Episode notes
In this episode we chat to Johann Dias, CEO of URSA Mining to discuss how autonomy and artificial intelligence are changing the mining industry. We explore where the technology is delivering real value versus the hype, what mining companies need to consider before adopting autonomous systems, and how executives can manage the risks involved. We also look at the impact on people and skills, whether technology can help mining attract the next generation of talent, and ultimately, what the mine of the future could look like ten years from now KEY TAKEAWAYS Autonomy delivers the greatest value…
Podcast
Dig Deep
Rob Tyson · Business · English
In this podcast, we discuss, educate and talk about industry news and hot topics, company reviews and live interviews with mining professionals and leading figures in the mining industry. Introducing your host Rob Tyson, Founder and Director of Mining International, a leading recruitment and headhun
More from Dig Deep All episodes →
-
E665 · 5 Oct 2026 · 51 min
Commodity Supercycle 2.0: AI Infrastructure, Critical Minerals, and the Nevada Opportunity
In this episode we speak to Simon Catt, Director at Arlington Group and Founder of Catt Call as we take a closer look at some of the investment themes currently shaping the mining sector. We discuss the growing importance of US government funding for critical minerals, including the Springer Tungsten project in Nevada, and whether US-based projects now deserve a valuation premium. We also turn to Nevada’s gold and silver sector, looking at companies including Hycroft, Mackay and StrikePoint, before moving on to tin, Metals X and why this often-overlooked commodity could become increasingly…
-
E664 · 1 Oct 2026 · 34 min
Why Mineralogy and Heavy Rare Earths Define the Western Supply Chain
In this episode we chat to Don Swartz, CEO and President of Rare Earths Americas, a company advancing a portfolio of rare earth projects across Brazil and the United States. We discuss the recent discoveries and heavy rare earth potential at Homer-A, the scale and development plans for Alpha in Brazil, and the emerging Foothills Rare Earths District in Georgia. Don also gives us his perspective on why mineralogy matters more than headline grade, the challenges of building a Western rare earth supply chain, and why critical minerals represent a decades-long industrial challenge that the West…
-
E663 · 28 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Cornish Lithium, Dual Extraction, and the Race for Domestic Critical Minerals
In this episode we speak to Jamie Airnes, CEO of Cornish Lithium, a pioneering mineral extraction company focused on extracting lithium from hard rock and geothermal waters in Cornwall, in the UK. The company that is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and they appeared within the first few episode of starting this podcast in 2018 when the business was still very much an exploration story. So 10 years on, it’s developing two different routes to extracting lithium from Cornwall, from hard rock and geothermal waters, as it looks to establish a domestic source of this increasingly…
-
E662 · 21 Sep 2026 · 33 min
Navigating Public Markets & Critical Minerals with Nick Davis
In this episode, we chat to Nick Davis from Haynes Boone, a leading adviser to AIM-listed mining and natural resources companies. We discuss what mining companies need to get right when accessing the public markets, how geopolitics and critical minerals are changing the investment landscape, and why AIM continues to play an important role in funding growth-stage mining companies. Nick also shares lessons the mining sector can learn from other industries and what management teams should be focusing on to attract capital and create long-term value. KEY TAKEAWAYS AIM Market Regulatory Shift:…
-
E661 · 17 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Unlocking the Guiana Shield: Exploring District-Scale Gold at Antino with Colin Padget
In this episode we speak to Colin Padget, President and CEO of Founders Metals, a gold exploration company advancing the Antino Gold Project in Suriname. Colin is a geologist with a strong business background and has helped lead the team through an impressive period of exploration success at Antino, with 11 discoveries identified across the property to date. We discuss the story behind Antino, its wider district-scale potential, the growing relationship with Gold Fields, Colin’s transition into the CEO role, and why Suriname and the wider Guiana Shield could represent one of the more…
-
E659 · 10 Sep 2026 · 35 min
Tungsten West, Critical Minerals, and the UK Mining Comeback
In this episode we chat to Jeff Court, CEO of Tungsten West, an AIM market listed mining company who own and operate the Hemerdon Mine at Drakelands, South Devon, in the UK; one of the world’s largest tungsten resources who are going to bring the Hemerdon mine back into full production We discuss the restart of the mine, the project’s progress towards commissioning, the significance of recent UK Government support and funding, the UK mining industry and the key steps ahead as Tungsten West moves towards production. Jeff also shares lessons from more than 30 years in mining and his experience…
-
E658 · 7 Sep 2026 · 30 min
Unlocking Latin America’s Next Mega-Silver Discovery
In this episode we chat to Daniel Muñiz, Executive Chairman of Sinda, an emerging silver discovery in Mexico with the potential to become one of Latin America’s largest primary silver assets. We explore the story behind the discovery, what makes Sinda particularly exciting from a geological perspective, and the opportunity that remains across a project where around 74% is still significantly underexplored. Daniel also talks us through the strategy of expanding the existing resource while pursuing district-scale exploration, the challenges of advancing both simultaneously, and what the next…
-
E657 · 3 Sep 2026 · 32 min
De-Risking a Mega-Porphyry: Inside Solaris Resources' Warintza Project with Matthew Rowlinson
In this episode we chat to Matthew Rowlinson, President and CEO at Solaris Resources to discuss the development of Warintza in Ecuador, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper projects. We explore what differentiates Warintza from other major copper discoveries, the critical steps required to move a resource of this scale towards construction, and how Solaris is thinking about financing and ownership as the project becomes increasingly de-risked. We also look at the wider copper market in particular; why the industry isn’t building enough new mines despite forecasts of a future supply…
-
E656 · 31 Aug 2026 · 37 min
West Africa’s Next Major Discovery: Andrew Chubb on Awalé Resources and the Art of Exploration
In this episode we chat to Andrew Chubb, CEO of Awale Resources, to discuss the company’s exploration journey at the Odienné Gold-Copper Project in Côte d’Ivoire and what it really takes to make a significant mineral discovery. We explore what gave Andrew the early conviction to keep pushing at Odienné what the successes and importantly the failures have taught the team, and what still needs to be demonstrated for the project to emerge as a significant gold-copper district. We also get Andrew’s perspective on the wider exploration industry: how technology is changing the way we explore,…
-
E655 · 27 Aug 2026 · 42 min
Unlocking Europe’s Critical Metals: How MetPro Is Revitalizing Norway’s High-Grade Copper-Zinc Belt
In this episode, we chat to Steele Hemmerich, President of MetPro (Metal Prospecting AS), a copper and zinc exploration company in Norway's Grong VMS District. He brings a rare blend of hands-on field experience and capital markets execution. He started his career in the oil and gas industry before moving into corporate finance, where he worked on transactions across the mining, oil and gas, and technology sectors. Based in Dubai, he's evaluated mining projects across Europe, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia, and calls MetPro one of the most exciting he's come across, thanks to its…
Take it with you
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
