Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast Podcast Rob Tyson

In this episode, we chat to Danny Keating, President & CEO of Giyani Metals who are a battery metal development company focused on becoming one of Africa's first low-carbon producers of high-purity manganese sulphate mono-hydrate, a pre-cursor material used by lithium-ion battery manufacturers for the expanding (EV) market and they are currently developing a portfolio of high-quality manganese oxide assets within the Kanye Basin, in south-eastern Botswana, Africa.
Danny’s background is in both engineering and commercial & accounting working in executive management for over 15 years. He talks about their recent US$26 million fundraising, plans for the next 18 months as they are finalising their Demonstration Plant for producing high-purity battery grade manganese (HPMSM) ready for offtaker testing in Q4, and developing their Definitive Feasibility Study which is due in the first half of 2025.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Giyani Metals is focused on becoming one of Africa's first low-carbon producers of high-purity manganese sulfite monohydrate for the expanding EV market. Giyani Metals recently raised $26 million in capital from strategic investors ARCH and the IDC, showcasing a strong endorsement and support for the company's vision. The construction and commissioning of the demonstration plant is a key milestone for Giyani Metals, as it will demonstrate the process flow sheet and provide a continuous production of high-purity battery-grade manganese. The involvement of strategic investors like ARCH and the IDC not only provides financial support but also brings a focus on ESG aspects and long-term patient capital, setting a solid foundation for project financing. Giyani Metals is well-positioned in the high-purity manganese market, with a focus on meeting the increasing demand for manganese in battery chemistries, aligning with the industry's shift towards lower nickel, reduced cobalt, and increased manganese content. BEST MOMENTS
"We spent almost a year going through due diligence with these groups, which is a ringing endorsement when we get to the end and they make a substantive investment." 
"We're trying to assist in the energy transition. That's very important in terms of some of the sustainability aspects." 
"We want to make sure that we're observing the highest social, environmental and governance aspects." 
"We have the permits and licensing, the DFS and the demonstration plant all the way through to the offtake. So an exciting 12 months ahead of us in terms of delivering on all these aspects." 
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
Web: https://giyanimetals.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giyani-metals/
X: https://x.com/GiyaniMetals
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson 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, the 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' organisations 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/
Podcast Description
Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig D

In this episode, we chat with Blair Carson, President & CEO of Gladiator Gold Mines who are a U.S. based minerals firm focused on the development of their unique high-grade, 100% owned gold mine in Arizona. They own 2,300 acres with a potential of up to 1.8 million oz gold equivalent resources from known exploration targets.
Blair has over 38 years of experience in project development and marketing, having founded Gold Reef Mining LLC and served as CEO of Nor-Quest Arizona, as well as previously serving in management positions with other mining firms. He gives us the story behind Gladiator Gold Mines and how they are looking to progress the project.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Gladiator Gold Mines is focused on a high-grade gold mine in Arizona with approximately 0.43 ounces per ton of gold, making it a significant project in terms of grade. The mine has a rich history dating back to the 1870s, with previous mining activities and a proven track record of production, providing a solid foundation for future operations. In addition to gold, the mine also contains silver, lead, zinc, and copper, offering potential for multiple metal credits during processing. The project aims for zero discharge by utilising paste backfill technology and backfilling underground stokes, showcasing a commitment to environmentally friendly mining practices. The short-term goal is to increase the mill capacity and start production, with long-term plans to expand operations, develop additional veins, and potentially extend the project's lifespan to 20-30 years. BEST MOMENTS
"I think the biggest thing about the Gladiator Gold mine is the grade. There are some other projects that have as high a grade as we do. We have approximately 0.43 ounces per ton of gold."
"The current status of the project is we've got approximately 94,000 ounces of gold in the proven and probable category. We believe that with the land position that we have in the project, that we've got tremendous upside."
"The short term plan is to get our capital raised behind us and put this project into production, start generating some cash flow, get into the underground."
"The environmental climate is, in certain jurisdictions, it can be quite difficult. We're fortunate that we're in a mining-friendly area, and I think that has a lot of benefits."
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
Blair LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-carson-b63b9027/
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson 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, the 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' organisations 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/
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,

