Lessons from Building 6 Gold Mines (Matt Wilcox)

Mar 31, 2026

Matt Wilcox, a seasoned mining executive who has built six gold mines mainly in West Africa, shares war stories from tough logistics and complex deals. He walks through the Bankan consolidation, the Robex–Predictive merger, and competing bids. He also talks about mine-build philosophy, grade control, oxide advantages, funding and where to expand next in West Africa.

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ANECDOTE

How Robex Moved Fast To Win Bankan

Wilcox recounts the behind-the-scenes battle for Bankan where Robex moved quickly after Chinese shareholders sold into a bid.
He created a WhatsApp plan, recapitalised with ~CAD120m, reset management, and executed an IPO and merger within months.

INSIGHT

Why A Lower Cash Bid Can Make Strategic Sense

Combining Predictive and Robex creates two long-life assets with production scale and M&A appeal rather than a one-off higher cash bid.
Wilcox believes market revaluation post-deal validated synergies and future acquisition optionality by tier-one miners.

ADVICE

Always Validate Resource Models With Grade Control Drilling

Test resource models with close-in grade control drilling before committing to production to avoid model/reconciliation failures.
Wilcox cites Abijah as a lesson where insufficient infield drilling and uncapped high-grade zones caused poor reconciliation despite efficient operations.

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