At the end of our interviews, Steve and Ahmad always ask the guests two questions: what is something they think needs to live or be maintained in the mining industry at all costs; and what is something that needs to die or be jettisoned out of our industry?

We thought it would be interesting to put together some of the responses we have received to those questions over the past year.

So on this episode of Ideas that Must Die and Live in Mining, we are joined by, Mike Porter, Evren Pakyuz-Charrier, Tim Foden and Shaun Usmar.

Join us and let's explore.

At the end of our interviews, Steve and Ahmad always ask the guests two questions: what is something they think needs to live or be maintained in the mining industry at all costs; and what is something that needs to die or be jettisoned out of our industry? We thought it would be interesting to put together some of the responses we have received to those questions over the past year.

So on this episode of Ideas that Must Die and Live in Mining, we are joined by, Eira Thomas, Chuck Fipke, Tony Reda, Aaron Schutt, Peter Betts, Kyle Prentice, Justin Osborne, Mark Jessell and Nicolas Thebaud.

Join us and let's explore.

When we consider mining projects in arbitration, we often consider jurisdictions in Africa and Central and South America.

But increasingly, projects in developed countries are following a similar path for other reasons - like community objection, or environmental concerns, or permitting delays. Sometimes you just need a lawyer in your corner to help you through these situations. You better hope it is not too late…

Our guest on this episode is Tim Foden, a partner at Boise Schiller Flexner, specialising in International Dispute Resolution, particularly in the mining sector.

Come join us and let's explore.

For decades, Mike Porter ran a business where he took people worldwide to various mine sites and deposits. These tours were open to anyone; somehow, Mike managed to navigate the red tape and get onto every mine site. That was the magic of the Porter Geo International Study Tours.

Let's explore.

In this episode, our guests are Matthew Pearson and Dr Gerrit Olivier
from Fleet Space.

We have always had a desire to explore our planet. Our history is rich with explorers that did just that. The next chapter in the exploration of Earth might involve doing it from space. Fleet Space is trying to create technology to do just that.

Let's explore.

In this episode, our guest is Professor Andy Koronios.

Andy is CEO & Managing Director of the SmartSat CRC. Andy is a professor of information systems and previously held the positions of Dean: Industry & Enterprise and Head of the School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences, at the University of South Australia.

Andy has recently led a bid to establish a space industry-focused Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) aimed at catapulting Australia into the global space industry through collaborative research and development with the support of over 100 participants from industry, government and academia.

The SmartSat CRC is the biggest space industry-research collaboration in Australia's history.

Let’s explore.

In this episode, our guest is Arthur Richards “Rick” Rule IV, better known as Rick Rule. He needs no introduction. If you don't know who Rick is, Google him. There's a good chance Google was invented purely for searching for Rick Rule and his many achievements.

Furthermore, if you want to know what Amalgamated Aardvarks are, you won't find that through Google. You will just have to listen to the episode.

Let’s explore.

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Dave Lawie, who is the Chief Geoscientist and Technologist at IMDEX limited.

We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Let's explore.

In 2006, researchers from the Institute de Recherche pour le Developpment or the Institute of Research for Development in Toulouse, founded a research project in West Africa called the West African Exploration Initiative or WAXI.

In this episode, we are joined by Mark Jessell and Nicolas Thebaud, who have been involved in the WAXI project from nearly the beginning and are now two of the people behind the Agate Project.

Let's explore.

The story of Laurentian university closing is a sad one, and there are many reasons why that happened. But one reason suggested by many is the financial pressure that COVID has caused on universities.

Globally, many universities have had to cancel programs and lay off staff - and often cancelled niche programs like geology and earth sciences. In Australia, a number of universities decided to stop their support for geology programs. As a country that relies a lot on mining, this seemed to be a short-sighted decision.COVID has undoubtedly accelerated the closure of many geology departments.

But today we are joined by Pete Betts from Monash University, who suggests other reasons why geology programs are struggling to keep their place. Maybe it had more to do with the fact that we find it hard to engage the wider society with regards to why our science is important and what value it actually provides.

Let's explore.

In this episode, we speak to Tony Reda from Tectonic Metals. Tony is trying to create a company where the non-technical opportunities or risks are just as critical a pillar in the company as identifying the technical opportunities present.

They are trying to do the right thing as early as possible. Tony joined us today from his home in British Columbia to talk about what challenges he faces in trying to create such a company.
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Let's explore.

Eira Thomas started her career as an exploration geologist when she was part of the team that discovered what became the Diavik Diamond Mine, Canada's second major diamond discovery and arguably one of the richest diamond mines in the world. In this episode, we continue our discussion with Eira.

