining division and explains what services the company offers and what makes them unique. He talks about their involvement with the Sirius Minerals project and other projects their involved in around the world.  You can contact Kevin at kevin.sabin@hsgplc.co.uk   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

Malcolm Paterson, CEO & Director of Greengold Engineering joins Rob to talk about his mineral project development and production company based in Indonesia, who specialises in developing innovative technologies to reduce costs and improve recovery in the processing of minerals. Malcolm gives his invaluable insights into the new technologies he is developing for his many clients, along with how they can add value and save capital with their processing facilities.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Malcom and Greengold are hoping to change their name and image soon, from Greengold Engineering to Greengold Technology. This is being done to ensure that people know that their true focus is on mining technology going forward. Greengold covers many disciplines and can take a project through from exploration to production. Exploration, drilling, geology, mining, processing and engineering are just some of the areas in which Greengold specialise. Greengold focus only on gold, silver and copper. This narrow focus has allowed Greengold to develop highly acute technologies across many disciplines, instead of spreading themselves far too thin. By working with suppliers closely, Greengold has managed to shorten the process quite often when it comes to developing a project. Developing on an international basis is crucial to Greengold’s plans. By taking the best of one country’s resources and transplanting them to different areas of the globe, Greengold is establishing itself as an efficient and knowledgeable player in mining. The integration of geology and process is of the utmost importance. By providing a complete end-to-end process for their clients, and by specialising in just a few areas, Greengold have marked out their unique appeal. Greengold believes that mining companies should be more self-supporting than they currently are. Whether they are drilling or mining, companies can always benefit by bringing their operation in-house. It saves a huge amount of money, and can lead to a wider field of expertise. BEST MOMENTS ‘We don’t try to be a specialist in every field’ ‘Too many startups try to focus on too many disciplines at once’ ‘We can develop a project from start to finish with no gaps’ ‘We have Indonesian geologists working in Australia, which is quite novel...’ ‘If the metallurgist doesn’t understand what’s in the ground, then the engineer can’t design a good plan’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Dig Deep Mining PodcastGreengold Engineering   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 insight to people’s 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 Email Rob at rob@mining-international.org Rob’s LinkedIn         Mining International Official Website          Mining International’s Twitter       Mining International’s Facebook

The aspect of social investment and environmental investment in the planet  is not debatable, it should be a part of every bankable feasibility study, this is especially important in developing countries’ Rob is in conversation with Mark Dawe Managing Director of B2 Gold Namibia. They discuss the corporate social responsibility central to the operating philosophy of the company and giving back to the community, country and the planet. This interview is a fascinating insight into the role the company plays in developing a passionate and positive workforce who are doing great things, adding value and giving back, listen in to hear more. KEY TAKEAWAYS Mark Dawe has worked in Namibia for more than 26 years and has extensive experience working with the government both as a managing director and as former president of the Namibia Chamber of Mines. We are focused not only on adding value but also on corporate social responsibility we believe we are investing in a country and this is central to our operating philosophy from the CEO down to the individual mines in each country. B2 Gold is very focused on upskilling making sure the local population is trained so that the operation can be run by a local workforce from management through to site staff. The policy of skills transfer has been very successful because we are upskilling  individuals who can then be deployed  across various roles in differing locations. There is a fantastic synergy between a country that is very liberal, Canada the parent company of our company, and developing countries ; developing skills transfer, education, assisting people and leaving a legacy. Namibia is a very friendly country and It’s a pleasure to live here. The government is very receptive to mining but there are challenges around licences and resource rent through claim sitting. The minerals and metals mined in Namibia are extremely diverse and the country has the best skill set of any African country. When you come here to live you want to stay and this is hugely attractive for mining operators as its hugely beneficial to not have your workforce flying in and out, with the associated costs and fosters ownership and commitment. If you surround yourself with passionate people you find you are in a very positive situation with people doing great things and adding value to community, country and planet.   