Each worksite presents its own unique challenges and requirements, but injuries and ailments occur across the 12,563 active mines in the United States. While injuries and ailments can be common, prevention through correct medical provisioning and education has thankfully seen fatalities decreasing year after year. Nevertheless, accidents are incredibly disruptive to the workforce; they halt precious production time, incur significant cost, and can have a life-changing effect on those involved, and so ensuring the right preventative measures are in place is crucial.

With a wealth of experience in providing medical and safety assistance, RMI’s specialist teams support mines and mine operators in the most unique and remote locations in the world, utilising years of expertise to deliver medical provision that keeps workers safe, preventing injury or delay.

Strains, sprains, and physical ailments

Mining is a physically demanding profession, and strains, sprains, and fractures are the most commonly reported work-related injuries. Treatment of these injuries can require extensive provision of care and workers undergoing treatment can be away from site for lengthy periods of time while they recover. Absence from work can prove costly, particularly in a time where production targets are increasing.

Treating injuries and ailments when they have already taken place on mining sites can be incredibly costly, and many operators are already investing in preventative measures to minimise the risks of illness or injury. One way that employers can do this is to facilitate a pre-screening process to save operations from potential disruption: workers with pre-exiting illnesses or other health factors can lead to increased risks for themselves, their teams, and have the potential to cause delays in operations due to sickness or injury.

On-site clinics provide occupational health and deliver preventative safety advice. The benefits of operating on-site clinics far outweigh the costs, with studies showing that on-site clinics reported a 70% reduction in employee downtime and a 64% reduction in medical care costs, indicating that on-site support should be considered an essential aspect of any project.

Standard first aid training only equips workers to render basic stabilizing care for a handful of life and limb threatening emergencies, whereas RMI’s on-site medical providers have a far greater level of training and experience, allowing them to deliver a higher level of care in both emergent and non-emergent situations.

Non-occupational health

Physical injuries are just one risk to workers during mining operations. Many of the ailments that mining companies need to be aware of take place outside of the work environment. Living in confined, close quarters means illness can spread quickly throughout the workforce, which can cause downtime in production and operation.

Research has also bought into focus how mentally challenging people find working in the mining industry, due primarily to the shift working patterns, distance, and isolation from family. While open discussions around mental health have only recently come to the forefront in the industry, many operators have worked hard to remove the stigma around the issue. Addressing and managing the mental health of the mining workforce will be an ongoing process and there are still widely reported incidences of workers self-medicating with excessive alcohol and/or recreational drug consumption, creating a dangerous environment for them and their colleagues.

Being prepared to deal with situations outside of physical injuries is paramount in ensuring worker safety. Through the use of an on-site medical clinic, RMI’s medics are trained to provide a full medical examination of staff before they can begin work; this includes alcohol and drug testing as standard and acts as a deterrent for staff. Having a trained medical expert as part of the onsite team can also improve the effectiveness of illness prevention education, including educating workers on the importance being up to date with their vaccinations and maintaining good hygiene practices to prevent illnesses from spreading among workforces.

RMI’s experienced medical teams also provide telemedicine and case management support which gives staff access to around-the-clock medical consultations and advice. These provisions help to limit the need for workers to be transported to facilities off-site, helping the mine to continue running efficiently while also providing staff with a level of care that goes above and beyond the basic need.

Emergency response

Even with the best preventative measures in place, being prepared for medical emergencies is essential. All mining sites, including those located within reach of a hospital, should have a regularly reviewed Medical Emergency Response Plan (MERP).

This plan outlines the medical referral facilities and their respective capabilities to treat a wide variety of health emergencies. The plan also specifies how to transport patients to these places, which could be either by road or by air. Emergency plans are common across most mining companies but having a robust procedure with integrated medical support can help swiftly deal with a time sensitive emergency situation.

Injuries not only halt production in busy mines but they also significantly affect workers who, if not treated properly or feel their injury could have been prevented, will find work elsewhere. Incorporating sufficient medical care is an essential cost that prevents downtime, ensures the safety of workers, and improves worker retention. With the help of RMI, operators have been able to embed medical expertise into their teams helping to reduce the consequences of illness-related absences and tackle the unique challenge of working in remote locations.

(Chris Murff is vice president of global sales at RMI)

Andean Precious Metals added Marcos Holanda as its new COO.

Industry veteran  George J. Schuller, Jr. joined Arch Resources as SVP and COO.

Atlas Lithium welcomed Brian Talbot as COO and a board member.

Calibre Mining appointed Jason Cyr VP operations and Andre Morneau process manager for the Valentine gold mine.

Canter Resources named Ainesh Mohan its CFO and Jan Urata as corporate secretary.

The new EVP of exploration at Montage Gold is Silvia Bottero.

Premier American Uranium named Colin Healey as CEO.

StrategX Elements named Ryan McEachern interim CFO upon the departure of Andrea Yuan.

Board changes:

Diamcor Mining named D. Wayne Howard, retired Tiffany & Co. executive, to its board.

Flying Nickel Mining said Jim Rondeau has stepped down from the board.

Peter Coates will step down from the board of Glencore,to be replaced by John Wallington on June 1.

Chris Jennings retired from the board of North Arrow Minerals.

Quest Critical Metals (formerly Canadian Palladium Resources) has added Brian Kirwin and Percy Clark to its board.

Silverstock Metals said Colin Little resigned his seat on the board.

StrategX Elements named David Haig to the board.

Cochran will be responsible for developing and driving strategies to realise and optimise the value of the Group’s substantial uranium resources, as well as for leveraging his track record of value creation in the uranium industry to capitalise on other opportunities that may arise, the company said.

Cochran is a respected international mining executive with over 30 years of experience in a diverse range of commodities and in various leadership positions globally and in uranium.

His uranium industry experience spans over 15 years, beginning in 2006 when he joined Uranium One’s South Australian team. He guided the Honeymoon mine through its environmental approvals and oversaw the establishment of the Mitsui, Uranium One Australia JV.

Cochran also led the due diligence team on Uranium One’s C$3.8 billion acquisition of UrAsia Ltd. in 2007, which was the largest uranium transaction in history, and was responsible for the integration and management of the Kazakh joint venture interests.

Cochran has also led other uranium companies including Namibia-focused uranium developer Deep Yellow Ltd. and most recently, as the managing director and CEO of Aurora Energy Metals, which has an advanced uranium project in the US.

Prior to Aurora, he was the CEO Reward Minerals, an aspiring sulphate of potash development company.

In recognition, the School of Mining, Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies has been renamed the Nutrien School of Mining, Manufacturing and Engineering Technologies.

“With this significant contribution, we are not just constructing a new campus, we are building a launchpad for tomorrow’s leaders,” Dr. Larry Rosia, Sask Polytech CEO said in a news release.

“For more than 40 years, the connection between Nutrien and Sask Polytech has been mutually beneficial and has evolved to become an indispensable partnership that plays a critical role in Saskatchewan’s economy. Nutrien’s generous gift will leave a lasting impact on Sask Polytech and future generations of students.”

The C$15 million gift to Sask Polytech’s Time to Rise campaign will directly support the construction of the new Saskatoon campus.

This investment will also enable Sask Polytech to continue working closely with Nutrien to train the workforce of tomorrow and provide skilled graduates for Nutrien’s potash operations. Nearly 300 of Nutrien’s current employees are Sask Polytech graduates, working at various Nutrien locations across Saskatchewan.

The new Saskatoon campus will transform an existing network of multiple decentralized, outdated buildings into a revitalized complex that offers modern, technology-rich learning for students and greater opportunities for applied research and investment.

Launched Monday, the Barrick Academy is designed to offer tailor-made training programs aimed at developing the miner’s frontline managers to grow as leaders in their fields, while equipping them with the skills to manage their teams more effectively and to improve performance.

The Barrick Academy will be training more than 2,000 foremen, supervisors and superintendents from the Africa and Middle East region in the next 24 months.

