Company Interviews

Interview with Andrew Penkethman, MD & CEO of Ardea Resources Ltd.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/western-nickel-projects-gain-momentum-as-supply-dynamics-improve-9150Recording date: 30th March 2026Ardea Resources (ASX:ARL) has made meaningful progress in advancing the Goongarrie Hub, its flagship asset within the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project in Western Australia. The company recently secured approximately A$1 billion in indicative funding support from Export Finance Australia and the US Export-Import Bank, representing a significant external endorsement of the project ahead of the completion of its Definitive Feasibility Study, due in the June 2026 quarter.The Goongarrie Hub is one of the largest nickel-cobalt resources in the world and is being developed through an incorporated joint venture with Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Corporation. The Japanese partners hold 75% of the project's offtake and bring integrated downstream processing expertise, established export credit agency relationships, and a track record of delivering large-scale resource projects globally. This partnership structure is central to Ardea's ability to access competitive project financing and provides a level of commercial credibility that distinguishes the company from peers still in search of strategic partners.The EFA letter of support is for up to A$500 million and can be structured across debt, equity, or other instruments. The US EXIM indicative support is for US$350 million, or approximately A$500 million. Both are conditional on DFS completion, environmental approvals, and a Final Investment Decision, and should be understood as indicative rather than committed capital. That said, management described the receipt of this support ahead of DFS completion as an industry first, and the involvement of two major Western government-backed institutions adds credibility to the project's strategic positioning within broader Australia-Japan-US critical mineral cooperation frameworks.Total project capex is expected to exceed the A$3.1 billion estimated in the 2023 Prefeasibility Study, driven by flowsheet changes and inflationary pressures. The financing gap between current indicative support and total capex is material, and investors should expect additional equity raises as the project progresses. The company is pursuing a multi-layered capital stack that includes further export credit agency engagement, potential government grants, and the possible monetisation of Ardea's retained 25% offtake entitlement.The DFS is the central near-term focus. Completion in the June 2026 quarter will trigger a Mini Investment Decision to commit to the FEED phase, advancing engineering from approximately 30% to 60% completion and substantially derisking the path to a Final Investment Decision. The FEED phase is planned to run in parallel with the environmental approvals process, which is traditionally 18 to 24 months. Major Project Status from the Australian federal government and a pending Lead Agency Status application in Western Australia are expected to assist in streamlining this process.On the market side, Ardea's management points to tightening Indonesian permitting standards and growing defence-driven demand for high-quality stainless steel as structural tailwinds for nickel prices. The project sits at the intersection of a potential cyclical recovery in nickel and an accelerating geopolitical shift toward Western-aligned critical mineral supply chains.For investors, the June 2026 DFS completion represents the most actionable near-term catalyst. Ardea is advancing through a well-defined development pathway with credible partners, institutional backing, and growing government support — but the path to production remains multi-year, capital-intensive, and conditional on milestones yet to be achieved.View Ardea Resoures' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/ardea-resources-limitedSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Recording date: 31st March 2026Olive Resource Capital is responding to a sharp, volatility-driven sell-off in mining equities by repositioning its portfolio toward higher-quality, more liquid gold producers — a strategy grounded in the view that institutional forced selling, rather than fundamental deterioration, is responsible for the bulk of recent price declines.Speaking on their investment podcast, Samuel Pelaez, President, CEO, and CIO, and Derek McPherson, Executive Chairman, outlined a deliberate spring-clean of the firm's holdings. The core thesis is straightforward: when risk managers at leveraged funds are forced to de-risk portfolios rapidly, mining stocks — categorised as high-risk assets — are sold indiscriminately, regardless of underlying asset quality. The result is a repricing event that creates entry points disconnected from fundamentals, with valuations across junior and mid-tier gold names down 