In this podcast, we discuss, educate and talk about industry news and hot topics, company reviews and live interviews with mining professionals and leading figures in the mining industry. Introducing your host Rob Tyson, Founder and Director of Mining International, a leading recruitment and headhunting agency based in the UK specialising in mining across the globe. We source and discover new talent to fill those difficult or challenging vacancies our clients have.
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Why Mineralogy and Heavy Rare Earths Define the Western Supply Chain
Episode 664
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 34:17
In this episode we chat to Don Swartz, CEO and President of Rare Earths Americas, a company advancing a portfolio of rare earth projects across Brazil and the United States.
We discuss the recent discoveries and heavy rare earth potential at Homer-A, the scale and development plans for Alpha in Brazil, and the emerging Foothills Rare Earths District in Georgia.
Don also gives us his perspective on why mineralogy matters more than headline grade, the challenges of building a Western rare earth supply chain, and why critical minerals represent a decades-long industrial challenge that the West is now trying to solve in just a few years.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Deposit style and metallurgy matter far more than headline grades, as conventional flowsheets like ionic clays and monazite deliver saleable concentrates at a fraction of the capital expenditure of bespoke hard-rock projects.
While light rare earth processing has expanded, the Western supply chain faces an acute shortage of heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium, driving significant ex-China price premiums.
Benefiting from advanced mining frameworks, clean hydroelectric power, and rich ionic clay deposits, Brazil is poised to become the premier global hub for rare earth production outside Asia.
Revitalising the Western critical minerals industry is fundamentally constrained by a shortage of technical talent and mining engineering expertise rather than just access to capital.
BEST MOMENTS
"I always say that you should watch how explorers vote, because it's usually with drill rigs."
"If you fast forward to 5, 10, 15 years from now, Brazil will undoubtedly be the epicenter of ex-China, ex-Southeast Asia rare earth production."
"There's a lot of processors now that have moved, but what the West has not solved is where the heavies will come from."
"You think about how many lawyers the United States graduates in a year versus how many mining engineers... The amount of skill, know-how, and developing these projects starts with the people."
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 RESOURCES
https://rareearthsamericas.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rare-earths-americas/home
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/
Cornish Lithium, Dual Extraction, and the Race for Domestic Critical Minerals
Episode 663
Monday, September 28, 2026 • Duration 34:24
In this episode we speak to Jamie Airnes, CEO of Cornish Lithium, a pioneering mineral extraction company focused on extracting lithium from hard rock and geothermal waters in Cornwall, in the UK. The company that is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and they appeared within the first few episode of starting this podcast in 2018 when the business was still very much an exploration story.
So 10 years on, it’s developing two different routes to extracting lithium from Cornwall, from hard rock and geothermal waters, as it looks to establish a domestic source of this increasingly important critical mineral for the UK.
Jamie joins us to discuss how far the company has come, the technology behind its two extraction routes, finding the skills and people needed to build a new UK lithium industry and what differentiates its approach from other lithium projects.
We’ll also look at why domestic lithium production matters to the UK, what support is needed from Government, and where Jamie sees Cornish Lithium and the wider UK mining industry over the next 5-10 years from now.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Cornish Lithium is taking a dual-track approach by developing both hard-rock extraction at Trelavour and direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines across Cornwall.
The company’s patented "Lepidico" (L-Max/L-OH / now Licontrol) hydrometallurgical processing enables more efficient, lower-energy lithium refining with reduced water use and minimal waste.
Developing domestic supply is essential to meet the UK government’s mandate of 50,000 tonnes per year by 2035, helping end complete reliance on foreign imports and mitigating global price volatility.
Retaining regional mining talent and collaborating with educational institutions and government are vital to scaling the workforce and delivering a projected £5 billion economic impact to Cornwall.
BEST MOMENTS
"The reality is, it's very very similar in many many ways... The subsurface is really important. It’s really important to understand your subsurface in any project, any development project."
"We have an insatiable demand for electrification, whether it's in the handheld devices that we use, whether it's in electric cars or BESS... Today we produce zero, and I'm a firm believer that where we have the opportunity to do so, we should be producing our own."
"The supply and demand curves just now are acutely balanced, and they are subject to potential manipulation or indeed manipulation... China controls about 70% of the global supply chain."
"Price certainty is really important, and we need the government to stand up, to recognise the challenge, and to work with industry and with Cornish Lithium to provide a solution that stands up our projects and stands up our industry."