Barrick said the Academy would also gear up to include contractors and expand the curriculum to cover wider disciplines, including financial leadership, advanced computer literacy and safety courses.

The opening follows the construction of an airport terminal at Buzwagi’s Kahama airstrip in January, which has paved the way for a scheduled airline service that can serve more than 200 passengers at a time, Barrick said, adding that it is expected to be a major catalyst for economic growth in the region.

According to Barrick’s chief operating officer for the Africa and Middle East region, Sebastiaan Bock, the airport terminal and Academy form part of Barrick’s plan to turn Buzwagi into a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

A feasibility study commissioned in 2021 showed that the creation of the SEZ had the potential to replace the mine as the region’s economic driver and could sustainably create 3,000 jobs annually, generate more than $150,000 each year from service levies for the local municipality and deliver approximately $4.5 million in employment taxes a year.

The government of Tanzania approved the conversion of the mine into a SEZ through a government notice that was issued in February this year. A number of investors have started the process of setting up manufacturing industries inside this area.

“How we close our mines is just as important to us as how we build and operate them,” Bock said in the statement.

“Our Buzwagi mine was a significant economic powerhouse in the region for nearly 15 years before it poured its last gold in 2021. From our perspective, however, that is not the end of the story for Buzwagi as we transform it into an alternative productive asset that will serve the community.”

Armac Resources named Paul Johnston VP exploration, following the resignation of Roy Greig.

The B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy appointed Sarah Goodman as president and CEO.

Founders Metals named Natalie Senger VP of resource development.

Perpetua Resources appointed John Cherry to succeed Laurel Sayer as president and CEO.

Board changes:

Argentum Silver announced the resignation of Albert Contardi from the board.

CopperEx Resources named Tom Yip to the board.

Euromax Resources said Nicolas Treand  has resigned as executive director.

Great Eagle Gold celebrated the appointment of Patricia Kovacevic to the board of the International Green Gold Council.

Pierre Clement became a director of Kobrea Exploitation.

Prospector Metals offered Ian Parkinson a seat on its board.

Rover Critical Minerals named Gunnar Pedersen to the board.

Silverstock Metals announced the resignation of Colin Little from the board.

Tectonic Metals added John Armstrong to its board.

Ken Armstrong, a non-executive director, will step in as Interim CEO, and Patrick Anderson, chairman of the board, will serve as executive chairman during the transition and search for a permanent CEO.

Armstrong was CEO of the company’s predecessor, Strongbow Exploration, until 2015. He also holds the position of president and CEO at North Arrow Minerals (TSXV: NAR).

Earlier this month, Cornish announced it is accelerating work to reopen a past-producing tin mine at its South Crofty project in southwest England.

The Vancouver-based mine developer said it will expedite plans to refurbish the New Cook’s Kitchen shaft at South Crofty after an assessment revealed the deteriorating condition of its timbers, necessitating immediate action.

The company expects the process of dewatering the mine to be completed by the third quarter of 2025.

South Crofty could produce up to 5,000 tonnes of tin annually, with initial production projected for 2026.

Shares of Cornish Metals rose 3.2% by 11:42 p.m. EDT. The miner has a market capitalization of C$85.6 million ($63.2 million).

The Don Lindsay Teck Award contributes C$1 million to each of Canada’s two largest mining schools: the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at UBC and the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining at Smith Engineering at Queen’s. The endowments will generate annual renewable scholarships at each university, providing financial support for students pursuing mining studies.

The award, funded by Teck, was established in recognition of former CEO Don Lindsay’s contributions to the mining sector in Canada and internationally. During his 17-year tenure, Lindsay’s commitment to philanthropy and supporting the next generation of mining talent has left a mark on the mining sector.

The Mining Engineering award builds on the longstanding partnerships with the mining schools at UBC and Queen’s University, spanning decades and aligns with Teck’s commitment to increasing the pipeline of mining industry talent to strengthen the industry’s future.

“The Don Lindsay Teck Award in Mining Engineering will shape the next generation of mining engineers,” James Olson, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science at UBC, said in a media statement. “UBC is building the mining industry of tomorrow, which will leverage critical minerals to solve climate change. We extend our deepest gratitude to Teck for this endowment, and its immeasurable impact on education and research at UBC Engineering.”

“The C$1 million endowment will have a profound impact on the heart of Queen’s University: its students,” added Kevin Deluzio, Dean, Smith Engineering at Queen’s University. “Our partnership with Teck over the years has enriched programs, provided employment opportunities, and supported research, contributing significantly to the educational experiences for our students.”

Battery metals producer and recycler US Strategic Metals announced the appointment of Thomas M. Boehlert as chief financial officer.

Boehlert, with his extensive background and expertise, will play a pivotal role in guiding the company’s fiscal health and strategic initiatives, focusing on establishing a robust domestic supply of critical minerals to support the ongoing energy transition.

As the former CFO and executive director at RCF Acquisition Corp, Boehlert played a key role in a successful $230 million capital raise and IPO in 2021, aligning financial strategies with the evolving energy landscape.

His role as board director at Arizona Sonoran Copper contributed to a successful 2021 IPO, emphasizing sustainable practices in critical minerals.

As an advisor at Beta Technologies, Boehlert provided key insights into rare earths in sustainable aviation, reflecting his commitment to ESG. Boehlert’s leadership as CFO and executive vice president at Bunge Limited showcased the depth of his financial acumen in his implementation of the Global Competitiveness Program.

An MBA graduate from New York University and former senior auditor at KPMG, Boehlert uniquely amalgamates academic excellence with industry knowledge, USSM said.

The new £18 million ($23m) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Digital Transformation of Metals Industry (DigitalMetal) has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), who announced £7m ($8.9m) in funding with partner universities (Birmingham, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Warwick) and industry.

The centre is part of the UK’s biggest-ever investment in engineering and physical sciences doctoral skills, totalling more than £1 billion ($1.28bn), announced by Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan.

A total of 65 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) will support leading research in areas of national importance including the critical technologies AI, quantum technologies, semiconductors, telecoms and engineering biology.

The DigitalMetal CDT has been designed to meet a national, strategic need for training a new generation of technical leaders able to lead digital transformation of metals industry and its supply chain with the objective of increasing agility, productivity and international competitiveness of the metals industry in the UK. 

It will provide postgraduate training that combines metals and alloy engineering with digital technology and AI skills, to help the UK metals and manufacturing industries to reap the benefits of ‘big data’.

The vision, the University said, is to train future industry leaders who can rapidly take advantage of the latest discoveries in manufacturing processes through digital twinning to enable defect-free, ‘right first-time’ manufacturing at reduced costs.

The metals industry is a vital component of the UK’s manufacturing economy and makes a significant contribution to key strategic sectors such as construction, aerospace and space, automotive, energy, defence and medical, directly contributing £20bn ($25.5bn) to UK GDP, and underpins over £190bn ($243bn) manufacturing GDP.

“Without a new cadre of leaders in digital technologies equipped to transform discoveries and breakthroughs in metals and manufacturing technologies into products, the UK risks entering another cycle of world-leading innovation but losing the benefits arising from exploitation to more capable and better prepared global competitors,” Professor Hongbiao Dong, FREng, from the University of Leicester School of Engineering, and Director of the Centre, said in a media statement.

“For the UK metal industry to lead at a global level, we must raise its competitiveness and create robust and agile manufacturing processes and sustainable supply chains enabled by digital technology.”

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Evolution Mining named Nancy Guay its chief technical officer.

Star Diamond chose Ewan Mason as president and CEO.

Board changes:

Champion Iron appointed Ronnie Beevor to its board.

Highrock Resources named James Pirie and Michael Power directors.

The newest director at Rare Earth Ridge is Sharyn Alexander.

The firm, which owns and operates 57.5% of the Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, and has other producing and exploration assets in the country, including the Spence and Cerro Colorado mines, says female presence in its operations is more than double the national industry average of 15%.

