Dig Deep

In this engaging discussion, Brad Valiukas, Managing Director of Kaiser Reef, shares his journey from hands-on roles in mining contracting to leading a successful gold producer in Australia. He highlights the importance of broad experience in mining, emphasizing that it fosters better leadership. Brad discusses the current gold market, advocating for a conservative yet optimistic approach to pricing. He also offers valuable advice for young professionals, urging them to seek diverse experiences and understand the industry's internal dynamics.

This time we talk to Brandon Smith, Co-Founder and CEO of SiTration, a company redefining metal recovery with a chemical-free separation process.   Brandon recently presented at the ACG Mine Closure conference, highlighting SiTration’s breakthrough results in recovery yields and purity — achieved without traditional chemical reagents.   We discuss how the technology works, what challenges come with scaling innovation in mining, and what the future of resource recovery could look like as SiTration grows. KEY TAKEAWAYS The technology is capable of recovering multiple metals, including copper, cobalt, nickel, and precious metals like gold and platinum, making it applicable across various mining and recycling processes. The company has successfully conducted tests with real-world samples, confirming that their recovery yields of over 90% and purity levels of 99% can be achieved outside of controlled laboratory conditions. While regulatory challenges are minimal due to the chemical-free nature of the process, technical and cultural barriers remain significant. The integration of technology could lead to more sustainable mining practices, enabling the recovery of critical minerals from waste streams and reducing the need for new mining projects BEST MOMENTS "Our main thesis in my PhD and postdoc work was if you could transition a lot of these standard kind of chemical and heat-based separations, you could reduce a lot of that energy consumption and have a major impact." "We can actually recover the copper in a very similar way just by mechanically removing it in a very kind of streamlined process from the electrodes." "The short answer is yes, absolutely. It can offset... we're probably never going to get away entirely from new mining, but we can drastically supplement the supply chain with critical minerals recovered from waste." "We want that to loop back to how we're actually doing the mining and making it much more versatile and nimble." GUEST RESOURCES ●      www.sitration.com ●      Brendan's email: bsmith@sitration.com  ●      https://www.linkedin.com/company/sitration-inc ●      https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendansmith2/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

In today’s episode, we're joined by Martin Horgan, a well-known figure in the mining industry with a proven track record in exploration, development, and operations, from leading Toro Gold through to his time as CEO of Centamin.  Martin shares his thoughts on what drives him to set up a new mining company, what kind of opportunities he’s targeting next, and how his past experiences have shaped his approach to risk and value creation. We discuss whether gold remains his focus or if other minerals are on the radar, how market factors like high gold prices influence decision-making, and how investor perspectives align with management’s view of risk. Martin also reflects on the lessons learned from Toro and Centamin.  Martin is also going to be attending the upcoming Resourcing Tomorrow event - the premier gathering for the world’s mining leaders taking place in London from 2-4 December. What sets this event apart is its unmatched audience: C-level executives from the biggest mining companies worldwide, over 40 government ministers, leading mining technology providers, and many more mining professionals in the industry. Dig Deep The Mining Podcast is proud to partner with Resourcing Tomorrow. To register, go to https://hubs.ly/Q03JvH2K0 and use DIGDEEP10 for 10% off your pass. KEY TAKEAWAYS There is a strong desire to re-enter the mining sector, driven by a combination of personal enjoyment and the current geopolitical landscape, which presents unique opportunities for mineral supply and investment. When evaluating potential projects, the primary focus is on geological potential, followed by the stability and regulatory framework of the jurisdiction.  The current high gold prices influence decision-making, particularly in terms of project evaluation and negotiations with local partners. Funding Strategies: The choice between private equity and public markets for funding is crucial. BEST MOMENTS "I think it's a really interesting time within the sector where increasingly people are focusing back on it... where the various basic building blocks of society actually are sourced from." "We feel comfortable working somewhere within that sort of life cycle... there's probably more opportunity in the sort of exploration resource phase than there is maybe in the pre-development development phase." "I think the ideal model would be if you're in a cash flowing business, the listed space is very good... if you're in a pre-development basis, exploration as well, I think the private equity model works." GUEST RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-horgan-038b298/ VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Today we’re taking on a topic that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime: gender-based violence, or GBV, and what it means for mining’s culture, safety, and future. Joining me are three people who’ve helped bring this issue into sharper focus recently and their recent collaboration on The Intelligent Miner opened up a powerful and, at times, uncomfortable conversation about how mining can — and must — do better. Carly Leonida, founder and editor of The Intelligent Miner; Abbi Buxton, an independent consultant who partners with organisations across the resource sector, including mining companies, to tackle GBV and advance equality in workplaces and communities and Mahmood Sonday, Managing Director at Reos Partners, a global advisory firm that helps organisations address systemic challenges. He has worked with numerous mining companies to develop and implement strategies to successfully tackle GBV and harassment. KEY TAKEAWAYS The mining sector has a strong culture that can hinder open discussions about GBV. There is a need for leadership commitment to change this culture, which includes creating an environment where employees feel safe to speak up Tackling GBV requires a collaborative approach that involves not only mining companies but also governments, civil society, and communities Companies must go beyond relying solely on formal grievance mechanisms to understand the prevalence and nature of GBV within their organisations Addressing GBV is not a one-time project but requires sustained effort and commitment BEST MOMENTS "Gender-based violence is a human rights violation and I think often we forget that."  "The impacts of violence against women and girls amounts to something like 2% of global GDP every year, which is quite staggering when you think about it."  "The road to hell is paved with good intentions and bad incentives."  "It's not hard to imagine how these things that we might think are unadministrative or bureaucratic can lead to incidents of violence in the home or at work." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ ●      Intelligent Miner article: https://theintelligentminer.com/2025/07/16/silence-breeds-shame-why-the-mining-industry-needs-to-keep-talking-about-and-acting-upon-gender-based-violence/ ●      Intelligent Miner homepage: https://theintelligentminer.com/ ●      Carly's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlyleonida/ ●      Abbi's LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/abbi-buxton-67bba433  ●      Abbi's Email: abbi@abbibuxtonconsulting.com  ●      https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/unite/theme ●      Abbi's Briefing Paper: https://www.iied.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/2025-03/22610iied.pdf ●      Mahmood's LinkedIn profile: http://linkedin.com/in/mahmoodsonday ●      https://reospartners.com/  ●      Mahmood's Email: sonday@reospartners.com ●      https://reospartners.com/blog/gbv-positive-corporate-culture  CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Mark Cutifani, former CEO of Anglo American and Chair of the ICMM, brings invaluable insight into the world of mining. He discusses the critical need for trading across geopolitical blocks due to no single country dominating mineral supply. Mark highlights the lengthy project approval timelines as the real supply challenge, not the resources themselves. He emphasizes the importance of flexible production to outperform peers and warns of future supply bottlenecks in specialty alloys. Mark's advice on securing long-term contracts and boosting cyber defenses further underscores the industry's future resilience.