20–60% from recent highs.Rather than chasing the steepest discounts at the riskiest end of the market, Olive is moving up the market capitalisation and liquidity spectrum. The two names at the centre of their repositioning are Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST) and Goldsky (TSXV:GSKR). Northern Star is Australia's largest gold producer and operator of the Super Pit, the country's largest gold mine. The company has delivered consistently against guidance for most of its fifteen-year history. Temporary operational setbacks over the past six months, compounded by broad gold price weakness, have pushed the stock to what Pelaez describes as the most attractive entry point since the company was founded. The operational issues are characterised as temporary; the asset quality and management track record are not in question. Olive is treating it as a multi-quarter accumulation, with scope to add further on any near-term earnings disappointment.Goldsky presents a different but complementary opportunity. The company is consolidating 100% of the Barsele project through an ongoing acquisition process. McPherson notes the stock is trading in an unusual manner relative to its fundamental position, likely as a result of transaction mechanics rather than any change in underlying value. The completion of the Barsele acquisition is expected to serve as a near-term re-rating catalyst. Across both names and their broader portfolio, Olive's non-negotiable filter is balance sheet strength. Financing conditions have deteriorated sharply. Companies requiring capital raises are now doing so on materially worse terms — warrants and sweeteners that were unnecessary two months ago are now standard — while cashed-up operators can continue executing, maintaining momentum and avoiding dilution.Looking ahead, the pair flag two key dynamics for investors to monitor. First, Q2 margins face a potential double squeeze: gold's average price is expected to be lower than Q1's exceptional levels above $5,000 per ounce, while rising energy costs — energy represents approximately 30% of open-pit mining costs — flow through from higher oil prices. Margins remain healthy, but the rate of expansion will slow. Second, M&A conditions are ripening. Compressed valuations, record producer free cash flow, and the psychological ease of offering premiums to depressed share prices create the conditions for an active deal calendar in the months ahead.For investors willing to apply discipline and maintain a medium-term horizon, the current environment offers access to some of the highest-quality gold producer equities at valuations not seen in over a decade.Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.comSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Frederick H. Earnest, President & CEO of Vista GoldOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/vista-gold-corp-nysevgz-39m-oversubscribed-raise-funds-development-push-9478Recording date: 28th March 2026Vista Gold Corp. (NYSE: VGZ) is advancing its Mt Todd Gold project in Australia's Northern Territory with a strategic rightsizing that management believes positions the asset for independent development while addressing a significant market valuation disconnect.The company completed a 2025 feasibility study that reduced the project from 50,000 tons per day to 15,000 tons per day, cutting initial capital requirements by 59% from approximately $1 billion to $425 million. This restructuring targets annual production of 153,000 ounces over the first 15 years of a 30-year mine life, with the company raising its design cutoff grade from 0.35 to 0.5 grams per ton to prioritize higher-quality ore.At a conservative $2,500 per ounce gold price, the feasibility study projects an after-tax NPV of $1.1 billion and a 27.8% IRR, with all-in sustaining costs near $1,500 per ounce. At $3,300 gold, the NPV increases to $2.2 billion with an IRR approaching 45%. With current gold prices around $4,500 per ounce, the project demonstrates substantial leverage to prevailing market conditions.Despite holding 5.2 million ounces of proven and probable reserves and 10.6 million total ounces, Vista Gold trades at a significant discount to peers on enterprise value per ounce metrics. CEO Frederick Ernest attributes this partly to legacy perceptions from the project's 1990s operational history, though he emphasized that past failures stemmed from poor equipment selection rather than fundamental project flaws. Modern HPGR crusher technology is expected to achieve 90% metallurgical recovery versus historical 70% rates, while the frequently cited "hard ore" issue translates to only $50 per ounce in additional energy costs.Near-term catalysts include permitting approvals expected through mid-2027, building an experienced Australian mine development team, and securing project financing through multiple pathways including traditional banks, government infrastructure funding, and potential streaming arrangements. The company closed a $44.85 million financing in March 2026, providing over $50 million in cash to fund development activities.View Vista Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/vista-gold-corporationSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Victor Cantore, President & CEO of Amex Exploration Inc. Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/amex-exploration-tsxvamx-high-grade-quebec-gold-project-targets-q3-2027-production-9500Recording date: 26th March 2026Amex Exploration Inc. (TSXV:AMX) has positioned itself as a potentially undervalued opportunity in the gold development sector, with management arguing the company's $470 million market capitalisation fails to reflect the project's underlying economics compared to similarly staged peers.The Quebec-based developer's investment thesis rests on three fundamental pillars: exceptional ore grades, capital-efficient phased development, and strategic infrastructure positioning. At the project's core lies a grade differential that management characterizes as transformative. While comparable development projects report grades between 1.9 and 3.6 grams per tonne, AMX's deposit averages 5.1 grams per tonne on a diluted basis. The flagship Champagne zone grades 16 grams per tonne before dilution, with practical mining grades expected between 10 and 12 grams per tonne.This grade advantage translates directly into capital efficiency. Phase 1 development requires $146 million in capital expenditure to achieve production exceeding 100,000 ounces annually from a 2.3 million ounce resource base. The company's phased approach—bulk sample followed by Phase 1 and Phase 2—creates a self-funding pathway designed to minimize equity dilution, with each stage generating revenue to finance subsequent expansion.Near-term catalysts include imminent bulk sample permit approval, currently at the six-month review threshold following submission in mid-September. Upon approval, construction mobilization follows within 45 days, positioning the project for mid-2027 initial production of 20,000 to 23,000 ounces. Phase 1 commercial production targets early-to-mid 2028.Infrastructure access provides additional operational advantages. Proximity to an established town delivers immediate workforce availability, while electrical grid connectivity eliminates diesel generation requirements and associated fuel price exposure. Water supply exists through municipal connections, collectively differentiating the project's capital intensity from remote deposits requiring greenfield infrastructure construction.Management contends that peers with similar production timelines trade at market capitalisations between $1.2 billion and double AMX's current valuation, despite what the company characterises as inferior grade economics and higher capital requirements.View Amex Exploration's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/amex-explorationSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Peter Dembicki, President & CEO of Tier One SilverRecording date: 23rd March 2026Tier One Silver (TSXV:TSLV) is advancing an early-stage precious metals discovery in southern Peru that has delivered some of the highest-grade rock sampling results seen in the region. The company's 100%-owned Curibaya project has returned silver grades up to 300,000 grams per ton and gold grades approaching one kilogram, with over 80 samples exceeding one kilogram per ton silver distributed across a five-square-kilometer footprint.Led by President and CEO Peter Dembicki, a former Canaccord Genuity investment adviser, the company benefits from world-class technical expertise. Christian Rios, formerly with Bear Creek Mining and integral to the Santana Corani discovery, serves as Senior Vice President of Exploration, while Antonio Arribas, former global head of geosciences for BHP and Newmont, provides additional technical guidance.The property emerged from the 2021 spin-out of Auryn Resources and was consolidated through opportunistic acquisitions when base metal prices declined. Located in southern Peru's copper belt near the city of Tacna, the approximately 14,000-hectare property had never been systematically explored despite being surrounded by major global copper-silver producers.Following an initial 5,000-meter reconnaissance drilling program, the company engaged independent consultants who identified a key insight: higher-elevation areas within the property should preserve a more intact precious metals system due to less erosion over geological time. The current 1,200-meter drilling program is testing this thesis in the Cambaya corridor, where rock samples have returned eight kilograms per ton silver and four grams per ton gold.An unexpected discovery during initial drilling revealed indicators of a potential large porphyry copper system at depth, attracting attention from major mining companies seeking the next significant discovery in Peru's porphyry belt.After operating through five years of challenging silver prices ranging from $17-22 per ounce, the company raised approximately $6.5 million in late 2025 as silver strengthened above $70. Management estimates requiring another 10,000 meters of drilling before resource definition, with six kilometers of identified vein corridors providing multiple targets. The company's strategy focuses entirely on discovery and resource definition rather than development, positioning for an eventual strategic transaction.View Tier One Silver'c company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/tier-one-silverSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Justin van der Toorn, President & CEO of Greenheart Gold Inc.