Back in 2016, when BHP had only 17.5% female presence globally, the mining giant set a public goal to achieve gender balance by 2025.

“Gender parity was a goal that many believed impossible. Today, at BHP Americas, we can proudly confirm that we have achieved 40% female representation, one year ahead of schedule,” BHP Americas president Rag Udd said in a statement.

“We are aware that this journey does not end here. Although gender balance is important, it is vital that we focus on creating an inclusive culture, in which everyone can contribute with their full potential,” Udd noted.

At Escondida alone, BHP employs 1,509 women out of 3,935 workers. 

The company says that increased female representation at its operations is a result of the implementation of policies addressing gender pay gaps, the promotion of labour flexibility, as well as training and talent retention initiatives. The company notes that adapting operational infrastructure to better suit the needs of women has also been a factor in the equation.

A recent report by the CCM-Eleva Alliance, a joint initiative between Chile’s Mining Council and Fundacion Chile, analyzed workforce trends and the challenges 27 mining and supplier companies are facing.

One of the report’s main conclusions is that female participation in the labour market sits below those of developed countries. When it comes to decision-making across the mining industry, however, women accounted for 17% in 2022. This means country is better positioned in terms of women’s participation in the mining industry than Peru, and at the same level as the United States.

The mining industry’s treatment of women came under increased scrutiny in 2002, when the government of West Australia published the results of an inquiry that revealed “horrific” incidents at remote projects. 

At Rio Tinto (ASX, LON: RIO), more than a quarter of female workers experienced sexual harassment and bullying, the company revealed in 2022.

The same investigation revealed that BHP recorded 91 reports of alleged sexual harassment or assault in the year through June 30, 2021, of which 79 were substantiated. 

The mining giant, which completed in 2023 a A$300 million ($191 million) project to make its mining villages in Western Australia safer by adding extra CCTV cameras, security lighting, doors and fences, saw a 20% increase in reported sexual harassment last year.

Claudio Facchin, Hitachi Energy CEO, will step down at the end of June 2024. Schierenbeck will engage with the Hitachi Energy board, executive team and Facchin to ensure a smooth transition, the company said.

Schierenbeck joins Hitachi Energy from HH2E, a new green-hydrogen production company, where he is currently co-founder and board member. He was previously CEO of Uniper from 2019 to 2021, where he launched the company’s decarbonization strategy.

Prior to that, he was the CEO of Thyssenkrupp Elevator, where he led the transformation of the company into a global leader leveraging digital technology from 2013 to 2018. Between 1992 and 2012, he held various management positions within Siemens, including president and CEO of Siemens Building Technologies in the US between 2010 and 2012, and senior vice president in the Siemens electric utility sector in Switzerland.

Schierenbeck holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the TU Dresden and an Advanced Management Certificate from Harvard University in the US.

“I would like to welcome Andreas to Hitachi Energy to lead the next phase of exciting growth for the business,” said Keiji Kojima, representative executive officer. “I would also like to express my appreciation to Claudio for his great leadership transitioning and transforming the company over the last four years from the carve-out of ABB’s power grids business through the Hitachi ABB power grids joint venture into Hitachi Energy, a fully-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Group.”

E-scrap—which includes mobile phones, home appliances, medical or office equipment, and anything else powered by electricity—represents the fastest growing waste stream globally, with e-scrap generation expected to double 2014 levels by 2030, according to the DOE.

Only 17.4% of e-scrap was collected and recycled globally in 2019, discarding 83% of e-waste and $57 billion in raw material value, the DOE said, adding that e-scrap recovery faces numerous roadblocks, including a fragmented recycling value chain, a complex and dynamic feedstock, and a rapidly evolving end-use market.

“This prize addresses the urgent need to reduce the amount of critical mineral waste that goes unrecycled in the technologies we use every day,” said Jeff Marootian, principal deputy assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy said in a news release.

“We’re excited to see how ideas and solutions spurred by the competition can transform this huge environmental loss into new opportunities to recover and recycle critical materials from devices that are discarded after use,” Marootian said.

Wednesday’s announcement marks the opening of the first of three phases in E-SCRAP. The cash prizes and assistance awarded in Phases 1 and 2 are intended to support teams as they advance in the competition.

During phase 1: Incubate –  competitors will propose solutions that have the potential to substantially increase the amount of recovered critical materials from electronic waste and used in US manufacturing.

In phase 2: Prototype – competitors will prototype their innovation and begin collecting and/or generating data that can be used to optimize technoeconomic strategy and life cycle impacts between partners along the recycling value chain.

In the final phase 3: Demonstrate – competitors will begin implementing their innovations and propose their plans to scale their solution. 

Applications for phase one of this prize are due on September 4, 2024. The DOE anticipates selecting up to 10 winning projects in the first phase, with each award consisting of a $50,000 in cash and up to $30,000 in national laboratory analysis support.

Information webinars for potential applicants will be held on March 27 and on June 18.

More information is here.

Global investment in clean energy is rising, and so is demand for minerals essential to battery production. Major mining companies are using M&A to acquire assets in the green metals space to stay competitive and accelerate beyond the traditional process and timeline.

Last year showed a 40% increase in deals across lithium, cobalt, and nickel – four times higher than 2019, according to international law firm Sidley, and one of the few bright spots in M&A in 2023.

Sidley M&A partner Joseph Michaels advises metals and mining clients, providing guidance on corporate governance, SEC disclosure, fiduciary duties for M&A, private equity, venture capital, and corporate finance transactions.

Michaels advised Allkem Limited in its merger of equals with Livent Corporation, a transaction valued at $10.6 billion, and which created the world’s third largest lithium miner and co-authored “Key Considerations for Cross-Border M&A in the Mining and Metals Industry,” Chambers and Partners, in 2023.

Chicago-based Michaels shares his industry insights exclusively with MINING.COM.

MDC: With M&A activity in the sector increasing significantly over the past year as mining companies are consolidating operations to create cost efficiencies and synergies, what opportunities for deals does this create amidst increased competition?

Michaels: Recent years have been eventful in the mining and metals industry. We continue to see mining and metals companies explore and pursue M&A at the highest levels in years.  Some dealmakers in other industries have adopted a wait and see approach until various conditions improve, but that has not been the case in the mining and metals industry.

The rise of M&A has been notwithstanding volatile markets, and in many cases actually because of the dynamics underlying them.  Dealmaking has been fueled by the green energy transition, rising costs to develop new projects, new government incentives, potential for risk-sharing, and continuing desires to build scale, enhance value chains and diversify. 

We expect M&A activity in the industry to remain strong.  We remain optimistic that the robust levels of M&A activity in the industry are sustainable and compelling opportunities will continue to arise.

MDC: Transactions in metals and mining sectors are highly influenced by commodity prices. What should companies anticipate when changes in the prices of metals can significantly impact the valuation and prospects of a potential deal?

Michaels: Changes in the prices of metals can significantly impact the valuation and prospects of a potential deal.  At the end of the day, deal discipline is required of buyers, sellers and partners. 

On one hand, current market realities need to be recognized and accounted for since they will impact valuation exercises, financing, integration efforts, and market messaging.  At the same time, it is important to give due consideration to longer-term views as well, particularly in light of energy transition dynamics and reserve levels. Quality assets are always going to sell, even in difficult markets, so long as agreement on valuation can be reached. Sometimes, that requires creative pricing structures.

MDC: Majors are looking to acquire mid-tiers and beleaguered juniors in a cash starved environment to enter the green energy metals space.  What growth opportunities do you see in this scenario?

Michaels: In this market, there are opportunities for many types and sizes of companies to benefit.  We are seeing a wide range of transaction types being proposed and discussed, including buyouts, investment opportunities, and partnership arrangements. 

Dealmaking is an important tool in any management team’s strategic option toolkit.  Depending on the nature of the parties and transaction, deal drivers may include opportunities presented by the green energy transition, rising costs to develop and operate new projects, new government incentives, the potential for risk-sharing, and the continuing desires to build scale, enhance value chains and diversify.

