The Evolution of Caledonia Mining and Its Journey in Zimbabwe

In this episode, we chat with Mark Learmonth, CEO of Caledonia Mining, who are a gold producer with a 64% stake in Blanket Mine and other assets in Zimbabwe.  Mark has over 25 years experience in corporate finance and investment banking, predominantly in the resources sector in Africa and has been with Caledonia Mining for over 15 years and tells us about the history of the company, their project and how Zimbabwe is as a mining jurisdiction. KEY TAKEAWAYS Caledonia Mining has shifted its focus primarily to gold production in Zimbabwe, particularly through its flagship asset, Blanket Mine, which has been operational since 1907. The company initially explored cobalt in Zambia but pivoted to gold after acquiring Blanket Mine in 2006 for $4 million. The potential of Zimbabwe's gold resources was recognised as largely untapped due to historical challenges in the country. Navigating Zimbabwe's complex bureaucratic and foreign exchange control systems poses significant challenges for mining companies. Caledonia Mining has developed expertise in managing these complexities, which has contributed to its success in the region. Caledonia Mining is advancing the Bilbo's project, which has a resource endowment of 2.5 million ounces of gold. The project is expected to produce 150,000 ounces annually over ten years, with plans to upgrade its preliminary economic assessment to a feasibility study. BEST MOMENTS "Zimbabwe is incredibly prospective for gold... it's pretty much elephant country."  "The biggest challenge comes down to foreign exchange controls... if you don't know what you're doing, you just go round and round in small circles." "We have this unique ability to navigate the administrative channels to make it work."  "Our approach... is to maximise the NPV per share of Caledonia."  VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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: https://www.linkedin.com/company/condor-resources/ Website: https://www.caledoniamining.com/X - https://x.com/CaledoniaMiningYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@caledoniaminingcorporation9285Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/caledonia-mining-corp-cal-/ 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 [email protected] 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 Adam Wooldridge, CEO of Cobre Ltd who are a copper exploration and development company with a focus on the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) in Botswana, one of the most prospective areas globally for new sedimentary copper discoveries. Adam is an experienced geophysicist and geologist with over 25 years of experience in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, where he has worked in exploration management and consulting positions across a variety of deposit types specialising in large-scale multi-disciplinary target generation. KEY TAKEAWAYS Cobre Limited is a copper exploration and development company primarily focused on the Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana, which is recognised as one of the most prospective areas globally for sedimentary copper discoveries. The company is exploring in-situ copper recovery methods, which offer advantages over traditional mining techniques, such as lower capital and operational costs, reduced environmental impact, and the ability to recover copper from lower-grade deposits. Participation in BHP's Xplor program has provided valuable insights into large-scale exploration strategies, emphasising a process-driven approach to identifying potential Tier 1 deposits rather than merely targeting specific sites. Cobre employs a three-pronged strategy that includes bulk-scale exploration for large deposits, strategic drilling for shorter-term returns, and a development story focused on advancing their flagship project. BEST MOMENTS "We found gravity hugely useful and we've basically taken the belt and broken it down into a series of sub basins... This allows you to be way more effective with your target generation." "If you can get your recovery rate to 40, 50 or 60%, you've got probably something on the lowest CapEx OpEx curve for mining." "The real key for us is if you have a higher grade zone and you use a traditional mining method, you're going to recover most of your ore body. Whereas here, you probably recover half." "The accessibility of your department of mines, for example, you can actually speak to people quite easily and have meetings with them." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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 W: www.cobre.com.au E: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-wooldridge-44a72788/  https://www.linkedin.com/company/cobre-limited/about/ X: https://x.com/cobrelimited  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 [email protected] 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 to Dr Pat Foster, Head of Camborne School of Mines & Professor in Mine Safety at University of Exeter where he lectures and undertakes research into the health, safety, and working environment aspects of mining and quarrying. Pat is going to talk to us about the Camborne School of Mines and discuss the eagerly awaited restart of the undergraduate mining engineering degree and also the recent introduction of the degree apprenticeship in mining engineering and how people within the industry can apply plus much more. Please share this episode to help improve mining as a brand and get more people interested in our industry. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Camborne School of Mines is set to reintroduce its undergraduate mining engineering degree next year, following a pause in 2020 due to low student intake. This decision is driven by increased demand for graduates in the mining sector, particularly in light of the UK's critical metals strategy. A new degree apprenticeship in mining engineering has been launched, allowing students to work while studying part-time. This model enables apprentices to gain practical experience and earn a salary without incurring student debt, making it an attractive option for those entering the industry. The new mining engineering degree will feature a common first year with a focus on generic engineering skills, followed by specialised modules in subsequent years. This structure aims to attract a broader pool of students and enhance employability by integrating essential skills relevant to the evolving mining industry. The development of the degree apprenticeship involved collaboration with industry stakeholders, including the Mining Association of the UK. This partnership ensures that the curriculum meets the needs of employers and prepares students for the challenges of modern mining practices. BEST MOMENTS "The demand for critical metals has really spurred this introduction... Our industry probably has never been as vital as it is now. It's crucial to the energy transition, the green economy." "Mining engineering takes the best bits of other engineering disciplines... It's not just about mining. Many of my peers have gone on to great things as well." "We need to work with industry, professional institutions. We all have a role in doing this... We need to promote ourselves." "If we want to improve the image, the branding, get more people into our industry... this episode needs to be shared." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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 Degree Apprenticeship https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/degreeapprenticeships/programmes/mining/ The Mining Engineering part-time degree (which is the equivalent of the degree apprenticeship for international students) https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/mining/miningb/ Contact email for Degree apprenticeships or the equivalent international part-time programme is: [email protected] Full-time course: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/mining/ 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 [email protected] 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 Fabian Baker, MD of Kingsrose, an ASX-listed junior miner on a mission to unearth vital mineral deposits that will help drive the world’s energy revolution and develop these resources as a force for good within local communities and the environment with projects in Norway and Finland. Fabian is a geologist with more than 12 years of experience in the mineral exploration industry with experience in the Balkan and Nordic regions, where he has successfully identified and negotiated the acquisition of a number of significant gold, copper, and base metal advanced exploration assets during his career. Fabian discusses Kingsrose, how the company has developed since inception, and what they are looking to achieve moving forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS Kingsrose started with a focus on building the Way Linggo Gold Silver mine in Indonesia, which was successful but faced challenges leading to closure in 2020. The company then shifted its focus back to exploration. The Penikat project in Finland is one of the highest grade undeveloped PGE's deposits globally. The project was overlooked by other juniors due to historical factors and recent environmental designations, but Kingsrose is working on obtaining permits for drilling. Kingsrose has invested in building a significant in-house geo and sustainability team, which sets them apart from other junior miners who often outsource these roles. This approach helps in better community engagement and access to opportunities. Over the next 12 months, Kingsrose aims to advance its projects significantly, including obtaining permits for drilling at Penikat, ongoing exploration campaigns with BHP, and acquiring a more advanced asset to further grow the company. BEST MOMENTS "I think don't look for perfect. Don't expect too much. Just look for an opportunity to get involved."  "The reality is, The odds are stacked against us. We need really high quality teams with multiple opportunities that we cycle through and test."  "For me, people are the best possible resource for a business. I'm a big believer in that."  "We're seeing around the world countless examples of projects being held up and delayed for environmental or social issues. And quite frankly, things can be done better."  VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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.kingsrose.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/kingsrose/ 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 [email protected] 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 Scott Hicks, VP Corporate Development at Lumina Group who are a collection of junior mining companies exploring for base and precious metals across the Americas. Scott has worked on a variety of equity, debt, and advisory assignments in Canada and Australia over the last few decades. He plays major roles in the group with Lumina Gold, Strategic Resources, and Fuerte Metals and talks about each company, its projects, the country, and the general outlook for each of their assets. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lumina Gold is focused on unlocking three key aspects to get the project shovel ready by the end of 2025: exploitation IPA agreement, permits, and completing the feasibility study. Strategic Resources is working on securing feed for the pellet plant and finalising the project finance package in the first half of 2025 for construction to begin. Fuerte, formerly known as Atacama Copper, is focusing on drilling in Mexico at the Cristina project and unlocking surface access to drill the porphyry in Chile. The Lumina Group is actively looking for new opportunities and projects to further expand and grow their portfolio in the Americas. BEST MOMENTS "We've seen the Chinese involvement in Africa and South America continue to be strong."  "We're trying to lock down the feed with a trader to get the DR grade iron into the plant."  "We're trying to get Lumina Gold shovel ready in the next year and a bit."  "We need to educate our industry and improve the image and brand of mining."  VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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://luminagold.com/ https://strategic-res.com/ https://www.fuertemetals.com/news/atacama-copper-to-become-fuerte-metals/ 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 [email protected] 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 Melanie Leighton, CEO of Titan Minerals, a junior miner focussed on discovering and developing Tier One copper-gold deposits in Ecuador’s southern Andean copper-gold belt. Melanie is a geologist with over 20 years of experience in the resource sector, spanning multiple commodities, deposits, and jurisdictions. She has held senior management and geological roles with Hot Chili Limited, Harmony Gold, Hill 50 Gold, and Northwest Resources, gaining practical and management experience within the areas of exploration, mining, resource development, stakeholder engagement, and investor relations. Melanie gives us an overview of Titan Minerals and its flagship Dynasty Gold project, how she got into the mining industry and what Ecuador is like as a mining jurisdiction, and much more. KEY TAKEAWAYS Titan Minerals is primarily focused on exploring and developing tier one copper gold deposits in Ecuador's southern Andean copper gold belt. The company boasts a team with extensive experience in the resources sector, including geologists with backgrounds in major mining companies like Newmont and Barrick. Titan Minerals utilises various exploration techniques such as collecting foundation data sets, systematic soil geochemistry, and regional aeromagnetics to drive their exploration efforts. Despite past challenges, the current Ecuadorian government is supportive of mining as a means to revitalise the economy, offering incentives and guarantees to attract foreign investment. The company's main focus is on the Dynasty project, aiming to double the current 3 million ounces of gold to 5-6 million ounces through resource drilling efforts and feasibility studies. Additionally, they are seeking joint venture partners for their copper projects. BEST MOMENTS "Ecuador, I guess the geology and the metallogenic belts are the same as what we see in sort of Chile, Peru and Colombia to the north, but Ecuador is kind of like a gap in the middle there."  "I entered the industry because I never wanted an office job, which ironically now a lot of my work is office based, but I really loved the idea of exploring adventures."  "The government do see mining as a big part of the future for Ecuador. They do see it as part of their strategy to revitalise the economy."  "I think there's a critical mass now that's building in terms of those majors and in a royalty streaming groups that are all invested significantly in Ecuador in recent years."  VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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/titan-minerals-ltd/ https://twitter.com/MineralsTitan https://www.facebook.com/titanmineralssas/ www.titanminerals.com.au [email protected] [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 to Assheton Carter, CEO of TDi Sustainability, who are a global consultancy that help businesses all over the world to be more sustainable. They use their expertise to build responsible supply chains that work for people, for business and for the planet across many sectors including mining. Assheton is an expert and NED on responsible sourcing, sustainability standards, environmental markets, non-financial risk, and responsible investment. A track record of 30 years, with a focus on the resources sector and international supply chains of mining, metals, luxury jewellery, auto, and electronics. Today, he discusses the material change for renewables and responsible sourcing considerations for the clean energy transition. KEY TAKEAWAYS Assheton the importance of anticipating and understanding the evolving regulatory landscape and stakeholder expectations in the mining industry. TDI Sustainability offers a range of services to help mining companies navigate and exceed local legal requirements, including community engagement, biodiversity protection, and digital tools for compliance. The mining industry is experiencing a shift towards responsible sourcing and ESG principles, driven by increased regulatory controls, market demands, and the need for sustainable practices. Companies in the mining sector can benefit from demonstrating a commitment to sustainability by ensuring continued market access, attracting and retaining talent, and aligning with evolving societal expectations. TDI Sustainability's focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing aligns with the industry's growing emphasis on environmental and social responsibility, positioning them to support mining companies in meeting future challenges and opportunities. BEST MOMENTS "I think it's about anticipation. So you've got to sort of anticipate where things are headed, but then get granular about when the expectations are going to hit." "The timeline of those indigenous groups might be totally different and could span decades rather than years."  "There's something like 60 regulations around the world now, which have something to do with responsible sourcing or responsible supply chains."  "I think mining needs to be at the table when these things are being set." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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.instagram.com/tdi_sustainability/ https://x.com/TDIStrategies https://www.linkedin.com/company/tdi-sustainability https://www.linkedin.com/in/assheton-stewart-carter-31b8a11/ Email: [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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 Michael Hudson, Managing Director of Southern Cross Gold, a junior miner exploring for gold and antimony in the Victorian Goldfields and working on their 100% owned flagship project at Sunday Creek, which is one of the best new grassroots discoveries in Australia with a globally leading high-grade hit rate for this stage of the project’s development. Michael is a professional geologist, explorationist, and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in exploration, project development and management in Australia and internationally. Apart from being the MD of Southern Cross, he is also the founder of Mawson Gold and Hannah Metals, so has a strong pedigree in starting up mining companies. He discusses the journey of Southern Cross, their flagship Sunday Creek project, their community relations work, and shares the history of the Victorian Gold Fields in Australia so don’t miss this. KEY TAKEAWAYS Southern Cross Gold is a junior miner exploring for gold and antimony in the Victorian goldfields, with a flagship project called Sunday Creek. Victoria has a rich mining history dating back to the 1800s gold rush era, making it a significant mining state in Australia. Antimony, a critical metal used in defense applications, is a key component of the Southern Cross Gold project, contributing to its value and potential. Southern Cross Gold has actively engaged with the local community, including native title holders and municipal authorities, to ensure support and understanding for the project. With a focus on high-grade gold and antimony extraction, Southern Cross Gold aims to continue its drilling program to potentially reach 3 million ounces of gold equivalent, showcasing a promising future for the project. BEST MOMENTS "I was sixth generation from a little country town, the oldest inland town in Victoria, because it was one day stagecoach ride from Melbourne to this town called Kilmore for the diggers, not the diggers, literally the diggers who went to the goldfields."  "So it's sort of come back to where it all started and you know in my mid-50s I'm happy to be exploring in my backyard. In my 30s I would have dismissed it out of hand because I wanted to travel the world, which I did."  "Gold will pay for it, so we don't have to rely on the risk of the antimony price. It's not like a chemistry set, it's simple chemistry to extract it."  "We're drill baby drill. We're increasing our drill capacity. We put 60 kilometers into this over the last two and a half years. We're going to put 60 kilometers into it over the next year." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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: [email protected] Website: www.southerncrossgold.com.au YouTube: youtube.com/@ASXSXG LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-cross-gold/ X: https://twitter.com/SouthernCrossG3 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 [email protected] 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 to Chris Buncic, President & CEO of Condor Resources, who have been in business for more than 18 years as a junior explorer and project generator.  The company has been focused exclusively on Peru for the past decade and now has Joint ventured on three projects with other developers Chakana Copper, Element 79 Gold, and Teck Resources, retaining an economic interest in the projects through royalties or minority positions as well as receiving milestone cash payments along the way. Chris is a mechanical engineer and then followed an MBA in finance.  His background is in the equity markets before moving into the C-suite over 10 years ago having held CEO positions with a few exploration companies. Now the CEO of Condor Resources since April, he tells us the story behind the company, the key projects they are working on, and what Peru is like as a mining jurisdiction. KEY TAKEAWAYS The company has been focused exclusively on Peru for the past decade, with successful joint ventures on three projects with other developers. Chris's career journey from mechanical engineering to equity markets to CEO positions showcases the importance of being open to reinventing oneself. The difficulty in raising funds for exploration projects due to the current market conditions is impacting junior explorers like Condor Resources. The company is looking to obtain permits for upcoming drill programs at Pucamayo and Huiñac Punta, with a focus on community engagement for the Andrea project. BEST MOMENTS "I think the most important thing I've always thought of in my career is it's important to be able to reinvent yourself."  "I think people need to be open to the idea of changing. Everyone can have their long-term goals, but I think it's important to change things up rather than get stuck in something for 30 years."  "Peru is a very mining-friendly jurisdiction. They have a very good investment climate." "It's been somewhat self-funding. And, you know, I think that what we're seeing is, well, firstly, we're impacted because other companies are having a hard time raising money for projects that may or may not be good." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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: https://www.linkedin.com/company/condor-resources/ X: https://x.com/condorresources Website: www.condorresources.com Contact: [email protected] 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 [email protected] 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. 

We chat with Bert Monro, CEO of Cora Gold who are an AIM-listed gold exploration company developing 2 gold assets in Mali. Founded in 2012, their primary focus is advancing its flagship Sanankoro Gold Project in southern Mali towards the first production in the near term. Bert has a strong resources sector experience in Africa, having spent over 10 years at Hummingbird Resources in senior management, so has a great understanding of how to develop gold mining assets in West Africa. Today, Bert gives us an update since we last spoke in December 2022, results of the drill programme, an update on the permit moratorium, and funding the next phase of the project. KEY TAKEAWAYS Cora Gold has a strong focus on gold exploration and development, with a flagship project in southern Mali. The company faced challenges due to a moratorium on new mining permits in Mali, but recent developments indicate progress towards lifting the moratorium. Cora Gold's short to medium-term outlook looks positive, with expectations of significant developments in the next six to twelve months. Bert highlights the importance of safety and security measures in operating in Mali and Senegal, emphasising the company's commitment to ensuring the well-being of its team. BEST MOMENTS "Mali's obviously been unfortunately in a position where they had a permit moratorium in place since the end of 2022 while they put in place a new mining code."  "We've got a really strong looking project at San Ancoro in southern Mali. It's an oxide project. It's got over 100 meters of oxide."  "We've got a lot of moving parts to get going with. Sadly, it's not going to be breaking ground straight away, Rob."  "I think it's very important to look at Mali as a country and it's absolutely vast. So if you look at where the mines are, the mines are very much in the south of the country or in the west." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail:        [email protected] 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://www.coragold.com/contact/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cora-gold/ X: https://x.com/cora_gold Email: [email protected] The previous episode with Bert Munro - https://omny.fm/shows/dig-deep-the-mining-podcast/137-dd 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 [email protected] 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.