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/greenheart-gold-tsxvghrt-proven-discovery-team-advances-3-suriname-projects-with-35m-runway-8542Recording date: 25th March 2026Greenheart Gold (TSXV:GHRT) is executing a comprehensive exploration strategy across the Guyana Shield, with President and CEO Justin van der Toorn advancing multiple high-potential gold projects in Suriname and Guyana. The company's disciplined approach to early-stage exploration, combined with an experienced management team and strategic portfolio management, positions it to make discoveries in one of the world's most underexplored yet geologically prospective gold regions.The company currently operates three advanced projects in Suriname—Majorodam, Igab, and Tosso Creek—each at different stages of development. At Majorodam, a 10,000-meter reverse circulation drilling program is underway testing a 15-kilometer gold-in-soil anomaly. The cost-effective RC approach allows rapid coverage of the entire trend at approximately 50-60% of diamond drilling expenses, with holes targeting near-surface mineralization before following higher-grade zones to depth.The Igab project has emerged as a high-priority target following exceptional trenching results of 12 meters at 4.82 g/t and 11 meters at 9 g/t gold. Diamond drilling commences in April 2026 to establish detailed structural understanding of these high-grade shear zones. Located 30 kilometers south of Newmont's Merian operation, Igab benefits from proximity to established infrastructure and geological context.Tosso Creek represents bulk tonnage potential with 86 meters at 0.6 g/t gold in trenching. Additional trenching is underway to refine targets before drilling in Q2 2026.Greenheart's management team brings proven credentials from Reunion Gold's Oko discovery in Guyana, which ultimately attracted a takeover. The company maintains capital discipline through its willingness to drop non-performing projects while preserving treasury strength for aggressive multi-project exploration. "We're explorers, that's what we think we're good at," Justin emphasized.With multiple drilling programs advancing simultaneously throughout 2026, Greenheart is positioned to deliver continuous newsflow while targeting tier-one discoveries in the underexplored Guyana Shield. The company's strategy focuses on demonstrating meaningful intercepts with both grade and volume to establish mineable potential across its portfolio.View Greenheart Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/greenheart-goldSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Phil Hoskins, CEO of Atomic EagleRecording date: 24th March 2026Atomic Eagle (ASX:AEU) is advancing the Muntanga uranium project in Zambia with an aggressive resource expansion strategy designed to unlock economies of scale. Led by CEO Phil Hoskins and backed by the founders of Boss Energy and Lotus Resources - both now uranium producers - the company has assembled experienced uranium development expertise to grow a technically proven asset in a tier-one African jurisdiction.The Muntanga project stands on solid ground with a completed NI 43-101 feasibility study and a recently expanded resource of 58.8 million pounds at 309 ppm. What distinguishes this deposit is exceptional metallurgical characteristics: over 90% recoveries, 21-day leach kinetics, and remarkably low acid consumption of just 20 kilograms per ton. These parameters signal favorable economics to experienced developers, though the previous operator's study at 2.2 million pounds per annum production showed insufficient scale to generate attractive returns.Atomic Eagle's solution centers on resource growth. The largest drill program at Muntanga since 2007 launches in April 2026, targeting over 50,000 meters across 10 discrete targets using cost-effective gamma-probe technology at $45 per meter. The company aims to grow resources toward 100+ million pounds to support 4-5 million pounds per annum production by circa 2030, comparable to Bannerman Resources' development model. Current resources, if fully incorporated into a revised mine plan, could already support 3.9 million pounds annually for 12 years.With $19 million in treasury, Atomic Eagle is well-funded to execute its 2026 exploration program and 2027 updated feasibility study. Zambia