MDC: Given the nature of the sector, what due diligence is vital in transactions to understand the value of assets, liabilities, potential risks?

Michaels: A transaction in the mining and metals industry is a unique endeavor.  A thoughtful, well-advised and agile approach is critical to achieve the potential rewards of dealmaking, especially in a fluid market.  Mining and metals companies have particular due diligence needs, the breadth and depth of which is not necessarily seen in all other industries. 

In terms of valuation drivers, in addition to cash flow, resource and reserve, and operations due diligence, buyers and investors should have a sense of relevant synergies, government incentives, trade policies, tax considerations, and cash management practices.  When assessing risk, it is important to be mindful of a target company’s government relations, compliance programs, labor practices, land and water usage, pollution sources, supply chain, ESG profile, and local community relations.  An effective and calibrated due diligence process is often part of what makes a deal successful.

MDC: What regulatory hurdles should be anticipated? 

Michaels: There is little doubt that the regulatory environment is challenging in certain areas of the world right now.  Regulators have become quite active, in some cases discouraging or delaying certain dealmaking.  In a few instances, the heightened regulatory focus has been specifically targeted at the mining and metals industry, given its economic and geopolitical significance. There are obviously ways to get deals done when they are compelling.

While deals implicate various regulatory areas, obtaining antitrust and foreign screening clearance typically need to be top of mind for dealmakers.  These are often the biggest hurdles to executing a transaction, given that antitrust regulators and foreign investment screening regimes in many jurisdictions have increasingly scrutinized deals. 

This is emphasized in the mining and metals industry, given that the nature of the industry and the location of critical minerals has led to significant M&A activity occurring on a cross-border basis.  There is a premium on being well-prepared and developing an effective strategy to communicate why a deal is compelling and address any concerns.

MDC: What are the key requirements for legal expertise in the space for successful execution of an M&A deal?

Michaels: All M&A requires coordination among a broad range of constituencies and advisors.  In the mining and metals industry, interdependencies among stakeholders are magnified by the globe-spanning business and the exposure to government scrutiny.  It is critical to be well-prepared and well-advised from the outset. 

An early understanding of deal structure and approval requirements and insight into local conventions permits dealmakers to effectively manage the process, avoid pitfalls and seize opportunities. We continue to see in-house legal teams in the industry consist of elite level practitioners.  Experience in the industry is key for both in-house and outside counsel supporting M&A efforts, given the complexity and specialized considerations. 

While industry factors are important in any M&A transaction, they are emphasized in the mining and metals industry where due consideration needs to be given to unique government approval, public disclosure, community relations, ESG, and labor relations, among other matters.

Eight member companies are also supporting the initiative among them major players in the mining and energy industries and geologic hydrogen start-ups: BP, Chevron, Eden Geopower, Petrobras, Fortescue, Koloma, Hydroma USA, and HyTerra.

 “With the combined expertise in electromagnetics, gravity and magnetics in mineral exploration and exploration seismology for natural gas at Mines, we are uniquely positioned to tackle the subsurface exploration research in geologic hydrogen,” Mengli Zhang, co-director of the Center for Gravity, Electrical and Magnetic Studies and co-lead of the new joint program, said in a media statement.

Zhang explained that geologic hydrogen is a naturally occurring gas with significant potential as an energy resource. It is also a resource that could help reduce the climate impact of many industries that cannot easily be electrified – everything from heavy duty transport such as air travel to steel manufacturing to industrial heating.

Most hydrogen today, however, is manufactured using natural gas, requiring large amounts of energy and releasing carbon dioxide that is often left unabated. Current methods for reducing the carbon footprint of producing hydrogen include capturing and storing the carbon dioxide produced, or by using renewable electricity to split water molecules – both more costly than traditional hydrogen manufacturing.

As an alternative, scientists with Mines and the USGS have begun investigating the hydrogen gas that naturally exists beneath the surface of the earth. Preliminary research suggests that vast quantities of hydrogen may exist in various rock formations, both in the United States and around the world.

In the first industry-supported hydrogen exploration consortium in the world, the researchers involved will advance the understanding of geologic hydrogen systems, as well as develop surface- and subsurface exploration technologies to locate the clean-burning gas beneath the ground.

“Fortunately, we are not starting from scratch here,” Geoffrey Ellis, a research geologist with the USGS Energy Resources Program and director of the new joint program, said. “We can adopt and adapt the learning that we have developed from many decades of research into other resources such as mineral resources, petroleum and geothermal energy.”

Ellis noted that the consortium’s research will focus on the development of four key areas:

• A geologic “hydrogen system” model that identifies sources, migration pathways and mechanisms, reservoirs, traps and seals leading to accumulations of hydrogen in the subsurface.
• Surface exploration approaches, including remote sensing and surface geochemistry, to refine our understanding of where hydrogen accumulations exist in the subsurface.
• Subsurface exploration tools, including multiple geophysical tools, advanced signal processing and artificial intelligence tools, to image geologic hydrogen systems and potential economic accumulations suitable for energy production.
• 3D reactive transport modelling that integrates geology, geochemistry and geophysics to improve the understanding of hydrogen systems and provide guidance to the development of exploration strategies.

“A major focus of the consortium is developing immediately deployable technologies,” said Yaoguo Li, professor of geophysics at Mines.

“There’s a need and desire for exploration technologies that can be applied by industry in the near future to contribute directly to the energy transition, as well as for strategies that can be used by society to tackle the challenges in mitigating climate change for better human life.”

At a luncheon taking place during the four-day Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, hosts Gimaa Craig Nootchtai, Chief Larry Roque and Mayor Paul Lefebvre, along with mining sector partners, spoke of the significance of fostering alliances to create long-term, local economic prosperity through shared cultural and environmental values.

The event, attended by Indigenous organizations, mining company representatives, government officials and community leaders, emphasized the importance of building bridges between Indigenous communities and the mining sector.

“Partnerships between mining companies and First Nations demonstrate how we can work together to achieve shared objectives for the benefit of our communities. They set the stage for new opportunities and innovation, ensuring sustainability and stability in our mining sector,” Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said in a media statement.

“The City of Greater Sudbury values these relationships and will continue to work with First Nation leaders to continue the progress toward reconciliation and to support shared community goals for the economic vitality of the community.”

The luncheon included narratives from the leaders of Aki-eh Dibinwewziwin (ADLP), an Indigenous-owned partnership between Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Wahnapitae First Nation and Technica Mining that promotes sustainable mining practices while respecting Indigenous rights and traditions.

“Developing partnerships like ADLP ensures our traditions and culture are incorporated into our economic development values,” said Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Gimaa Craig Nootchtai.

“We continually seek sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to meet the current and future needs of the mining industry, as the partnerships we establish today will continue to benefit our people for generations to come.”

It showcases how engineers develop innovative solutions to address global challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Celebrating engineers raises awareness about their contributions and inspires young minds to pursue careers in engineering, ensuring a talent pipeline for future generations.

Consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Zutari showcases four exceptional women engineers from its ranks.

Hirna Bhikha, Civil Engineer, Built Environment:

Bhikha is the lead design engineer for civil infrastructure projects associated with residential and mixed-use developments, from concept to closeout. Her responsibilities involve designing, collaborating with professionals across various disciplines and ensuring deliverables align with Zutari’s standards.

Bhikha’s advice to young women is to find a mentor for guidance, to be confident in their unique contributions and take initiative in shaping their career path. “Embrace your authenticity; you do not have to change who you are to make a powerful and lasting impact,” she said.

Meaghan van der Velden, Process Engineer, Resources:

This is the third year van der Velden has been a part of a team consisting of both process and mechanical engineers in the Tshwane office. She works mainly on projects in the industrial, oil and gas and petrochemical sectors.

Having already worked on several projects with different teams and people, she has been  on-site as the only woman present. “I have learnt to recognise my own skills and talents. “I strive to ask questions and absorb knowledge, no matter who is in the room, so that one day I may be the best engineer I can be,” she said.