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 RESOURCES
Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/cornishlithium
Website: https://cornishlithium.com/
Email: info@cornishlithium.com
Social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/17936814/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cornishlithium/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cornish_lithium
X: https://x.com/CornishLithium
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cornishlithium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cornishlithium8136
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/
Navigating Public Markets & Critical Minerals with Nick Davis
Episode 662
Monday, September 21, 2026 • Duration 32:44
In this episode, we chat to Nick Davis from Haynes Boone, a leading adviser to AIM-listed mining and natural resources companies. We discuss what mining companies need to get right when accessing the public markets, how geopolitics and critical minerals are changing the investment landscape, and why AIM continues to play an important role in funding growth-stage mining companies.
Nick also shares lessons the mining sector can learn from other industries and what management teams should be focusing on to attract capital and create long-term value.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
AIM Market Regulatory Shift: Recent rule updates have streamlined listing requirements in London, making AIM an increasingly attractive platform for dual-listed growth-stage mining companies.
Geopolitics & Critical Minerals: Supply chain security and defense demands—particularly around metals like tungsten, lithium, and copper—are bringing Western governments directly into project funding via debt, equity, and offtake support.
Blended Financing Structures: Public equity remains central, but modern junior and mid-cap miners are increasingly combining equity with government grants, royalty arrangements, and strategic corporate offtakes.
Adopting Tech-Style Storytelling: Mining management teams must move beyond presenting technical drill data and instead frame a clear, engaging narrative for institutional and retail investors across digital channels.
Core CEO Strategy: Long-term market value is built on conservative target-setting, strong corporate governance, and maintaining a local community license to operate.
BEST MOMENTS
"A listing is for life, not just for Christmas... getting the building blocks in place can take a significant period of time."
"Under-promise and over-deliver... that is the most guaranteed way to make your investors happy."
"Tech companies are brilliant at telling their story and engaging with their audience... the days of running around town with a deck that just talks about the resource for 20 pages of technical analysis are evolving."
"Critical mineral mining is not just a commodity story... it's a strategic, geopolitical, and capital market story."
"Always take capital when it's there... because it may not be there tomorrow." x
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 RESOURCES
https://www.haynesboone.com/locations/london
https://www.instagram.com/haynesboone/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/haynes-and-boone-llp/home/
https://x.com/haynesboone
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/haynes-boone-london/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/haynes-and-boone-llp/
Haynes Boone’s Website - https://www.haynesboone.com/
Nick’s profile - https://www.haynesboone.com/people/davis-nick
Nick’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-davis-12471513/
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/
Unlocking the Guiana Shield: Exploring District-Scale Gold at Antino with Colin Padget
Episode 661
Thursday, September 17, 2026 • Duration 28:36
In this episode we speak to Colin Padget, President and CEO of Founders Metals, a gold exploration company advancing the Antino Gold Project in Suriname.
Colin is a geologist with a strong business background and has helped lead the team through an impressive period of exploration success at Antino, with 11 discoveries identified across the property to date.
We discuss the story behind Antino, its wider district-scale potential, the growing relationship with Gold Fields, Colin’s transition into the CEO role, and why Suriname and the wider Guiana Shield could represent one of the more exciting underexplored gold regions globally.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
District-Scale Discovery Engine: Founders Metals has demonstrated vast mineralization potential across its 100,000-plus hectare land package at the Antino Gold Project in Suriname, notching 11 discoveries to date.
Tier-1 Mining Validation: Major gold producer Gold Fields made a cumulative investment of roughly $100 million USD to secure a 19.9% stake in Founders Metals, offering both strong market validation and valuable technical collaboration.
Blending Exploration with Business Acumen: Transitioning from geologist to CEO requires building a balanced technical team and knowing when to steer exploration toward mineable resources rather than open-ended science experiments.
Modern Tech Pierces the Jungle Cover: Implementing high-resolution LiDAR and modern geophysics has revolutionized exploration through dense jungle canopy, allowing Founders to identify historic workings and uncover structural trends missed by previous operators.
BEST MOMENTS
"It feels a bit cliché when you're an exploration company in the Guiana Shield... everyone has one of those slides in their deck where it shows West Africa and the Guiana Shield and that the continents used to be together... but it really was that."
"There's a validation piece that comes with having a major gold miner... take that level of interest in the company... They didn't invest in us to take it over and tell us what to do; they've been happy with what we've been doing."