We find out what she sees as the future of the diamond industry, particularly in a world where sustainability and corporate social responsibility are playing an increasingly important part.
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Let's explore.

We always ask our guests two questions: what is something they think needs to live and what is something that needs to die in the mining industry?

Here is what they said.
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Let's explore.

We always ask our guests two questions: what is something they think needs to live and what is something that needs to die in the mining industry?

Here is what they said.
​
Let's explore.

For a while, we have been complaining that there seems to be a continuous exodus of investors out of mining. We have laid the blame for this on a number of things: mining is a risky business and investors just do not get us; the boom and bust cycles make it difficult for these investors to stay around; and the common and ever-present excuse, it is all because of the commodity price. Maybe it is time that we recognised that we as an industry have lost the trust of investors because of the failures of our recent past in returning value to shareholders. Maybe what these absent investors are asking for, is the opportunity to make real investments that have the potential to deliver long term returns and not just over-hyped stock plays.

Our guest today is Jonathan Goodman, President and CEO of Dundee Corporation, a company with a long and successful pedigree investing in the mining and resources industry. He joins us to talk about how as an industry we need to start addressing some of these “elephants in the room” before we are likely to see a sustained return of capital to our industry.
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Let's explore.

Why did you start this podcast?... What have been your favourite episodes so far?... Is there anyone you haven’t yet interviewed that you would particularly like to speak to?... How do you go about constructing an interview?... Do you get a lot of feedback for your podcasts?... What does the future of Exploration Radio look like?

Over the last 3 years, we have often been asked these questions by individual listeners. We are only too happy to answer them. We really hold no secrets behind what our motivation was in starting this podcast, our interest in continuing it and our desire in what we want to do with it.

So when the AIG convinced us to join them for a webinar, we figured that was a great opportunity to answer any questions our listeners (and others) had for us about Exploration Radio. In this episode, the interviewers become the interviewees and you get to ask us whatever you wanted to know about Exploration Radio.
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Let's explore.

UNCOVER was a research consortium set up to combat the declining rate of mineral discoveries in Australia. There were many good outcomes out of the project; NExUS being one. But perhaps, in the end, the project struggled to accomplish its main goal - of changing the exploration industry in Australia.
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Let's explore.

Everyone says making changes in big companies is like turning around the Titanic. Find out how Sam Walsh did it for one of the biggest companies in the world.
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Let's explore.

Would early stage exploration be more successful in attracting investment if it was funded by private investors... like how venture capital firms fund startups in other industries. In this episode, we sit down for a chat with Tony Manini.
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Let's explore.

All innovation programs have a 70/30 rule associated with them. Only 30% of the problem is related to technology. The other 70% is all about people's behaviours.

To be successful, you have to solve both.
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Let's explore.

Social license issues have become commonplace in mining. In OECD countries, where there are more avenues of industrial development, navigating these has its own risks. We perceive these countries to be low risk for mining development. But is that changing?
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Let's explore.

Mining has always been considered a laggard in adopting real-time analytics when compared to the oil and gas industry. This was not because of a lack of interest. In reality, there were some good reasons why this did not work in mining. Until now.
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Let's explore.

A geologist, an engineer, and a social scientist walk into a bar. They discuss how the value proposition of resource development has changed and how we need to evolve it beyond just the economic benefit it provides.
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Let's explore.

The role of an entrepreneur, or any startup, is to learn... learn as quickly as possible before you go out of business.
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Let's explore.

Once upon a time, there were three princes from Serendip. They had many adventures. One of them involved a camel. This story teaches us a lot about serendipity... and ultimately about scientific discoveries.
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Let's explore.

Working in a big company is like making a movie. While managing a junior or a startup is like standup comedy. Malcolm Norris joins us to explain why that is.
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Let's explore.

If you put a frog into boiling water, it will jump out. But if you put a frog in cold water and slowly boil the water, it will not recognise the danger at all. Does this metaphor apply to how we deal with change in science?

Let's explore.

​Last episode in our series on #innovation and #disruption... we try to answer the question: What makes an #innovator?

#Mining metals on the #ocean floor... mining water from #asteroids... just some of the #innovative ideas Julian Malnic has #succeeded with. He gives us a window into how he works. How he sees #entrepreneurship as understanding what the value of you being you is. How disagreement and scepticism are good things. How sometimes opportunities find you and 80% of success is just showing up. At the end, #innovation is #entrepreneurship and #enterprise. And don't ride the ski lift if you are afraid of the fall.