Vera Mpofu, Associate Engineer, Transport:

Mpofu is a professional Civil Engineer specialising in traffic engineering and transport planning, forming part of a team of senior and young engineers and transport economists from different backgrounds.

She is currently an Associate in the transport planning team at the Tshwane office.

 “My passion for making a difference is reignited when I see transport projects I worked on being implemented and making a difference, even in the smallest way, like recommending a walkway in a school vicinity,” she said.

Majd Mohamed, Electrical Engineer, Energy:

Working within the Transmission and Distribution) team, Mohamed mostly specialises in earthing and lightning protection studies for various energy facilities such as photovoltaic plants, battery energy storage facilities and substations. In addition, she is in involved in the design and construction management of electrical distribution projects.

“We are committed to fostering the growth of younger staff, empowering them to evolve into skilled and independent engineers. The continuous learning opportunities make each day at work both rewarding and exciting, transforming what could be routine into a dynamic experience,” she said.

Advanced Gold Exploration named Andrew Ramcharan president.

ATHA Energy appointed Ryan Gaffney as SVP of business development.

Caitlin Glew is the new VP exploration at Core Nickel, a subsidiary of CanAlaska Uranium.

Eastport Ventures named Robin Birchall its new CEO.

Element 29 announced Manuel Montoya as chief technical officer.

Japan Gold appointed Fraser MacCorquodale as president and COO.

Lithium Americas (Argentina) elected Sam Pigott as president and CEO, effective March 18.

Guy Le Bel is the new president of QC Copper.

Thunder Gold named CFO David Speck as corporate secretary, as well.

Sandeep Singh joined Western Copper and Gold as CEO.

Board changes:

Mark Cutifani joined the board of Diamond Standard.

Bob Bass is the new chair and his son Chriss Bass a new director of Getchell Gold.

Great Eagle Gold welcomed Kate Fehlenberg to its board.

Kobo Resources named Brian Scott, former VP geology and technical services at B2Gold, to its board.

Kraken Energy asked Marlis Yassin to join its board.

North Arrow Minerals named Eira Thomas the new chair of the board.

Charles Joseland joined the board of SolGold.

Thesis Gold appointed William (Bill) Lytle as non-executive chair.

Transition Metals added Jordan Black to its board.

While mineral exploration investments and discoveries grab the headlines on Africa’s mining prospects for 2024, there is less visible progress being made that promises to strengthen the sector’s future.

Africa’s substantial and varied mineral endowment is undisputed, and the year ahead will likely see ongoing progress in exploration and mine development. This will be in both ‘traditional’ metals and in those minerals associated with the global energy transition. According to S&P Global, the continent is home to the world’s most highest grade of mid-sized gold reserves. At the same time, it also hosts more than half the planet’s platinum group metal, manganese and cobalt reserves – which are vital for certain battery storage technologies.

By the end of 2022, there was a healthy project pipeline of almost 600 projects led by gold and copper-cobalt, but also including coal, diamonds, PGMs and base metals. The exploration spend at that time was rising at about 12% year-on-year, driven mainly by funding out of Canada followed by Australia, the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Islands of prosperity

So there is every reason to feel confident that mining is an industry with a great deal still to contribute to Africa’s economic development – even if the progress is uneven between countries and regions. Perhaps the more important questions about mining’s prospects for the coming year relate to the foundation that we are creating for the longer term.

As mining has grown across the continent, it often creates islands of prosperity that stand out starkly from the existing socio-economic landscape. Mines attract not only job-seekers and prospective suppliers and beneficiaries, but also informal artisanal miners; the result is a range of environmental, social and other impacts that are complex to manage.

Neither do these impacts remain only locally significant. As mineral-consuming corporates and end-users become more concerned to ensure ethical standards in procurement, so these in-country conditions attract international attention. These issues are just one aspect of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities that are now considered by mining operations – including human rights, decarbonisation and supply chain localisation.

Mining and society

As we look ahead to 2024, it is important to reflect on the progress that the sector is making in addressing these challenges. From our experience in SRK Consulting, there is certainly much to commend mining’s advances to date – notwithstanding the difficulties yet to be resolved.

Consider, for example, how the purely technical focus in areas such as engineering, mining and processing has evolved. The business of mining has today generally embraced a much broader understanding of how mining can support broader societal goals and better engage with the community. This has led to the integration of disciplines relating to water, environmental and social science, which now make an essential contribution to the way that mines are planned and operated.

In this sense, mining is always being positively disrupted by advances in expertise, approach and technology – albeit usually at a gradual pace. Importantly, there have been many changes across an ever-wider spectrum of professional fields, as we bring more disciplines to bear on our central goal of responsible and efficient mining. This ongoing development of expertise in a broader range of disciplines is also contributing to progress in solving previously intractable challenges like artisanal mining.

Pioneering standards

Mining institutions have played an important role in continuously raising the ESG bar alongside the industry’s technological advances. Standards of business practice are always being developed and reviewed in the light of global trends, and the sector’s leading companies commit to these and devote considerable resources to applying them.

In Africa’s mining sector, this is particularly important – as there are still many countries where regulatory frameworks to govern in-country mineral exploration and extraction are not yet well developed. The importance of industry codes is that they can raise performance levels, irrespective of the capacity of the host country to legislate and police these requirements. 

We have seen an example of this recently with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), where the sector worked with stakeholders to develop more stringent and far-reaching requirements.

Members of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) committed themselves to comply, and these standards will in time become the new benchmark for the whole sector. There are few countries whose national or industry regulations are as demanding as the GISTM, which has galvanised important progress in a very short time.

Shifting priorities

Over our five decades in business, SRK has seen how our mining clients’ needs and priorities have shifted, and we have responded by expanding our mining-related expertise by drawing on additional disciplines.

An example of the company’s early foresight was the embracing of social science in mining. As early as 1995, it was employing its first social and developmental specialist, who went on to become a partner of the firm and help guide strategy and focus. This appointment was fully supported by SRK’s founder members, who encouraged this direction long before it found its way into legal conformance requirements.

High standards are also vital for mining as our impact is so concentrated – unlike sectors like the construction industry where negative externalities tend to be more diffuse. Mines are large operations and many have long life-spans; their impacts are deep and varied, and are highly visible to all.

In the year to come, industry will continue to work – often under the radar – to find integrated solutions that contribute to resilience in the sector. As outlined here, such true resilience will be based upon cost competitiveness that is achieved in the context of an external environment that requires sustainable environmental and social practices.

Importantly, mining will continue to progress in supplying minerals critical to society and in its transition to more responsible and sustainable practices.

(By Andrew van Zyl, managing director, SRK Consulting)

Sully, who joined Lilac as COO in July, was previously CEO of Nutrien’s $10 billion nitrogen and phosphate business unit, where he managed capital projects and operations in the mining and chemicals space.

Founder Dave Snydacker will move into a president and CTO role and remain on the board of directors.
Since its inception in 2015, Lilac has evolved to a multinational technology company providing engineering and operational services to some of the world’s largest lithium projects.

Read Snydacker’s full announcement here.

Diamond Standard Co., developer of the world’s only regulated and market traded natural diamond commodities, announced Tuesday that former Anglo American chief executive Mark Cutifani has joined the company’s board of advisors.

Cutifani was CEO of Anglo, one of the world’s largest mining companies, from 2013 to 2022, and chairman of De Beers, the leading diamond mine operator and marketer of natural diamonds.

Currently, he serves as chairman of Vale Base Metals, which shortly after his appointment raised $3.4 billion from the Public Investment Fund and Ma’aden mining of Saudi Arabia.

Cutifani was formerly CEO of AngloGold Ashanti, a $7 billion market cap mining company producing gold, silver and uranium and a member of the World Gold Council during the development of the SPDR Gold Trust.