"The number one thing is knowing, as a project geologist running a program, when does it stop being about the growth of a future resource or something that's mineable, and when does it turn into a science experiment?"
"Hands down, just being able to see through that cover... LiDAR is able to see through it down to the centimeter scale... We can see where there's been something dug 50 years ago, and take that as something worth going to check up on."
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 RESOURCES
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/founders-metals/
X: Founders Metals Inc. (@FoundersMetals) / X
Instagram: Founders Metals Inc. (@foundersmetals) • Instagram photos and videos
IR Contact: Costner Morrison, Director, Investor Relations - costnerm@fdrmetals.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/
The Autonomous Pit: Uniting Practical Autonomy and AI in Modern Mining
Episode 660
Monday, September 14, 2026 • Duration 25:14
In this episode we chat to Johann Dias, CEO of URSA Mining to discuss how autonomy and artificial intelligence are changing the mining industry.
We explore where the technology is delivering real value versus the hype, what mining companies need to consider before adopting autonomous systems, and how executives can manage the risks involved.
We also look at the impact on people and skills, whether technology can help mining attract the next generation of talent, and ultimately, what the mine of the future could look like ten years from now
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Autonomy delivers the greatest value when applied to simple, repetitive, low-variance tasks rather than attempting to solve every operational challenge at once.
Mining operations can lower adoption risk by starting with safe, low-impact test sites before rolling out autonomous tech to high-pressure production zones.
Attracting the next generation of mining talent relies on offering hands-on responsibility with emerging technologies rather than treating tech as a corporate afterthought.
The mine of the future will increasingly shift toward remote digital command centers, improving safety by drastically reducing the number of personnel required on-site.
BEST MOMENTS
"Digitization creates visibility, AI creates efficiency, and autonomy leverages visibility to compound efficiency."
"Technology is really a tool, it is not a Band-Aid to solve deeper problems that can exist within the operation, but when implemented correctly, the upside can be absolutely massive."
"Hype cycle is saying that autonomy can do everything and anything all the time, and the grounded, much more pragmatic approach is to look at it from the sense of: where are our simplest tasks coming from, and can we put a machine on those tasks to perform it itself?"
"I envision the mines of the future to be run from command centers much like that Hoth base, where you can observe all the activity happening in real time."
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 RESOURCES
● https://ursamining.com/
● https://www.linkedin.com/company/ursa-mining/
● https://x.com/ursamining
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/
Tungsten West, Critical Minerals, and the UK Mining Comeback
Episode 659
Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 35:21
In this episode we chat to Jeff Court, CEO of Tungsten West, an AIM market listed mining company who own and operate the Hemerdon Mine at Drakelands, South Devon, in the UK; one of the world’s largest tungsten resources who are going to bring the Hemerdon mine back into full production
We discuss the restart of the mine, the project’s progress towards commissioning, the significance of recent UK Government support and funding, the UK mining industry and the key steps ahead as Tungsten West moves towards production.
Jeff also shares lessons from more than 30 years in mining and his experience delivering projects around the world and much more.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Backed by a £71 million funding package that includes the UK government as a strategic equity partner, Tungsten West has fully funded Hemerdon through to commercial production.
The company rapidly transitioned from securing capital to launching operations within roughly one week, running plant refurbishment and early production in parallel with ongoing new construction.
Hemerdon represents one of the world’s largest tungsten deposits outside China, positioning the UK as a critical supplier of raw materials for domestic defense and clean-energy supply chains.
To overcome regional recruitment shortages in Devon, the operation is prioritizing local hiring, on-the-job training, and transferrable problem-solving skills over prior mining experience.
BEST MOMENTS
"We're probably one of the fastest projects you'll ever see from 'we're fully funded' to 'we're producing', and give or take we're about a week in between those two processes."
"We now have the UK government as a long-term strategic equity partner in the project, and that means a huge amount to us."
"If someone said to me, could you do the same for a project that might be sitting in remote parts of Canada right now? I'd say, 'Hey Rob, come and talk to me in about 12 years.'"
"If you said what would be the rulebook before you started in this CEO role, I think, mate, you'd probably have thrown it out about twice since I joined and rewritten it again multiple times."
