Unveiling Three Promising Mining Projects in Arizona and Nevada - with Mike Stark

In this episode, we chat with Brian Menell, Chairman and CEO at TechMet, who acquires and manages projects that produce, process, and recycle the critical metals that are key components of batteries, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems across a range of commodities including cobalt, lithium, nickel, tin, tungsten and rare earth metals. Brian is a businessman who, over the last 25 years, has been involved in energy and natural resources projects across Africa, South/North America, and Europe and founded TechMet back in 2017. On the podcast, Brian talks about the growth of TechMet, their work with the US government, and the importance of securing criteria mineral supply chains across the world. Brian is also going to be attending and speaking at the upcoming London Indaba at the InterContinental Park Lane London on 25th & 26th June titled “Investing in resources and mining in Africa” with a focus on Africa’s critical role in the minerals and metals of the future. So book your tickets below and we will see you there: https://www.londonindaba.com/other-indabas/the-london-indaba-2024?book=1 The event: https://www.londonindaba.com/other-indabas/the-london-indaba-2024 KEY TAKEAWAYS Brian is the chairman and CEO of TechMet, a company focused on acquiring and managing projects that produce critical metals for batteries, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems. TechMet invests in projects that uphold high ESG standards, have low carbon footprints, and support transformative technologies to meet the growing demand for critical minerals. TechMet has 10 operating companies across North America, South America, Africa, and Europe, with a focus on metals like nickel, cobalt, tin, tungsten, and rare earth metals. The company has received direct equity investment from the US government, allowing them to accelerate their programs and gain preferential access to other US government departments for further funding. Brian will be speaking at the upcoming London Indaba event, focusing on beneficiation in Africa and turning mined resources into high-value products to support global industry. BEST MOMENTS "We're at the beginning of a 20-year supply-demand dislocation for lithium-ion battery metals, for rare earth metals, for energy infrastructure metals, that is really unprecedented in our lifetimes."  "We only invest in projects that have the potential to uphold high ESG standards and low carbon footprint in regions where we can ensure that is the case."  "It's been massively important for us, not only in terms of the quantum of investment, but in terms of the de-risking and credentialising impact of U.S. government investment."  "It's very difficult to compete with China in specialty metal chemical processing. And to do that in a way that doesn't retard investment in primary resource extraction."  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.techmet.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/techmet-ltd/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmenell/ 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 Marty Knauth, CEO of Zanaga Iron Ore Company (ZIOC) who are an iron ore exploration and development company with their flagship asset Zanaga Iron Ore Project which is located in the Republic of Congo. I’ve known Marty for more than 10 years now and has a strong reputation for building teams, turning visions into reality and generally getting things done in numerous cultures and countries. He has recently joined Zanaga Iron Ore as CEO and joins us to talk about an exciting project he is leading in the Republic of Congo, some of the challenges the project is developing solutions for, and a general discussion about leadership in the minerals sector. KEY TAKEAWAYS Marty has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, with a strong reputation for building teams and turning visions into reality in various countries and cultures. Zanaga Iron Ore Project in the Republic of Congo has a compelling investment case, with well-understood geology, low strip ratio, and a two-stage capital profile for hematite and magnetite processes. Clear and consistent communication has been key to building trust with the government of the Republic of Congo and other stakeholders, demonstrating the importance of integrity in relationships. The mining industry faces a major challenge in attracting and retaining skilled individuals with the right attitude and aptitude for the work, highlighting the need for better promotion of the industry's value. Zanaga Iron Ore is focused on partnerships and front-end engineering and design phase in the next 15-18 months, aiming for a construction decision in mid-2026 and commissioning in the first half of 2030 for the phase one hematite process. BEST MOMENTS "We need to work harder. We need to train harder. We need to communicate harder around that mining, materials management, bulk materials handling through quality products that we all, all of our raw feed goes into actually does make a difference to the planet."  "The key challenge is reminding people who Zanaga are, what we're about, and the scope and the scale of this project." "Obviously, what you've been talking about is branding of our industry. And I suppose and I hear often that we're not good promoters of our own industry." 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.zanagairon.