In this episode, we chat with Geoff McNamara, Co-founder and Non-exec director of Tesoro Gold who are focused on exploring gold assets with the potential to be district-scale mining projects whilst developing their flagship asset, their El Zorro project.
Geoff has over 30 years of international resource sector experience as a Founder, Geologist, Project Manager & Fund Manager working for the likes of Societe Generale, Ivanhoe Mines, Lion Ore International, and Western Mining Corporation. We discuss what Tesoro Gold has been up to with their drilling campaign, what work they have been doing with the local communities, and an update on what is happening in Chile as a country and mining destination.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Tesoro Gold's El Zorro project is the first intrusive related gold system discovered in Chile, with a 1.5 million ounce resource and potential for further expansion. The El Zorro project is strategically located near the coast, national highway, and infrastructure, making it an ideal working environment for mining operations. Tesoro Gold actively engages with local communities in Caldera, Copiapo, and Chanaral, sourcing personnel and services locally and supporting community initiatives. Ongoing drilling programs aim to expand the Ternera deposit to 2 million ounces in the next 12-18 months and potentially to 3 million ounces within 24-36 months. The outlook for copper and gold is optimistic, driven by supply-demand dynamics, infrastructure needs, and central bank buying, with potential for significant growth in the market. BEST MOMENTS
"We've made a discovery, as I mentioned, that's the first intrusive related gold system discovered and defined in Chile."
"We do have a 3 million ounce exploration target on the Ternera deposit, which is, as I mentioned, currently 1.5 million ounces." 
"The reality is, yes, tax rates have gone up for copper miners. They now sit around that sort of mid-20s for corporate tax." 
"I think the market's very favourable for copper. I think artificial intelligence on its own is going to drive a lot of demand for copper." 
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
Website: https://tesorogold.com.au/
Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tesoro-gold/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-mcnamara-020867219/
Email: geoff.mcnamara@tesorogold.com.au
X: https://x.com/tesorogoldltd
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson 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, the 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' organisations 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/
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 guidanc

In this episode, we chat to Graham Trusler, CEO and founder of Digby Wells Environmental who provide environmental, social, and sustainability solutions for the resource, infrastructure, energy, and agriculture sectors. Their services range from exploration to extraction to rehabilitation and closure as they have the knowledge to support you through every milestone of the project life cycle.
Graham has 30 years of experience within the mining industry in metallurgical production, research, and environmental issues and talks about best environmental practices in our industry and what mining companies can do to improve standards across the globe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Graham Trusler, CEO and founder of Digby Wells Environmental, has 30 years of experience in the mining industry, specialising in environmental issues. Digby Wells Environmental provides a range of services for the mining industry, including environmental impact assessments, closure plans, and social consultation. Mining companies need to comply with international standards, such as those set by the International Finance Corporation, regardless of the country they operate in. Climate change is a significant challenge for mining operations, requiring adaptation strategies to manage risks and opportunities. The outlook for Digby Wells Environmental is positive, with plans to expand offices in Africa, North America, and Australia to meet the growing demand for their services. BEST MOMENTS
"The funders, whether they're from a banking community, they normally go with International Finance Corporation or IFC rules and guidelines." 
"It's been very positive over the last while, and fortunately in our space, the needs for our services are continuing to grow." 
"So our bread and butter used to be environmental impact assessments or environmental and social impact assessments as they are now." 
"I think it's a legitimacy challenge in a lot of the first world countries where the money is going to come from." 
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
LinkedIn: Digby Wells Environmental (https://www.linkedin.com/company/digby-wells-environmental/) 
Facebook: Digby Wells Environmental (https://www.facebook.com/DigbyWellsEnvironmental)
Instagram: @Digbywellsenviromental ( https://www.instagram.com/digbywellsenvironmental/?hl=en)
Email Adress : info@Digbywells.com
Contact details: 011 789 9495
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson 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, the 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' organisations 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/
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 a