B2 Gold is very involved in conservation, setting up the Namibia Chamber of Environment. This has become the ‘one stop shop’ for the conservation and environmental sector. Although the effective recycling of minerals and metals and other materials is developing  There will always be a need for resources from the ground and the natural resources sector will in the future become more dependent on technology and more efficient mining techniques. BEST MOMENTS ‘I see a bright future for mining, it’s still a very good profession to be entering’ ‘I can see myself moving more into conservation and living in Africa I believe we have a unique responsibility’ ‘Ultimately you can make a success of whatever you do as long as you are passionate about what you are doing’ ‘Technically there is nothing better, you have every profession under the sun in a mine’ VALUABLE RESOURCES The Dig Deep Mining Podcast   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 insight to people’s 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 Email Rob at rob@mining-international.org Rob’s LinkedIn   ·       Mining International Official Website    ·       Mining International’s Twitter ·       Mining InternationalIs Facebook

‘Gold Stars and Black Holes – Analysing the Discount: from Resource to Sanction, analysing how differentiated in-situ values for mineral resources across all the major equity markets have evolved, and how equity valuations then increase (or not) ‘ In this fascinating episode, Rob is in conversation with Charles Gibson from Edison Investment Research and Phil Newall of Armstrong Waddell International. They discuss the conclusions from the latest annual global mining sector report from Edison, ‘Gold Stars and Black Holes’ written by Charles along with a range of topics including new markets, the exploration budget worldwide, the battery metals bubble and the development of the exploration space over the next ten years. This is a must for anyone connected to mining and provides an amazing opportunity to hear the opinions and views of professionals with both considerable global experience and knowledge of the market.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The first part of the report looks at the in-situ values which are important for stock market valuations. We disaggregate different values for the measured indicator or inferred, you are not just looking at a blended ounce you are looking at 3 distinct types of ounces. This enables us to differentiate between companies who have a higher proportion of measured ounces and lower proportion of inferred ounces It allows us to draw conclusions when companies upgrade their resources from inferred to indicated, to measured,  as to how much value it adds to their stock market listing. After companies have drilled up the resources the important questions asked are whether they are economic, how economic are they and what returns can you get on developing the project? The second part of the report looks at the stock market valuation compared to the NPV (net present value) of the cash flows of the project and this enables you to look at how cheap a company is compared to the project valuation and the range of those valuations. We looked at 19 metals and minerals for both halves of the report and of those 19 half of them had a value for measured resources that was less than the value of indicated resources and in some cases the valuation was negative. It shows that for an average company with an average deposit upgrading your resource when you move from indicated to measured, although it would seem to be a value-adding process in the eyes of the stock market it appears not to be. Companies need to be aware of this when making decisions. For all but one of the 19, there is evidence the market will give you credit for resources you haven’t yet discovered, resources you can suggest are there but are yet to be drilled up. On average the valuation of companies who had done pre-feasibility studies on their projects get a lower market valuation than companies that have done a preliminary economic assessment or a scoping survey. The list of where people won’t go is growing smaller. Generally, metals are running out and big deposits are no longer being found. What is being found are smaller deposits that tend to be in the smaller countries that people have previously been more reluctant to visit. It's encouraging that exploration is increasing but mine based exploration with people drilling where they know is low-risk exploration. The market is currently starved of the exploration of new possibilities, people going out and finding those new deposits. There are many companies who don’t have the money to do the grassroots exploration. Historically it has been the junior market undertaking the exploration and making the discoveries that have allowed the majors to then come in and really take projects onboard. At some point, the market needs to become more receptive to junior companies. It should be an integrated market between the juniors, mids and majors. Currently, it isn’t, there are the juniors and the supermajors with almost nothing between.   BEST MOMENTS ‘Metals are getting more expensive and getting harder to find. We are in very interesting times at the moment’ ‘They are all after the same sort of targets, they are all after silver or copper or gold deposits because these are the commodities they understand.’ ‘The market has a broadly positive attitude towards mining at present’ ‘There is a clear relationship between something being small and highly valued and something  large and lowly valued’ ‘Share all the geophysics you can to suggest the full extent of the resource because the market will give you credit for it’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Dig Deep Mining Podcast   ABOUT THE GUEST Phil Newall, Managing Director,  Wardell Armstrong International Historically the company has provided a full range of services from scoping surveys through to definitive feasibility studies. We are here to help clients at whatever stage they are in their exploration projects Our USP is our large mineral processing testing work facility in Cornwall. We test samples from around the world and as metrology becomes more complex knowing what can be extracted from the ore is vital in determining the best ways to move forward.   CONTACT METHOD Wardell Armstrong website Pnewall@wardell-armstrong.com   ABOUT THE GUEST Charles Gibson, Edison Investment Research Edison writes research for investors and corporate clients. Companies at various points need to interact with the market and need to keep their story in front of investors and we help them to achieve that. Once you are on the market we are able to undertake ongoing research that keeps the story alive and investors interested.   CONTACT METHOD Edison Investment Research   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 insight to people’s 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 Email Rob at rob@mining-international.org Rob’s LinkedIn         Mining International Official Website       Mining International’s Twitter       Mining International’s Facebook

How will the mining industry innovate through the technological revolution that we are currently going through? To answer this and other key questions Rob Interviews Michelle Ash the chief innovation officer for barrick Gold, and the Chair of the Global Mining Guidelines Group. Their conversation moves from how Michelle got into the mining industry to what skills people need to adapt to the rate of technological change within society. If you have thought about possibly working in the mining industry in the future, or want to understand how as an industry they are trying to work together to solve problems through the GMG this is the podcast for you.   Key Takeaways How did you get into the mining industry? I’ve been in the mining industry for 25 years and really I fell into it by accident. I trained as a civil engineer, and then I got picked up as a blast engineer, and seeing your work literally moving mountains was something else. I love the mining industry and I’ve worked all over the world. I loved working in Australia, most recently I worked in Tanzania which I thoroughly enjoyed.   What’s the major differences between the big companies? I’ve worked for both larger and smaller companies. Often in the smaller companies you get a lot more flexibility, and breath in the roles that you take whereas in the bigger companies you are more specialized. With the smaller companies you have to make sure that you squeeze every bit of profit out of the mine because they are a lot smaller.   What would you say the new technological trends are within the mining industry? We talk a lot about industry 4.0 but what it boils down to is around connectivity being faster and better. With satellite comms, and 5g networks being cheaper it allows companies access to high quality computing and communication without the previous scale of costs. There are lots of new technologies that are able to track the health of our employees, and tracking more effectively underground.   What new skills do mining professionals need to learn? We are all going to have to learn a lot more about AI, and Blockchain. If you are younger, I would recommend getting some good coding skills if you want to enter the mining industry. There are some less obvious skills like focusing on humanistic design, especially around agile methods of production I think that universities and companies have to change to reflect these new skills.   Do you think that mining has an image problem? I think technologies will help make it more attractive but they are only enablers. Making sure that people need to get out and know about the mining industry. Some of the Hackathans that we have conducted were around wanting to really engage young people in the problems that we are trying to solve. Young people are the future workforce which means that you have to engage with them.   What should institutions do to attract people into the industry? We have seen a decline in people getting into certain fields like geology. You have to have a multi-level approach, around upgrading company practice and the curriculum. Governments have a great convening ability, getting these groups together to talk about important subjects. I think we have to get into science, mathematics and engineering in schools which are the base of the skills that we are looking for.   What social changes will impact the mining industry? There is greater demands on being less impactful to the environment. This might drive us to create different drilling methods. Those technologies have an impact on how people interact, communicate and learn new things.   