The timing of him joining Diamond Standard coincides with the company’s plans to launch listed financial products for diamonds, enabling investors to diversify into an under-allocated asset. Diamond Standard has agreed to develop futures on MGEX via CME Globex and options on MIAX, and previously filed an ETF.

Diamond Standard Fund, the company’s inaugural fund offering, is a collaboration with Horizon Kinetics, a $6.5 billion SEC-registered investment advisor and sponsor of the Inflation Beneficiaries ETF (NYSE: INFL). A strategic partnership with Oasis Pro Markets will allow for this private fund for accredited investors to list on an alternative trading system.

Diamond Standard’s commodities are transparent coins and bars containing geologically equivalent sets of natural diamonds, assembled under supervision of the Bermuda Monetary Authority and internal audit by Deloitte. Bloomberg and Refinitiv publish the daily market price, and the commodities trade on the Diamond Standard Spot Marketplace.

Bear Creek Mining named Zoya Shashkova its new CFO.

DFR Gold asked Brian Kiernan to assume the role of CEO and president in addition to his role as chair.

EnCore Energy appointed Shona Wilson as CFO.

First Phosphate said VP business development  Jerome Cliché has stepped down but will continue as an advisor to the company.

Goldshore Resources said its president, CEO and director Brett A. Richards is transitioning to interim CEO and director.

Newmont’s new COO, Natascha Viljoen, is transitioning into her new job as former COO Rob Atkinson will hand over his duties by the end of May.

Rathdowney Resources said CEO and chair David Copeland has resigned.

Tombill Mines named Athanasios Pythagoras its new corporate secretary.

Fernando Ragone is the new CFO of Wesdome Gold.

Board changes:

Altamira Gold appointed Pieter Le Roux to the board.

Deepak Varshney and James E. Rainbird joined the board of Doubleview Gold.

EDM Resources named Eugene Chen to the board.

Murray P. Suey is now a board member of Iamgold.

IberAmerican Lithium has accepted the resignation of director Robert Metcalfe.

Melissa Desrochers has resigned from the board of O3 Mining.

Plata Latina Minerals asked Joseph Longpre to join the board following the resignation of Margaret Brodie.

Russel Girling is the new board chair at Suncor Energy as Michael Wilson and Dennis Houston retired.

In this new role, Raab will be a key member of the company’s senior advisory team, supporting Appian on geopolitical strategy and risk, building on his significant international experience gained in UK government.

Appian has also formed a partnership with SAFE’s Center for Critical Minerals Strategy, an organization of military and business leaders focused on the intersection of energy policy and national security.

The partnership takes the form of a SAFE-Appian sub-committee on opportunities and risks in the critical mineral sector (SCOR), chaired by Raab and comprised of other commercial experts in the critical minerals sector alongside Appian.

The partnership will advise SAFE on the regulatory, fiscal and financial conditions required for successful critical minerals operations.

It will provide policy makers with an independent view on risk levels and viability of projects for funding, ensuring better capital and resource allocation to maximize the chance of bringing projects into production, Appian said, adding that the partnership will develop a scorecard to help decision-makers evaluate the wide range of potential critical minerals sites and provide a short-list of the most viable targets.

Last year, SAFE’s Minerals Center published “A Global Race to the Top: Using Transparency to Secure Critical Mineral Supply Chains,” outlining a vision for how the US can work with its partners and allies to create higher standards through radical transparency, from the mine to the final product.

The partnership advances this work, Appian said, by analyzing risks and opportunities for securing and diversifying sources of critical minerals and their wider supply chains to bring energy transition projects into production.

Durrant is a CRU alumna with over 20 years of experience in the field and will be leading the nickel asset service. With a global remit extending across the entire nickel value chain, Durrant will also be a key contributor to CRU’s newly released battery value chain service.

Amidst the current oversupply of nickel and resultant price crash, producers are battling to manage the twin pressures of plummeting prices and spiralling costs to remain commercially viable.

In her new role, Durrant will be an adviser to CRU clients as they navigate this immediate challenge as well as those that will arise from mid- to long-term structural market oversupply.

Durrant previously worked for CRU in London until 2007, before relocating back to Sydney and taking up a role at Wood Mackenzie, where she held the position of senior research manager, nickel industry costs.

“I am delighted to welcome Angela back to CRU. Having spent over two decades working in the nickel industry, and over ten years in Australia, she brings with her a deep knowledge of the region’s nickel market and emerging global demand drivers, such as the battery industry,” CRU’s head of base and battery metals Simon Morris said in a news release.

The award honors outstanding contributions in mineralogical preservation, conservation and education. 

Over the course of his career, Downs has taught thousands of students, published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and co-authored three books.  

“In his long career, Bob has influenced countless students and people from all walks of life through his lectures and publications, and as one of his supporters best put it, his influence on the mineralogy community is unique, lasting and profound,“ said Travis Olds, assistant curator of minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 

Olds presented the award to Downs on February 10 at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

Downs developed and continues to curate the RRUFF mineralogical database, one of the most widely used open-access mineral databases in the world, which has fundamentally changed how mineralogical data is kept and shared.

The Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction and chemistry data within RRUFF help mineral researchers identify specimens on Earth and beyond.

Downs was a principal investigator on the Mars rover Curiosity, part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. In 2023, he was second author on a paper in JGR Planets that summarizes a survey of 161 probable or confirmed Martian minerals and suggests that mineral diversity on Mars is an order of magnitude less than on Earth.

Downs also prioritized making mineral education accessible to the public. He led the development of the popular, new University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum in Tucson. 

Carnegie Museum of Natural History established the Carnegie Mineralogical Award, funded by the Hillman Foundation, in 1987.
 
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Carnegie Mineralogical Award, and the deadline is November 15, 2024. Eligible candidates include educators, private mineral enthusiasts and collectors, curators, museums, mineral clubs and societies, mineral symposiums, universities and publications.

For more information, contact Travis Olds at oldst@carnegiemnh.org.

Few that is, except for Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX: AEM; NYSE: AEM), which has hired a dozen heavy duty mechanics from Mexico to work at its Macassa mine in Kirkland Lake, northern Ontario.

“Being able to attract 12 skilled mechanics is a great win for us,” Nathan Cloet, human resources director for Agnico’s Ontario region told The Northern Miner. “In this market environment it’s hard to find skilled mechanics. The mining industry across Canada and Ontario does not necessarily leverage immigration as much as they could or should. So for us, we want to try this out.”

The workers are part of a new program Agnico is piloting that seeks to fill positions with employees from sister operations, in this case its La India mine in Mexico’s northern state of Sonora, which closed last year after it reached its end of life. The program is putting the workers and their families on a permanent residency-track and Cloet expects they’ll start working at Macassa by March or April.

Agnico’s program comes as Canada’s mining labour force is expected to face even more shortages in the next decade, mainly due to workers retiring, but also from waning interest in mining among young people, according to the Ottawa-based Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR).

The council’s 2023 Canadian Mining Outlook report forecasts the industry’s total workforce will — in a baseline scenario — decrease by 5% to 170,796 in 2033. That’s due to decreasing commodity prices in line with World Bank projections and higher interest rates. Even to meet that reduced level, 158,220 jobs will have to be filled over the 2023-2033 period across the mining and milling, support services and primary metal manufacturing sub-sectors.

Meanwhile, only 137,934 people are projected to enter the industry, leaving an employment gap of 20,287 across all sub-sectors.

Labouring to meet needs

In Cloet’s view, competition for skilled mining labour is tight in northeastern Ontario, could worsen as older workers retire.

“We have continuous needs for hiring,” he said. “Even the 12 workers we hired don’t meet our needs for Macassa. It’s an ongoing concern we’re trying to address.”

He’s quick to note that Agnico first tried to find Canadian workers for the roles. When it couldn’t, it had to go through the labour market impact assessment (LMIA) process, which requires employers to show that no Canadian or permanent residents are available to fill the job.

Cloet acknowledged that employing foreign labourers might raise issues about skills transfer and tensions about hiring non-Canadian workers, but he also said that the 12 mechanics will be paid the same as a Canadian would be.