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 RESOURCES
● https://www.tungstenwest.com/
● https://www.linkedin.com/company/tungsten-west-plc/posts/
● https://x.com/TungstenWest?lang=en
● https://www.instagram.com/popular/tungsten-west/
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/
Unlocking Latin America’s Next Mega-Silver Discovery
Episode 658
Monday, September 7, 2026 • Duration 29:40
In this episode we chat to Daniel Muñiz, Executive Chairman of Sinda, an emerging silver discovery in Mexico with the potential to become one of Latin America’s largest primary silver assets.
We explore the story behind the discovery, what makes Sinda particularly exciting from a geological perspective, and the opportunity that remains across a project where around 74% is still significantly underexplored.
Daniel also talks us through the strategy of expanding the existing resource while pursuing district-scale exploration, the challenges of advancing both simultaneously, and what the next phase of work could unlock.
Finally, we look at Mexico’s position as the world’s leading silver-producing country, why it continues to generate world-class discoveries, and the role projects such as Sinda could play in meeting growing global demand for silver.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Sinda project hosts an estimated 800-million-ounce silver-equivalent resource within Mexico’s historic silver belt, positioned to become one of Latin America's largest primary silver assets.
Despite its already substantial footprint, only 26% of the 6,200-hectare property and 36% of mapped veins have been drilled, signalling significant district-scale expansion potential.
Backed by $330 million raised from its IPO, the company is advancing underground decline development while running an extensive drilling fleet to target production by 2031.
Sinda navigates Mexico’s evolving regulatory landscape by treating community, environment, security, technical skill, and permitting as integrated priorities to de-risk development.
BEST MOMENTS
""It's kind of like the gift that keeps on giving... it’s an elephant, a tiger by the tail, a whale—it will be more than one billion ounces, and we are just scratching the surface today."
"In communities, it's not just about winning passive social license; it's about generating active community sponsorship."
"I think people believe mining in Mexico has become very restrictive, but that's wrong—it's not restrictive, it is selective. If you keep to the rules of good practice, you really get things done."
"I am very convinced that all silver roads lead to Mexico."
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 RESOURCES
● https://www.linkedin.com/company/sindamx/
● https://sinda.mx/en/
● https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587560758521
● https://www.instagram.com/sindamexico/
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/
De-Risking a Mega-Porphyry: Inside Solaris Resources' Warintza Project with Matthew Rowlinson
Episode 657
Thursday, September 3, 2026 • Duration 32:22
In this episode we chat to Matthew Rowlinson, President and CEO at Solaris Resources to discuss the development of Warintza in Ecuador, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper projects.
We explore what differentiates Warintza from other major copper discoveries, the critical steps required to move a resource of this scale towards construction, and how Solaris is thinking about financing and ownership as the project becomes increasingly de-risked.
We also look at the wider copper market in particular; why the industry isn’t building enough new mines despite forecasts of a future supply shortage, the growing importance of geopolitics and China’s role in downstream refining, and what the mining industry needs to do to secure the social and political support required to develop the next generation of major copper mines.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Warintza is an open-pit copper porphyry project in southeastern Ecuador boasting a 5.8-billion-tonne resource, a 55-year mine life, and an advantageous 0.5-to-1 strip ratio.
Solaris is targeting mid-2027 to achieve a fully permitted status, aiming for a final investment decision (FID) by the end of 2027 followed by an estimated three-year build.
Upstream mine ownership does not guarantee supply security because Western development has lagged behind China's dominant 50% to 60% share of global smelting and refining capacity.
The primary barrier to meeting the global copper shortage is not the lack of raw resources, but the lengthy timelines and the scarcity of projects that have successfully aligned permitting, social license, and technical studies into a truly financeable package.
BEST MOMENTS
"There’s a difference between a very good ore body, a good project, and ultimately a financeable project... in the world today there's very few projects that are actually probably financeable."
"Mining is really the procurement arm of the world... industrialization and urbanization has only happened through ultimately mining."
"Western governments are looking at independence of supply chains... However, owning a mine in Latin America, owning a mine in the DRC... does not necessarily solve the supply chain issue because your concentrates are ultimately going to go to China to be processed."
"Partnership... is not necessarily just about bringing in capital. It’s really about bringing in expertise, bringing in a balance sheet that really is solid, and the ability to go and construct."