Dominic Raab, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and now Head of Global Affairs at Appian Capital Advisory, shares insights on his shift from politics to mining. He discusses the skyrocketing demand for critical minerals like cobalt and lithium, highlighting the geopolitical complexities involved. Raab emphasizes the importance of public–private partnerships in securing supply chains while addressing how the UK and Europe can remain competitive despite resource limitations. He also offers a bullish outlook for the mining industry, predicting significant growth and innovation in the coming years.

In today’s episode, we're joined by Darryn Quayle, Vice President, Global Mining Sector Leader at Worley, someone with deep experience across government, engineering, and sustainable mining development. Darryn recently returned from an intense and insightful visit to Brazil, as part of the Global Investor Commission on Mining 2030, where he and other industry leaders met with investors managing more than $130 trillion in assets, alongside government representatives and even President Lula himself. In this conversation, we’ll unpack what happened during that visit, from the discussions in Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, to the moving experience of revisiting the Brumadinho disaster site nearly six years on. We’ll also explore how Worley and the wider mining community are working to align investor expectations, sustainability goals, and real-world project delivery — shaping the partnerships and principles that could define the future of responsible mining. Darryn is also going to be attending the upcoming Resourcing Tomorrow event - the premier gathering for the world’s mining leaders taking place in London from 2-4 December. What sets this event apart is its unmatched audience: C-level executives from the biggest mining companies worldwide, over 40 government ministers, leading mining technology providers, and many more mining professionals in the industry. Dig Deep The Mining Podcast is proud to partner with Resourcing Tomorrow. To register, go to https://hubs.ly/Q03JvH2K0 and use DIGDEEP10 for 10% off your pass. KEY TAKEAWAYS The meeting with President Lula and his cabinet emphasised the importance of aligning government initiatives with investor expectations and sustainability goals Revisiting the site of the Brumadinho disaster served as a poignant reminder of the catastrophic consequences of mining failures, reinforcing the need for fundamental change There is a strong emphasis on the need for the mining industry to adopt first-of-a-kind technologies that can reduce environmental impacts BEST MOMENTS "When we did the investor tailings safety initiative, there was a lack of understanding what a tailings dam was" "Returning to the site after six years was a very surreal experience... I knew that site back to front, particularly up to the latter stages of the geography of the area" "Success looks like reshaping that story... mining is absolutely capable of a fundamental paradigm shift." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ GUEST SOCIALS https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryn-quayle-88016810/ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Elaine Dorward-King, a seasoned mining executive with over 30 years in the industry, shares her insights on the pivotal role of Boards of Directors. She discusses her transition from operational leadership to board service and highlights the importance of diverse perspectives in board recruitment. Elaine explains the necessity of effective corporate governance, detailing how independent directors help prevent governance failures. With a focus on ESG, she emphasizes its critical role in risk management and previews her upcoming panel on social license to operate.