“There are risks,” he said. “But for us, it helps that these people already have worked for us. We believe this can be successful. In the framework of Canada immigration, I would advocate that it’s something to try.”

The MiHR has also noted in its 2023 Canadian Mining Workplace Profile that immigrants are a relatively untapped potential talent pool. In 2022, immigrants represented about 30% of the country’s overall workforce, but only 10% of mining and quarrying, the report stated.

“From this perspective, the mining industry has been losing ground to other industries over the last decade and a half,” it said.

Leave no stone unturned

Mining and mineral engineering masters student Raisul Islam Atik has yet to formally enter the workforce, but he has discovered many opportunities through education in his 13 months in Canada.

While downsizing at Laurentian University in 2021 saw many of its courses cut, including environmental geoscience, its still-intact mineral engineering program drew Atik from his native Bangladesh, where he was studying the life cycle of electric vehicle batteries.

At Laurentian, he didn’t want to “seclude” himself from Canadian society as he said some other international students have done, and discovered there are many open roads into the industry.

“I wanted to take a different route, and I wanted to actually learn and immerse myself in whatever learning opportunities that I could get about this mining industry,” he said.

He began volunteering with the Modern Mining & Technology Sudbury organization that promotes awareness about mining. That eventually led him to being selected for the Mineral Industry Leadership Certificate at Laurentian, a program of training modules and site visits that also came with a $3,000 scholarship.

For the mentorship part of the program, he was paired with Morne Beukes, head of Canadian operations with mining engineering firm BBE Group.

“He’s an amazing man from South Africa,” Atik said. “I’m constantly in touch with him when I want to know something. As an international student, it was impossible for me to get access to such an experienced professional on my own.”

Reviewing barriers to entry

Even though Atik has made his way to the doorstep of Canada’s mining industry, many others like him might lose out on that opportunity after the federal government in January cut back on the number of international student permits.

Peggy Bell, founder and principal consultant with Resource Becoming, a non-profit consultancy that aims to enhance equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in mining, says the industry’s labour woes should be viewed in that larger context.

“EDI is a philosophy, and we need to develop diversity within mining, but it’s also a function to develop talent pools,” she said. “If we don’t have that access or if we don’t have the same number of new Canadians coming to the country to study, we potentially are losing that talent pool.”

Bell explained that attracting foreign – or Canadian – talent to the industry can also be sped up if mining companies re-examine their barriers to entry, such as the distinctions between qualifications, skills and experience.

She cited the Professional Engineers Ontario, which was the first association to act on legislation passed last May by the Ontario government that banned regulated professions from requiring Canadian work experience.

“How are we creating barriers for new Canadians and new talent?” she asked. “Can (miners or operators) accept a foreign degree with a certain amount of job experience? Or are they willing to accept the foreign degree and train the new employee on the job?”

Atha Energy named Cliff Revering as VP exploration and Karina Tyne as director of corporate affairs.

Avalon Advanced Materials made Scott Monteith its new CEO.

Cordoba Minerals appointed Peter Portka its new VP corporate development.

Fleet Space Technologies asked former VP metals of BHP, Keenan Jennings, to join it as part of the Experts-In-Residence (XIR) program.

Great Eagle Gold named Gary Harbottle as corporate secretary.

Power Metals named Haydn Daxter as CEO.

Nelson Karun has joined the technical team of Star Diamond as a diamond specialist.

Board changes:

Gonzalo Hernandez Jimenez and German Arce Zapata have joined the board of Aris Mining.

Bell Copper elected William D. Hart to the board, following the resignation of Eugune K. Schmidt.

Forum Energy Metals named Brian Christie to the board.

G.E.T.T. Gold named Andre Gauthier to its board.

Great Eagle Gold welcomed Robert Seguin to its board.

Highlander Silver added Federico Velasquez to the board.

Dorian Nicol became a director of Honey Badger Silver.

Sayona Mining named experienced mining executive Lucas Dow as an independent non-executive director.

Silver Viper Minerals appointed Taj Singh as chair of the board, succeeding Gary Cope.

Vista Gold added Michel (Mike) Sylvestre to its board.

Whittle became involved in the mining industry in 1979 when he joined Newmont Australia, later, Newcrest, as a contractor. He was fascinated by a largely theoretical paper published in 1965 by IBM researchers Lerchs and Grossmann, entitled, “Optimum Design of Open Pit Mines.” This described an algorithm to maximize cash flow from these mines, working from a block model of ore distribution, mining costs, and pit slope requirements.

There was no commercially available optimization software, so Whittle offered to write a program for Newmont, based on the Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm. When Newmont declined to commit funding to what they considered such a risky project, he decided to write it himself.

In 1983, Jeff took time off from his contracting work to write the first commercially available implementation of the Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm, which was practical to use on the computers of the day. He improved the efficiency of the algorithm by devising an inverted model of block dependencies, which greatly reduced the storage requirements for the whole data structure. This enabled the structure required for real mines to fit in memory, which was often less than 1 Mb, even for mainframes.

This was “Three-D”, which Whittle and his wife Ruth licensed to mining companies as Fortran source code.

In 1984, they established Whittle Programming. Over the next 16 years, he developed a series of mining optimization software packages. These were successfully marketed and sold by his wife to mining companies and consultancies all around the world. In 2000, they sold the business to Gemcom in Canada. This Whittle package of programs remains the industry standard toolkit to this day.

At around the same time, He began work on multi-pit mine scheduling optimization software. His ongoing development of this software resulted in the Prober series of optimisation tools used today by Whittle Consulting.

For almost 40 years, Whittle excelled at developing computer software which revolutionised mine design, strategic mine planning, and most specifically, the ability to optimise the efficiency and net present value of the most complex mining projects. he created the term, “Enterprise Optimization,” which is now common in mining industry parlance.

After making his last contributions to Prober in 2022, Whittle was happy that the ongoing development of his Whittle Consulting proprietary software was secure in the hands of the talented team at Whittle Consulting.

Whittle initially trained as an experimental physicist at the University of Manchester, U.K., gaining a degree with honours in physics. He, his wife and their young family emigrated from England to Australia in 1961. He was a pioneer of the computing age and started programming computers in 1962 while working at Defence Standard Laboratories in Melbourne. He and his wife became naturalised Australians in 1977.

Whittle’s legacy is profound. In the late 1960s, in his work on year 11 and 12 exam data processing, certificate printing, and university place selection at the Monash Computer Centre, Whittle developed a standardized scoring system for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) which made all subjects equally difficult. The current VCE scoring system is an evolution of the system he developed.

In 2018, Whittle was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of his distinguished service to the information technology sector and the mining industry.

Whittle was a proud and loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by Ruth, their six children – Robin, Gerald, Paul, David, Judy, and Matthew – and 12 grandchildren.

The funeral is Feb. 16. Tributes may be sent by clicking here.

The first appointee to the XIR program is Keenan Jennings, who recently joined the company in an advisory role.

Jennings has lead geochemical and geophysical research programs, in addition to driving the development of ML-enabled search space analysis. Prior to joining Fleet Space, he was vice-president of metals exploration at BHP, where he led the firm’s global exploration efforts.

Jennings has been directly involved with copper and gold discoveries in Australia, Chile, Argentina, Mongolia and the US. He also served on the internal board for BHP Xplor, a junior exploration incubator to expand the search space for discovery. Jennings also held roles as exploration manager at Rio Tinto for Mongolia and China before becoming the general manager of Oyu Tolgoi, building the geological capabilities of the mine.

The launch of Fleet Space’s XIR program builds on the global team of in-house geoscientists pushing the boundaries of exploration with advanced research and development, it said. Last year, Fleet scaled its space-enabled mineral exploration technology, Exosphere, and expanded the company’s global footprint to the US, Canada, Chile and Luxembourg.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Keenan Jennings to the Fleet Space crew, and launch our XIR program. As we chart a new course for the mineral exploration industry, humanity must take full advantage of the latest innovations in space technology to accelerate discovery and reduce environmental impact,” Fleet Space CEO Flavia Tata Nardini in a news release.