offers significant jurisdictional advantages: no free carried government interest, established mining infrastructure as the world's seventh-largest copper producer, and Fraser Institute-validated regulatory stability.Additional upside exists through a 116 million pound Niger asset (1,300 ppm grade) currently assigned zero market value. Active negotiations are progressing to return this asset under new terms, with an update expected in the first half of 2026. Recent roadshow feedback confirmed that investors view Atomic Eagle as undervalued based solely on the Zambian asset, positioning the company as a focused development play rather than a speculative exploration play in an increasingly strategic uranium market.View Atomic Eagle's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/atomic-eagleSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Diane R. Garrett, President & CEO of Hycroft MiningOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/hycroft-mining-nasdaqhymc-more-high-grade-silver-as-resource-grows-by-over-50-9321Recording date: 22nd March 2026Hycroft Mining Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: HYMC) has executed a dramatic transformation from debt-burdened developer to well-capitalised exploration story, driven by high-grade silver discoveries that are redefining one of the world's largest precious metals deposits in Nevada.The company's turnaround centres on a comprehensive balance sheet restructuring that eliminated all debt and secured $200 million in cash through institutional investment. The debt, which was accruing at $1 million monthly with 2027 maturity, had prevented institutional participation despite growing asset interest. Combined with earlier investments from Eric Sprott and Tribeca, the restructuring delivered a shareholder base that is now 85% institutional, providing a minimum three-year funding runway.What attracted this institutional capital was the discovery of high-grade mineralisation at the Vortex and Brimstone zones. Recent drilling returned intercepts exceeding 500 grams per tonne silver over 35 metres, fundamentally changing perceptions of an asset historically characterised as low-grade bulk tonnage. In February 2026, Hycroft announced a 55% resource increase, incorporating these discoveries alongside improved metallurgical recoveries. The deposit now totals approximately 16.5 million ounces of gold and 600 million ounces of silver.Management is prioritising development of these high-grade underground systems over the large low-grade deposit, aiming for a smaller 3,500-5,000 tonne per day operation that offers superior margins and faster production. The 2026 exploration program has tripled to 24,000 metres across four rigs, targeting system expansion and a preliminary economic assessment by early 2027.The Brimstone system remains open in all directions and at depth, with geological indicators including deep magmatic sources suggesting substantial expansion potential. Hycroft is applying this geological model across its largely unexplored land package, seeking additional high-grade discoveries.Despite possessing over $1 billion in existing infrastructure, established permits, and Nevada's premier jurisdiction advantages, Hycroft trades at an estimated 40-50% discount to greenfield peers, presenting potential rerating opportunity as high-grade scale is demonstrated through continued drilling and economic studies.View Hycroft Mining's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/hycroft-mining-holding-corporationSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Colin Smith, Director & CEO of Toogood GoldOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/toogood-gold-tsxvtgc-expanding-high-grade-discovery-in-newfoundland-8643Recording date: 19th March 2026Toogood Gold Corporation (TSXV:TGC) has emerged as a compelling discovery-focused explorer following exceptional drill results at its Quinlan target in Newfoundland and the strategic acquisition of Nevada's Table Mountain epithermal project. The company's recent operational updates reveal a systematic approach to advancing high-quality targets across two of North America's premier gold jurisdictions.At Quinlan, Toogood achieved a perfect 30-for-30 drill success rate, with every hole intersecting both the gold-bearing felsic dyke and mineralization. The discovery has doubled in strike length from 200 meters to over 400 meters while remaining open in both directions. The standout intercept of 29 meters at 2.3 grams per tonne gold near surface, with higher-grade zones approaching half an ounce, establishes the target's economic potential despite averaging 3-5 meters in true thickness.The company's breakthrough deployment of ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology successfully mapped dyke structures under cover, enabling a step-out discovery 150-200 meters along strike. This proven methodology now provides a systematic tool to test 45 identified felsic dyke occurrences