What is GMG all about? GMG is an industry association, which is member driven. We have members all over the world from India, to the States and Latin America. We are looking at expanding in China. We also work with mining services industry. We work towards developing guidelines on topics such as automation, remote operations, and KPIs for example. We are currently looking at AI and Dam construction. At GMG we bring groups together to help develop those guidelines.   Why do you enjoy working in the mining sector? I love it because it really does change outcomes for communities. It can go into rural, more struggling places and can build, cities and towns because of the mining industry.   Who have been the most influential people in your career? Lots of people over the years, have allowed me to go abroad for example and others that took a gamble of me when I moved over to the PVC industry.   How do you see the future of mining? I think it has a bright future. The rate of change will continue to accelerate. We will accelerate the implementation of those. We’ll see more and more people working remotely and not in high-risk roles.   What advice would you give someone if they want to take a similar career to you? Certainly getting some experience in new technologies would be ideal. Keeping an open, challenging and inquisitive mindset. Get involved in the industry and understand how the mining industry works.    Best Moments ‘Seeing your work move mountains is amazing.’ ‘I love the mining industry.’ ‘Smaller companies are a bit more flexibility and breath.’ ‘With more Eastern companies there is a bit more talk around strategy.’ ‘Communication speed and price coming down has been vital to the mining industry.’ ‘You can buy sweatshirts now that measure your temperature.’ ‘Robotics is starting to come into the industry.’ ‘We can now remove people from hazardous activities.’ ‘Even accounting software has been improved by technology.’ ‘Blockchain is going to be interesting in the mining industry.’ ‘What will be interesting is when these new technologies come together.’ ‘It’s important to focus on behavioural changes alongside the technology.’ ‘Technology has to be as intuitive as an Iphone.’ ‘Just because we can do something should we, we have to think of the ethics.’ ‘Micro courses online can be really effective.’ ‘We can’t guarantee jobs for life but we can offer people lifelong employable skills for their life.’ ‘We have to let people know that we are thinking about technology.’ ‘We have to show that we are a relevant industry.’ ‘We might see smaller, more remote processing plants due to technology.’ ‘GMG is an industry association, and we’re member-led.’ ‘We really try to repeat work, and be the connector to different work across the world.’ ‘We’d love a greater membership across the globe.’ ‘I’m proud of what the mining industry contributes to communities.’ ‘I’ve worked with fabulous leaders all over the world.’   Valuable Resources GMG - https://gmggroup.org   About The Guest Michelle Ash   Michelle Ash is senior executive who specialises in strategy development and implementation with key skills in technology transformation, innovation, leadership and cultural change within the mining industry having worked for some of the major mining houses, Barrick Gold, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and MMG. Michelle is currently the chair for GMG – Global Mining Guidelines Group who are a network of like-minded companies driving change in the mining industry and shares with us the major technology changes that are happening and changing the mining industry of the future.   Contact Method LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleash/   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 people’s 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 Email Rob at rob@mining-international.org Rob’s LinkedIn Mining International Official Website Mining International’s Twitter Mining International’s Facebook

Peter Ledwidge is the managing director for Mako Gold who are exploring and developing assets in West Africa. The company was created in 2015 and has had significant success making 3 discoveries in 3 years. Rob and Peter discuss the success of Mako Gold and its plans moving forward. For a fascinating insight into the world of gold explorers listen in.   KEY TAKEAWAYS How are you developing as a company? We are currently developing 2 flagship projects after reviewing many possibilities. We have been able to move quickly as our previous crew have come back to work with us. We have been able to achieve significant results making 3 discoveries in 3 years. One of the projects began from a  greenfield site, we have undertaken all aspects of the work required and are particularly proud of being able to do this. From the holes we have drilled the results that have come back have been outstanding and we think we have the potential for high-grade deposits. What are  Mako’s reasons for exploring in West Africa and what are the specific challenges? One of the reasons is the artisan miners who are working in this area. If they are mining in the area you know the geology is good and will support deeper drilling but if we can find something shallow then it’s very attractive for investment. What’s your strategy to grow shareholder value? We have already grown it considerably and de-risked. We are methodical but fast in our procedures and complete everything that is required such as sampling to a high standard and you add value to the company by getting the drills turning. Being methodical and moving quickly means our investors get a return quickly which is what all investors want. What are your plans over the next year? We are aggressively drilling, and people are interested in what we are doing. This is giving us a great opportunity to form new associations moving forward.   BEST MOMENTS ‘For us, it’s an endorsement and it brings together us as reputable explorers’ ‘We have been able to achieve significant results’ ‘We think we are doing the right things by our shareholders’   VALUABLE RESOURCES The Dig Deep Mining Podcast    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 insight to people’s 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 Email Rob at rob@mining-international.org Rob’s LinkedIn         Mining International Official Website          Mining International’s Twitter       Mining International’s Facebook