“The road to renewable energy requires a major expansion of critical mineral exploration – and how fast we get there depends on our commitment to innovation, speed [and] sustainability.”

Mining continues to engage with the many difficult issues that affect the future of the industry and broader society, judging by the topics and turn-out at this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town.

“The event remains a forum for productive, if challenging, conversations,” said Andrew van Zyl, SRK Consulting managing director, South Africa.

“Many of these issues – from climate change and decarbonisation to the just energy transition – can be controversial; what is important, though, is that all stakeholders feel that they can participate in robust dialogue to find sustainable solutions.”

Van Zyl acknowledged that many of the sector’s responses to the challenges of today and tomorrow were “works in progress” but emphasized how constructively it had adapted in recent decades.

“Part of the value of the Mining Indaba is that it brings together leaders and role players at both a strategic and technical level,” he said. “This allows not only for ideas to be shared and developed, but for experts to find practical strategies for implementing solutions.”

The rapid pace of global changes was making these forums for knowledge sharing even more important, he noted, as decision makers in mining needed to factor in fast moving variables. This related as much to the political evolution of African countries as it did to technological advancements in the energy sector.

“It is more vital than ever that, as players in mining, we regularly and frequently update our world views with quality information – so that we retain a relevant opinion on future demands and opportunities,” said Van Zyl.

An example is the steady improvement being made in renewable power generation and storage. Whereas certain orebodies were in the past uneconomic due to their remoteness from a centralised power grid, the renewable energy technologies of today could now remove that hurdle.

He pointed out that trends related to the energy transition continued to make commodity prices volatile – complicating the task of valuing mineral resources and planning mining operations. Various early-stage technologies in electric battery manufacture, for instance, still competed for market acceptance, affecting demand for the minerals each technology embodied.

“As in so many spheres that affect the demand for mineral commodities, the mining sector does not get to decide the final value of what it mines,” he said. “Neither does it decide on what the global economy wants to make with its mineral production; these external trends introduce ongoing disruption to which the sector must constantly adapt.”

As an industry, he argued, mining will continue to drive improvements in fields such as safety, operating costs, employee diversity, social value and environmental impact – while navigating the broader socio-economic trends.

Its resilience was well tested by the Covid-19 pandemic, when mining came to the rescue of many economies and communities.

In South Africa, for instance, the mines’ experience and infrastructure in respiratory illness helped protect employees and their communities – while its stand-out economic performance supported the national fiscus at a time when much of the private sector was in crisis.

“We need to appreciate the value of having honest discussions on what mining has to offer, what its considerable contribution has been, and what kind of future we are working towards,” said Van Zyl. “As a regular participant in the Mining Indaba, we see this forum as helping promote such conversations.”

Caprock Mining appointed Okunola Joshua Aina its CFO.

Lodestar Battery Metals said Ty Magee is the company’s qualified person following the departure of VP exploration Luke van der Meer.

Mandalay Resources appointed Hashim Ahmed its new EVP and CFO.

President Tim Heenan has been promoted to the role of CEO and given a seat on the board of Mirasol Resources.

Nion Nickel named François Vézina the COO for the Dumont nickel project,effective March 4. He was previously with Osisko Development.

Sola Gold announced that president and director Javier Cordova Unda has taken a personal leave of absence.

Board changes:

FPX Nickel asked Kim Baird to become a director.

The newest board member at Luca Mining is Peter Damouni.

Nuclear Fuels named Rich Munson to the board.

Helen Cai joined the board of Silvercorp Metals.

Slave Lake Zinc added Heath Ellingham to the board.

The water stream of the program aims to discover applied technologies that enhance efficiency in consumption, loss, evaporation and availability in Chile. 

The second vertical seeks initiatives that improve hydrometallurgy, chemical, energy, and/or carbon footprint processes applicable to lithium production. 

In electromobility, or e-mobility, SQM is seeking projects that help reduce CO2 emissions at mining operations.

The top 10 selected companies will receive financial support of $25,000, mentoring and the possibility of additional funding from SQM Lithium Ventures, a corporate venture capital fund launched in late 2022 that aims to accelerate entrepreneurship in the different stages of the lithium production chain.

Corporate venture capital is consolidating as a valuable alternative for new or emerging companies with a scientific and technological foundation, emphasizing innovation and scalability. For startups, this approach provides access to corporate leverage, intelligent financing, networks, and brand recognition. 

For the company, said SQM Lithium Ventures Director María de los Ángeles Romo, it represents an external source of creativity, enabling exploration into new products and markets. 

“It refreshes corporate culture, incorporates new talent, creates value for the company and its customers, allowing the discovery of new technologies, and connecting with the local and global entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Romo said.

Last year, a total of 151 startups participated in the program and 11 of them presented at a “demo day” held in Antofagasta, where they explained their proposals and how they envision a collaborative relationship with SQM.

The call for applications is open until February 19.

Quirk will assume full responsibility for executive management of the business, reporting to the FCX board of directors, while Richard Adkerson will remain as chairman, supporting the leadership transition, the company said.

The Freeport board has been looking to identify a successor to Adkerson, who has held the top spot since 2003 and was last year inducted into National Mining Hall of Fame.

Quirk joined Freeport in 1989 and had responsibility in a range of corporate functions, including tax, investor relations, corporate development and treasury, before being named chief financial officer in 2003. She was named president of FCX in 2021 and became a member of the board in 2023. Quirk is a graduate of Louisiana State University.

“Kathleen has earned the respect of the board, the Freeport organization and external stakeholders through her track record of accomplishment, proven leadership and mission for value creation for all stakeholders,” Dusty McCoy, lead independent director of the board, said in the statement.

“Through her 35‐year career with the company, she has broad knowledge of Freeport’s business and operations, its people and culture, and is highly qualified to lead Freeport as CEO,” McCoy added.

“Serving as CEO of Freeport for over 20 years has been an honor,” Adkerson stated. “I value my strong bond with our stakeholders – our employees, investors, industry executives, community partners and government officials – all of whom are critical to the success of our company and our industry.”

“The use of battery-operated mobile equipment is anticipated to increase significantly in Ontario mines, and raises several safety concerns, including the risk of fire,” said WSN CEO Mike Parent. “Industry experts and stakeholders join together to discuss the risks associated with battery-powered equipment in mining operations and explore effective ways to manage these hazards.”

Event speakers include:

• George Pirie, Ontario Minister of Mines, will discuss the mining industry’s importance as part of the electric vehicle supply chain.
• Norm Ladouceur, corporate manager of health and safety at Agnico Eagle Mines, will share best practices on how to handle electric vehicle and battery fires.
• David Lyon, president of Zero Nexus, will review the latest research on training opportunities to create a skilled workforce that will boost the uptake of heavy-duty BEVs in Canada and beyond.
• Anthony Griffiths, manager of business development at MacLean Engineering will present a study comparing how diesel and electric vehicles affect the environment in terms of noise and air quality.

There will also be a presentation by Gertjan Bekkers, VP of mines technical services at Torex Gold, and Mike Mayhew, founder of Mayhew Performance.

The symposium runs from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm Eastern time, and concludes with a tour of the Cambrian College electric vehicle research lab. This is the fourth year this symposium has been offered.

“We are definitely seeing an increase in EV use in the mining sector, and that has led to an increase in both EV maintenance training and EV research here at Cambrian R&D,” says Mike Commito, director of Cambrian R&D, the applied research division of Cambrian College. “We are working with industry partners, particularly in mining, to advance the adoption, use and safety of EV technology in mining, and this symposium is a great way to share some knowledge and best practices.”

The event is intended to enhance knowledge and contribute to the advancement of electric vehicle safety in mining operations. Virtual attendance is available through a video livestream.

Registration is here.