In this episode, we have a returning guest who appeared back in December 2022 (Episode 298). Alex Walker, CEO of East Star Resources, who are focused on the discovery and development of gold and copper deposits in Kazakhstan and have recently been part of BHP’s Xplor programme.
Alex is a mining investment banker and resources executive based full-time in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Originally from Australia and also a former Captain in the Australian Army Reserves, he has more than 15 years of mining finance and management experience and in this episode, he provides us with an update on the company since we last spoke, their experience, and key takeaways from the Xplor programme and the progress they have been making across their assets.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Alex has been focusing on gold and copper deposits in Kazakhstan. East Star Resources has been part of BHP's Xplor program, which has accelerated the company's progress over the last six months. The company has been digitising data and advancing VMS assets, with a focus on high-grade copper deposits. Alex Walker has been actively involved in promoting mining and exploration in Kazakhstan through the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines. The next 12 months for East Star Resources involve finalising processes, potential joint ventures, and further exploration to achieve significant milestones. BEST MOMENTS
"We've been able to get two targets on the belt. We've been able to advance those in terms of soil sampling, and we've been doing spectral analysis on all of those as we speak." 
"It's not unrealistic to think that we won't have, you know, a couple of joint ventures on the cards as well, either in the porphyry exploration or in the SED or both, or something a bit more general." 
"We've got Chris as our new technical director. We've got a new exploration manager who's also been living here for a couple of years and is fantastic in helping bring out our policies and our procedures."
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
https://www.eaststarplc.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/east-star-resources/
https://x.com/EastStar_PLC
Investor presentation: https://www.eaststarplc.com/_files/ugd/9a9edb_9ff2d0d6c72d4b509708827e491759ce.pdf
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson 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, the 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' organisations 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/
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. 

In this episode, we chat with Charlie King, CEO of Tribe Tech who are a disruptive developer and manufacturer of autonomous mining equipment established in 2019 in Western Australia and has since established a headquarters and manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland.
Charlie is a highly experienced manager with over 15 years of commercial and operations experience in mineral exploration working for three of the biggest drilling companies in Western Australia. As the CEO of Tribe Tech, he shares what the company has achieved in a short space of time and how their automated equipment can benefit company's exploration activities.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Tribe Tech was established in 2019 in Western Australia and has since expanded to Northern Ireland. The company specialises in developing and manufacturing autonomous mining equipment, with a focus on improving exploration activities in the mining industry. Tribe Tech took on the challenge of designing autonomous mining equipment from the ground up, aiming to create machines that operate without the need for human operators. This approach required significant development hours and a unique perspective on automation in the mining sector. Despite facing challenges and skepticism from the industry, Tribe Tech has achieved significant milestones, including securing contracts with major players like Anglo American and Major Drilling. The company's success is evident in its 100% tender success rate and growing demand for its autonomous equipment. Tribe Tech's focus for the next 12 months includes commercializing existing products, improving systems quality and performance, and aiming to become a self-generating profitable business. The company plans to continue solving industry challenges and driving innovation in the mining sector. BEST MOMENTS
"I thought the return on investment for purchases of our equipment would be the saving in costs of personnel. But the way we believe our IP functions is actually about getting more bit on bottom a whole time drilling during a shift." 
"We see our technology as helping enable a lot of that and the kind of real digital transition and trends that are happening within the sector." 
"We want to continue to find areas where the sector and the big players maybe have neglected a niche. Maybe it's too small a market segment for them to take on, or they view the challenge as too big." -
"We've worked through to get to a point where our first autonomous sampling system commercial model has been deployed out for Anglo-American in South Africa."
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
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tribe-tech-group/
ABOUT THE HOST
Rob Tyson 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, the 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' organisations 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/
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 inform