across the southwestern block.Perhaps most significantly, Toogood validated the Melange contact as a new discovery vector. Three inaugural holes at this previously undrilled 10-kilometer geological boundary all intersected gram-to-multi-gram gold, confirming historical surface sampling. The southwestern Quinlan holes—delivering the program's best results—are vectoring toward where the Quinlan trend and Melange contact converge, creating a high-priority structural intersection target.Simultaneously, the company secured a binding letter of intent for Nevada's Table Mountain project, featuring a 4-kilometer by 2-kilometer alteration cell matching the footprint of the 16-million-ounce Silicon-Merlin system. Outcropping epithermal quartz veins with textbook characteristics show no evidence of previous drilling despite anomalous to multi-gram gold values.With $3.2 million in treasury plus $600,000 in flow-through financing, Toogood maintains adequate capital to advance systematic exploration programs at both projects without immediate dilution, targeting Q3 2026 for Nevada drilling while expanding Newfoundland's geological understanding through regional geochemistry.View Toogood Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/toogood-goldSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

Interview with Wes Hanson, President & CEO of Thunder Gold Corp.Recording date: 2nd March 2026Headline: Thunder Gold's Tower Mountain: A Large-Scale Ontario Gold Project With a Clear Re-Rating PathThunder Gold Corp (TSXV:TGOL) is developing the Tower Mountain gold project in northwestern Ontario, 40 kilometres from Thunder Bay. The company recently published a maiden resource estimate of 3.5 million ounces comprising 3 million inferred and 500,000 indicated ounces, and is targeting 5 million ounces alongside a preliminary economic assessment by the end of the current year. For investors evaluating junior gold equities, Tower Mountain offers an unusual combination of geological consistency, infrastructure accessibility, exploration upside, and a management team with direct open-pit development experience.The deposit's defining characteristic is the predictability of its drill results. Of 190 holes drilled across 47,000 metres of total drilling, 180 returned average grades of 0.33 to 0.37 g/t across full hole lengths, from surface to the bottom of each hole, regardless of depth or rock type. This is the hallmark of a large, disseminated intrusion-related gold system where gold is distributed evenly through a wide pyrite cloud rather than concentrated in narrow, unpredictable shear zones. That consistency translates directly into lower operational risk in a future mining scenario and a more straightforward path through the economic study process.The project's infrastructure position is equally compelling. Paved highway, rail access, and existing utilities sit within 3 kilometres of the resource pit. The site is accessible year-round, and a 40-minute drive away from Thunder Bay city with an established mining services sector. These factors significantly reduce the capital intensity of any future development compared to remote northern projects where road and power construction alone can consume hundreds of millions of dollars before a shovel enters the ground.The near-term investment case centres on resource category conversion. At current per-ounce market valuations of $10–20 for inferred ounces, Thunder Gold trades at a meaningful discount to more advanced peers. The company's stated priority to infill drilling to convert inferred ounces to indicated status has historically produced three-to-four-times increases in per-ounce valuations without requiring new discovery. With approximately $5 million in treasury and 66 cents of every dollar directed into drilling, management has the capital to execute that program and deliver a credible PEA.The longer-term case rests on the three unexplored contacts of the intrusive body, each carrying geophysical signatures consistent with the known western resource. If those contacts host comparable mineralization, the total resource could approach 12 million ounces, a scale that places Tower Mountain firmly in the range of acquisition targets for mid-tier producers facing reserve depletion at current gold prices.At a gold price that has fundamentally re-rated the economics of large-tonnage, lower-grade deposits, Tower Mountain sits in a strategically attractive position: sufficient scale to matter to a mid-tier acquirer, infrastructure to support competitive capital costs, and enough drilling upside to justify continued exploration investment. The key near-term variables are drill results and PEA delivery. Investors willing to accept early-stage resource and liquidity risk may find the current valuation offers meaningful upside relative to those catalysts.View Thunder Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/thunder-gold-corpSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com