Rob talks to Amanda Van Dyke, the portfolio manager for South River Asset Management, a specialist fund management company.  Amanda discusses her beginnings in the mining industry, the roles of diversity and public relations in improving the perception and profitability of the business, and also her suggestions for wise future investments. KEY TAKEAWAYS   Amanda’s route into the mining industry was somewhat indirect. From a Bachelor Of Arts degree to a job in the Canadian diamond industry, and then to a Masters in International Economics. From here, Amanda took a job as an investment analyst for a firm that did many deals with the mining industry.   Having come from an international background in the industry, Amanda describes the many differences between operations in Canada, London and Antwerp. Investment in London and the UK is more focussed on less-speculative proposals.   Amanda discusses her role in ‘Women In Mining UK’, which she helped to grown from 170 members, to over 1700. In Amanda’s opinion, this is evidence that the mining industry is bigger than most people think. It also includes departments such as finance, insurance, accounting, listings, most of which are operated out of London. This has provided many more roles for all kinds of people and has helped to diversify the industry as a whole.   There is a large correlation between the more successful mining companies in terms of profitability and share price, with female participation at the board level. Diversity can definitely help mining companies to be more successful.   Amanda does not believe that mining is a sexist industry, but does this that perhaps it has become relaxed in its attitudes toward the roles that women can play. She would like to see more forward-thinking in terms of women’s roles going forward.   When looking at the mining industry, most people think merely of geologists and engineers. But this sector represents no more than 5% of the employees in the mining industry.   Mining has a horrible brand and image in the world right now, despite the fact that more commodities are being demanded today than ever before in history. Mining is a primary industry, but unfortunately, it has been badly represented, and this needs to change.   Events such as the Mines And Money London event are always evolving. They’re about taking the pulse of the industry at the time and delivering information about things such as new advances that’ll interest mining companies and investors.   Amanda sees gold, silver, cobalt as commodities that may prove fruitful int he next year, mainly due to their use in technology. Manganese and nickel could also be worth investing in, as they are both components in batteries.   When it comes to investments, Amanda takes a balanced approach. You need to have a bit of everything. Opportunities need to be economically attractive. They need to be scalable, and to have the potential to earn well in order to be viable and realistic. Is it financeable? Is the outlook realistic? Is it marketable?   It takes time to develop a project. The issue with the mining industry is that sometimes opportunities are spotted, and saturated far too quickly. This is why Amanda prefers to invest in teams with proven success   BEST MOMENTS ‘It’s big business here, versus junior business’ ‘They wear better suits!’ ‘Providing a forum and network for women in mining is vital’ ‘Diversity can seriously help mining companies’ ‘I don’t think mining is a sexist industry’ ‘Mining as an industry or career is just not as well known to women’ ‘Promoting mining as an exciting place to work, and as an important industry is very important’ ‘One of the most important factors in the mining industry is logistics’ ‘Regardless of your specialist field, the mining industry is a very exciting place to work’ ‘People are so divorced from where the stuff they use every day comes from’ ‘When it comes to investment, there’s no one important thing’ ‘I don’t buy projects. I buy shares in a company’ ‘Don’t just buy the asset. The asset doesn’t make money. Shares do’ ‘Skin in the game is really important. But it’s not everything’ ‘Mining is not going anywhere. But it needs to do a better job with its PR’ VALUABLE RESOURCES   Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes South River   ABOUT THE GUEST   Amanda Van Dyke is a commercially astute senior investment and business development professional focusing on the mining and resources industry and was formerly the Chairman of “Women in Mining UK” and a member of the advisory board of Mines and Money London. She is currently the portfolio manager South River Asset Management, a specialist fund management company.    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