In today’s episode, we're joined by Pascal Hamelin, President and CEO of Abcourt Mines, a Canadian gold producer and explorer with a strong footprint in Quebec. We’ll be discussing Abcourt’s flagship Sleeping Giant Mine, the company’s focus on narrow vein underground mining, and how innovation, automation, and community engagement are shaping its next phase of growth. Pascal is also going to be attending the upcoming Resourcing Tomorrow event - the premier gathering for the world’s mining leaders taking place in London from 2-4 December. What sets this event apart is its unmatched audience: C-level executives from the biggest mining companies worldwide, over 40 government ministers, leading mining technology providers, and more. Dig Deep The Mining Podcast is proud to partner with Resourcing Tomorrow so to register, go to https://hubs.ly/Q03JvH2K0 and use DIGDEEP10 for 10% off your pass. KEY TAKEAWAYS The company, originally focused on zinc, shifted to gold assets in Northern Quebec in the mid-2000s, leveraging its ownership of the Elder Mine and eventually acquiring the high-grade Sleeping Giant Mine and Mill in 2016. Abcourt secured financing in mid-2025 to restart the Sleeping Giant Mine, which boasts historically high-grade, narrow-vein underground gold (averaging 10.3 grams/tonne G/T) The company champions narrow-vein underground mining to minimise waste and surface disruption, a model with higher social acceptability Abcourt sees significant deep exploration potential at Sleeping Giant, believing the high-grade deposit extends to greater depths where "no one drilled yet" BEST MOMENTS "The main focus and why I came in was to actually start the Sleeping Giant Mine." "The issue we have with mining that narrow is the equipment is not there... I believe that the advancement of technology right now is going at full speed." "The belief is there's a giant at depth. And no one drilled at depth yet... So we're just scratching the surface on that deposit." "If you have an underground narrow-vein mine with 200 employees, 300 employees, with a 20, 30-year life – that's what people like." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Joining us today is Thomas Lamb, CEO of Myriad Uranium, who are breathing new life into the historic Copper Mountain District in Wyoming, a project first drilled by Union Pacific in the 1970s, but now being revived with modern tech, modern exploration thinking, and at a time when the U.S. urgently needs domestic uranium. We’re going to discuss what that actually means on the ground, how Myriad is modernising decades-old data, and whether AI is truly moving the needle in exploration… or still mostly buzz. KEY TAKEAWAYS New chemical assays on historical drill samples are revealing 60% higher grades of uranium than originally detected by the 1970s probe technology, which has the potential to transform the project's volume and grade. Tom highlights the danger of "analysis paralysis" in junior mining, suggesting that a lack of industry specialisation can sometimes lead to a bolder, more successful entrepreneurial path. The recent ban on Russian uranium imports and geopolitical factors are creating an urgent push to rebuild a domestic U.S. uranium industry This is perfectly positioning companies like Myriad Uranium, operating in the mining-friendly state of Wyoming, for massive growth. BEST MOMENTS "We have now a chance to do something special here... The high-grade uranium and significant volumes of it probably sits in these near-vertical faults instead of in a band of low-grade uranium kind of near surface." "The AI is absolutely incredible at inhaling [geochemical data] and delivering insights... you can get them in five or 10 minutes” “A lot of these projects would take months for a geologist having to go through all the and try and figure out the ratios." "If you can be in the centre of Wyoming, we're next to a highway, we're next to high tension power, we're next to the railway... and we've got lots and lots of uranium. This is the opportunities for juniors like ours." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ X:              ⁠https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson⁠  YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast⁠  Web:        ⁠http://www.mining-international.org⁠ GUEST SOCIALS  https://www.linkedin.com/company/myriaduranium/ https://www.facebook.com/myriaduranium https://x.com/MyriadUranium Website: https://myriaduranium.com/ Tom's Email: tlamb@myriaduranium.com CONTACT METHOD ⁠rob@mining-international.org⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/⁠ Podcast Description 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 into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.  This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/