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/zanaga-iron-ore-company-ltd/about/ 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 Emanuel Proença, CEO of Savannah Resources who are one of Europe’s leading conventional lithium development company with one of the most significant lithium raw material assets within the European Union. Emanuel is an experienced business executive and an expert in the energy transition in mobility with a strong track record of managing transformation and generating growth within sectors including, green fuels production and market development, electrification of mobility, liquid fuels hedging, trading, logistics and retail of liquid fuels, and digitalisation.  Emanuel gives us an overview of Savannah Resources and how the project is going to help with Portugal’s energy transition. KEY TAKEAWAYS Savannah Resources' Barroso Lithium project in Portugal is crucial for Portugal's energy transition and Europe's energy transition. The project aims to be in production by the end of 2026, contributing significantly to the European lithium supply chain. The project has a strong management team with experience in the mining and lithium sectors, positioning it well for success. Savannah Resources is actively engaging with the local community, aiming to bring economic benefits and support to the region. BEST MOMENTS "The project alone can deliver a third of the Critical Raw Materials Act objective for lithium. So a target that seemed ambitious given the tradition that Europe has in mining becomes totally achievable."  "The project is positioned in a location that allows us to be very well positioned to serve the refining sector throughout Europe."  "The level of urgency, the speeds at which the CRMA was delivered after it started, make me conclude today that yes, Europe will be able to deliver on its strategy and will be able to speed up."  "The board helps us with execution, ensuring that we are doing things right and that we are executing to the best standards."  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://savannahresources-wwwsavannahresourcescom.azurewebsites.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savannah-resources-plc/ X: https://x.com/savannahres 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 Rob Mosig, Non-Executive Technical Director for Alien Metals who are a global minerals exploration and development company that will shortly make the transition to iron ore producer. The company now holds a collection of high-quality projects within its portfolio, spearheaded by its Hancock DSO (direct shipping ore) iron ore project in which it has a 90% holding, through its 100% owned subsidiary the Iron Ore Company of Australia (IOCA). Rob is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in lateritic terrain, platinum group metals, diamonds, and precious metals and has been previously a founding CEO and MD of a few ASX-listed companies during his career. He talks about Alien Metals, its projects, exploration activities, and the strategic outlook for the company. KEY TAKEAWAYS Rob has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, particularly in platinum group metals, diamonds, and precious metals. Alien Metals is a small junior exploration company with two significant brownfields projects in iron ore and platinum group metals, focusing on imminent development. The strategic vision for Alien Metals includes transitioning to a miner in the near term by prioritising iron ore production while also developing the Pinderi Hills project for platinum and silver mining. The key ingredients for Alien Metals to transition to a miner include building a strong team, focusing on quality projects, and managing finances carefully. The exploration industry has evolved over the years with advancements in drilling technology and geophysical methods, providing opportunities for Alien Metals to enhance their exploration activities. BEST MOMENTS "I think teamwork is one of the big ingredients that's necessary. Then I think we need projects that we believe in."  "There's been some excellent discoveries made by office interpretation. But overall, I think there has been less field time."  "I believe that iron ore will be in focus. And I believe that with regards to Pinderi Hills and its silver and platinum, my main aim now is to assist the team."  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/in/rob-mosig/ Website: https://www.alienmetals.uk/ Email address: [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 JC Grobbelaar, Director of Integrated Technology Solutions at GardaWorld International who are a global leader in security services, GardaWorld with a team of highly skilled and experienced professionals to protect their clients’ businesses, employees, and assets in a for complex regions and industries, such as the mining industry. With a background in the military, JC leads the Integrated Technology Solutions Division for GardaWorld International and heads up a team of experts that is responsible for the design, project management, and deployment of integrated technology solutions across a range of industries. JC talks to us about GardaWorld, and what they do in the mining industry, and discusses using more advanced technology to minimise risk in our industry. Plus an update on the African mining industry around risk. KEY TAKEAWAYS JC Grobbelaar is the Director of Integrated Technology Solutions at GardaWorld International, a global leader in security services for high-risk conflict zones, including the mining industry. GardaWorld focuses on integrating technology solutions to minimise risk and enhance productivity in mining operations. Smart mining, as defined by GardaWorld, involves integrating various technologies to improve communication and efficiency across different aspects of mining operations. Human capital management plays a crucial role in ensuring safety and compliance within mining companies, with a focus on payroll, time and attendance, and HR management. BEST MOMENTS "I think the critical part is to have strategic alignment with head office to the P&L owner of the mine operation itself."  "Mining has been able to survive in most harshest and the highest conflict areas in the world across many, many, many years."  "We operate in more than 50 countries. Currently, globally, we've got about 150,000 people working for us."  "Smart mining for us is integrating all of the silos between HR, IT, production, planning, mine planning, health and safety and security."  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/gardaworld-africa/  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gardaworld  X https://x.com/GardaWorld  Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@GardaWorldSecurity 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 Gordana Slepcev, COO at Lomiko Metals. A listed Canadian company with a vision to create a new energy future in line with the Quebec Plan for Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals in the region. The company has a graphite and lithium project in Quebec which we will discuss today. Gordana is a Professional Mining Engineer with more than 25 years of global mining experience in developing, building, and leading safe mining operations and brings considerable experience in mineral exploration, permitting, corporate and regulatory/First Nations/ Indigenous relations, and project financing to the company. We discuss recent updates the company has announced and chat about the latest mining news coming out of Quebec. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lomiko Metals received a $8.35 million grant from the U.S. DOD Title III and a $4.9 million grant from the federal government for pilot planting. Lomiko Metals is focused on developing a graphite project in Quebec, with a significant resource base and successful battery-grade material testing. They have also been working on a lithium project. The company has achieved high-grade carbon content and recoveries in their metallurgical testing for producing flake graphite and battery anode material. Lomiko Metals emphasises the importance of sustainable mining practices and aims to contribute to decarbonising the Canadian and Quebec landscape. The company plans to raise funds to complete pre-feasibility studies and methodological testing, aiming to develop the project efficiently and contribute to the North American graphite market. BEST MOMENTS "We all say, it's a kind of old saying, if it's not grown, it's mined. And the mining shaped human development from the Iron and Bronze Ages and ever since."  "Mining is not what people think or was a hundred years ago, picturing the guy with a pick, you know, it's a really different industry nowadays. It's very technology heavy and very much digitised." "The graphite has to be processed to the certain level to meet the battery requirements. And all these consumer electronics like computers, cell phones, they all need graphite." 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://lomiko.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/lomiko-metals/ https://x.com/lomikometals https://www.instagram.com/lomikometals/ 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 Mike Stark, CEO of Arizona Gold & Silver, a publicly traded company engaged in junior mining exploration primarily in Arizona and Nevada. They have 3 projects, the Philadelphia property, the Silverton Gold Project, and the Sycamore Canyon Project. Mike has as over 35 years of business experience in the private sector as an owner and operator of two successful companies. His background includes corporate financing, investor relations, market support and corporate strategic development. Mike tells us more about the company, their projects, what they are looking to achieve, and what the mining environment is like in Arizona and Nevada at the moment. KEY TAKEAWAYS The company has three projects - Silverton, Sycamore Canyon, and the flagship Philadelphia property, with promising exploration results. Led by experienced individuals like Greg Hahn and Gene Spiering, the team brings decades of expertise in the mining industry. Arizona and Nevada are recognised as top mining jurisdictions globally, providing a stable and favourable environment for mining operations. The company is expecting a BLM permit in the near future, enabling deeper exploration and potentially uncovering significant mineral resources. With a tight share structure, successful drilling results, and upcoming milestones, Arizona Gold & Silver presents a compelling investment opportunity with potential for growth. BEST MOMENTS "We have a very stable, Arizona is number two in the world, Nevada being number one. So that in itself is very stable."  "We've never had a disappointment with the BLM. We have given them no reason to turn us down."  "I think we're at a turning point right now. I believe gold is going to continue just because of the global economy."  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://arizonagoldsilver.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/arizona-goldandsilver-exploration 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 Basil Botha, co-founder, CEO, and Director of Greentech, a fast-growing recycling  company for the processing and recycling of electronic waste. Basil is an experienced mining operator with over four decades of experience in mining minerals and metals and has been involved in a number of boards during his career. He tells us more about Greentech, what they are looking to achieve in recycling waste, and the timeframe in which you can start an operation like this up. KEY TAKEAWAYS Green Tech is a fast-growing recycling company focused on processing and recycling electronic waste, extracting valuable metals like gold, silver, palladium, platinum, copper, and tin. The process of recycling electronic waste is more cost-effective and time-efficient compared to traditional mining methods. Green Tech's process requires significantly less capital expenditure and time to start production. Green Tech's recycling process is clean and sustainable, with zero emissions and no discharge, in contrast to traditional methods that involve burning materials and creating environmental hazards like tailings ponds. The global e-waste market is growing, providing a consistent and increasing source of raw materials for Green Tech's operations. The company focuses on printed circuit boards due to their high metal concentration. BEST MOMENTS "It made so much more sense to recycle electronic waste as opposed to digging holes in the ground... the ramifications as opposed to mining are so much better."  "The benefits of electronic waste recycling, as opposed to mining, is mining is a tough, tough business... It takes a long time, costs an inordinate amount of money."  "The process, although we spent about four years perfecting the process, it's purely mechanical in the front end. And then in the back end, it's a refining process."  "We didn't want to go down that route at all. We wanted a clean process. That's the difference." 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/in/basil-botha-91ab1027/ 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 a returning guest who appeared back in November 2020 (episode 104). Merlin Marr Johnson, CEO of Fitzroy Minerals, who are focused on exploring and advancing commercial copper and gold discoveries in Chile, Argentina, and Canada. Merlin is a geologist by trade and has over 25 years of experience in the resources sector in technical, corporate, and capital markets roles. Merlin’s belief is that old primary industry principles of economic theory which says that wealth can only be created with ‘Land, Work, Ideas and Capital’ are still very relevant.  Today, he tells us more about Fitzroy Minerals, their projects in Chile and Argentina, and the story behind “The Con”, a series around investing in the natural resources sector. KEY TAKEAWAYS Fitzroy Minerals has a diverse portfolio of projects in Chile and Argentina, including a high-grade copper and gold project in Chile and a promising gold exploration project in Argentina. Investment Strategy: Merlin emphasises the importance of near-term catalysts, scale potential in geology, a competent team, financial stability, and operational independence when considering pre-discovery companies for investment. The Con is a series of educational lectures by Merlin that aims to provide a nuanced and unbiased understanding of the resources sector, encouraging investors to conduct thorough due diligence and avoid confirmation bias. Over the next six to 12 months, Fitzroy Minerals plans to focus on drilling programs, exploration activities, and potential discoveries in their projects in Chile and Argentina, presenting significant growth opportunities. BEST MOMENTS "I think when one gets to a certain age, you start putting over 25 years, because otherwise you just seem really old." "We've got a cracking portfolio of projects... high-grade copper and high-grade gold, and there just are not these kinds of deposits." "You have to be careful when you're investing. You have to do your own due diligence. You have to ask questions." 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://fitzroyminerals.com https://fitzroyminerals.com/contact/contact-info/ https://x.com/Fitzroyminerals https://www.linkedin.com/company/fitzroy-minerals-inc 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 have a returning guest returning guest who appeared in April 2020 (Episode 73), although with another company. Marcus Brewster, Chief Operating Officer at Tristar Gold, who are advancing Brazil’s premier gold development project, its 100% owned flagship property Castelo de Sonhos, in mining-friendly Pará State. Listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, TriStar has completed a pre-feasibility study and is now advancing permitting while evaluating optimization options. Marcus is a competent geologist and mining engineer who has over 30 years of experience in both technical and managerial positions operating large-scale gold mines across South America, Africa, and Asia. As the COO at Tristar, he talks about company, what they are they are currently doing, and what they are looking to achieve. KEY TAKEAWAYS Tristar Gold is advancing Brazil's premier gold development project, Custodel Sonos, in a mining-friendly state. The company has a strong executive and management team with a diverse range of expertise, including geologists, miners, and mining engineers. The project is a paleoplacer deposit, similar to the Tarkwa deposit in Ghana, with significant growth potential along strike and down dip. Tristar Gold is focused on environmental permitting, expecting to receive their preliminary license in quarter two. The outlook for Tristar over the next six to 12 months includes completing drilling to convert reserves, starting the feasibility study, and potentially reaching a construction decision within 15 to 18 months. BEST MOMENTS "We've got reserves of 1.4 million ounces at 1.1 grams per tonne, of which 1 million ounces of about 1.3, most of which is in our Esperanza South pit." "We've decided to focus entirely on environmental permitting." "It's very, very similar to Tarquin and very, very similar to the, especially the Western domain of the domain anticline." 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 Twitter: https://twitter.com/tristar_gold LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tristar-gold/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ-dQX6zJBHMXEInBWS9dSQ  Website: www.tristargold.com 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.