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 RESOURCES
https://www.solarisresources.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/solaris-resources-inc/?originalSubdomain=ca
https://x.com/SolarisResource
Email address: info@solarisresources.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/
West Africa’s Next Major Discovery: Andrew Chubb on Awalé Resources and the Art of Exploration
Episode 656
Monday, August 31, 2026 • Duration 36:56
In this episode we chat to Andrew Chubb, CEO of Awale Resources, to discuss the company’s exploration journey at the Odienné Gold-Copper Project in Côte d’Ivoire and what it really takes to make a significant mineral discovery.
We explore what gave Andrew the early conviction to keep pushing at Odienné what the successes and importantly the failures have taught the team, and what still needs to be demonstrated for the project to emerge as a significant gold-copper district.
We also get Andrew’s perspective on the wider exploration industry: how technology is changing the way we explore, knowing when to keep drilling or walk away, why billions spent on exploration aren’t resulting in more major discoveries, and what advice he would give the next generation of geologists.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Disciplined mineral exploration relies on letting incoming data continuously refine deposit models rather than becoming emotionally attached to initial theories.
Côte d’Ivoire has evolved into a premier mining-friendly jurisdiction due to forward-thinking policy, rapid 4-year development timelines, and extensive regional electrification.
The lack of tier-one discoveries from massive global exploration spending highlights the advantage agile junior explorers have over large producers when executing field programs.
Having significant exploration capital requires geologists to maintain financial discipline, evaluate mining economics early, and avoid overextending on early-stage targets.
BEST MOMENTS
"If you look at it from a geologist perspective... there’s sort of a bit of a joke that goes around geologists of 'he who sees the most rocks wins'."
"People ask the question, you know, 'Would you put your house on a project?' I effectively did... I was all in, if you like, from a poker perspective."
"I sort of have a philosophy of you never completely discount a target, you just put it on the shelf. Because the next one... might actually give you insights into what you got wrong on the last one."
"Don’t think that you’ve got—'Oh, I’ve got 20 million bucks, I can do what I like'... Still think about your budgets carefully and how you’re going to apply them, and let the geology tell the story."
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 RESOURCES
● https://awaleresources.ca/
● https://www.linkedin.com/company/awale-resources/
● https://x.com/AwaleResources
● https://www.youtube.com/@AwaleResources
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/
Unlocking Europe’s Critical Metals: How MetPro Is Revitalizing Norway’s High-Grade Copper-Zinc Belt
Episode 655
Thursday, August 27, 2026 • Duration 42:02
In this episode, we chat to Steele Hemmerich, President of MetPro (Metal Prospecting AS), a copper and zinc exploration company in Norway's Grong VMS District. He brings a rare blend of hands-on field experience and capital markets execution. He started his career in the oil and gas industry before moving into corporate finance, where he worked on transactions across the mining, oil and gas, and technology sectors.
Based in Dubai, he's evaluated mining projects across Europe, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia, and calls MetPro one of the most exciting he's come across, thanks to its drill-defined resource, Tier-1 jurisdiction and established infrastructure. In this episode, Steele joins the show to talk about MetPro's copper-zinc project in Norway and what it takes to bring a brownfield VMS district back into production.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
MetPro is fast-tracking the drill-defined Skiftesmyr copper-zinc deposit in Central Norway’s prolific Grong VMS district toward updated 43-101 compliance and pre-feasibility readiness.
Built on decades of historical exploration and production data, the project benefits from tier-one infrastructure including direct access to highways, renewable hydropower, rail lines, and deepwater ports.
The company’s multi-phase exploration program aims to expand resources beyond 6 million tonnes by testing open depths, strike extensions, and unaccounted high-grade gold and silver mineralization.
MetPro is strategically positioned to help close the EU’s critical raw materials supply gap by leveraging predictable Scandinavian permitting standards and brownfield development speed.
BEST MOMENTS
"We have over 18,000 meters of modern diamond drilling completed, so this isn't a story about starting from a blank page; we're building on decades of historical development."
"A great financial model built on shaky technical data is still a shaky project, no matter how clean the spreadsheet looks."
"Domestic mining is only covering maybe a quarter of what Europe actually consumes... it's currently above the minimum 10% that the CRMA is targeting, but it's still a long way off of being self-sufficient."
"Brownfield, previously drilled, tier-one jurisdiction with existing infrastructure—those can move from resource to production far faster than a greenfield discovery."
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 RESOURCES
Email: steele.hemmerich@metproas.com and info@metproas.com
Website: www.metproas.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/metpro-metal-prospecting-as/
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/