Julian Malnic is an innovator. And he has 7 lessons for us.

Let's explore.

Disruption is the result of applying a series of changes in a system that creates a whole new way of doing things. And more importantly, often results in whole new business models. There are no shortage of industries that have gone down this path. Think about music. Previously you owned the music you wanted to listen to. Now you stream it. Access trumps ownership.

So what would #disruption look like in mining? Well, it will probably start with digitalisation. Look around you...a lot of what you do currently could easily be digitalised. Extend this concept further...a lot of the process of mining could be digitalised. We cannot change a mineral deposit. But in a world ripe with sensors, we can change the information we collect about it. And give us a chance to make better decisions on what to do next. The eventual consequence of all of this thinking: is a digital mine. This is a fundamentally different way to look at mining. But it’s not the real disruption we will face. That will come in the form of completely new business models that we will have to deal with.

The US Marines have a saying..."Everyone wants to get into heaven. But no one wants to die." Is this a metaphor for how mining treats new business models?

Let's explore.

Have you ever been made redundant because of the cyclical nature of our industry? Everyone that works in mining knows that the industry is cyclical. There are booms and busts every 5 to 10 years and they control everything... From severe unemployment to lack of skill development to companies struggling to #innovate...and many other derivative effects. But have you ever wondered whether a lot of the small issues we face are in fact a result of a much higher level problem...that being the cyclical nature of our industry? Is this cyclicity the root cause of all the bad...and maybe the good...in our industry?

Hedley Widdup works for an investment fund called Lion Selection Group. One of their main strategies for investing in the mining industry is to understand where in the commodity cycle the industry is. To take advantage of this cyclicity, they need to understand it.

​Hedley joins us this week to explain to us why the mining industry is cyclic...and why it will always stay this way.

Let's explore.

Last week, we learned about the beginnings of the MV CRAESTAR...a fishing trawler retrofitted with a helicopter and analytical laboratory, used as a floating exploration base by CRA in the mid-1960's to explore for copper deposits in the SW Pacific. This program was born out of a necessity, a need to innovate...traditional methods of exploring the islands were too slow so CRA needed to find a new way. The result was the CRAESTAR.

In part 2 of this story, we find out more...was the CRAESTAR program a success in the end? Did it accomplish what it set out to do? And what lessons did CRA learn about how to innovate when it comes to mineral exploration.

Let's explore.

These days, innovation is all around us. It is now considered the fundamental requirement for survival in most industries. It's the old adage of "you either innovate, or you die".

So what about mining, which is often considered a laggard when it comes to technology and innovation. How will the mining industry innovate? And more importantly, what does this innovation look like?
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In this weeks' episode, we speak to Andrew Shook, a metallurgical engineer who has held several technology and innovation roles at BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. In Andrew's opinion, innovation in the mining industry can be explained by a single word...change. The question we want to know is, who is leading this change?

Let's explore.

Is Wanderlust just a Jennifer Aniston movie? Or is it something more?

We describe wanderlust as an insatiable thirst for travel, culture, new people...or just 'the new' in general. It has driven many an explorer to search out places where others have not been or where others will not go. It sounds glamorous, exciting and enticing. But it requires discipline, passion and sacrifice. It is a requirement of an explorer which can never really be replaced.
So in this week's episode, we talk to Dan Olberg...an exploration geologist who speaks many languages and runs exploration programs in the developing world, from Mongolia to Indonesia to Peru and now Africa. His personal drive means he travels for both work and pleasure.
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Why are we talking to Dan? Because he epitomises the drive it takes to be an explorer and has a fascinating story.

Let's explore.

It is the early 1990s. Alan Moore is a young geologist from Australia, working for BHP at the time. He heads to Pakistan looking for copper deposits in the remote, inhospitable southwestern part of the country, an area called the Chagai Hills. Along the way, he meets Saad Husain - a local Pakistani who teams up with Alan and becomes his ever-present project manager.

This is their story and how their work led to the discovery of the Reko Diq deposit. However, it is not your typical discovery story. It is much more than that.

Let's explore.

What does it take to be a successful explorer? Is it technical knowledge? Is it having the right strategy? Is it having a lot of money to explore for a long time? Or is it just luck?

What if...the most important ingredient for success in mineral exploration was culture, and the rest of the things pale in comparison. Maybe the most important thing is if you have the right culture and whether you can sustain it for long enough.

In our inaugural episode, we look at the building of an explorer culture - a discovery culture. We are going to pull apart this concept by interviewing Mark Bennett, a successful mineral explorer who has evolved his own views and his own successful culture.

Let's explore.