New Thinking in Financing, Technology, Collaboration and Innovation

Keynote Panel: How Can the Industry Shorten the Gap From Exploration to Production? Why Does the Lassonde Curve Still Take 16 Years? New Thinking in Financing, Technology, Collaboration and Innovation
A recurring challenge the industry faces is the lack of new discoveries and mines coming into production. Easy discoveries have become exhausted, and Miners have become averse to grassroots projects in “risky” jurisdictions. To paraphrase JFK, we do mining because it is hard, not because it is easy. What needs to change in exploration today to meet the demands of Resourcing Tomorrow?
Issues discussed include:
- “There is no such thing as failure. Just learning many times”. How can we explore better? “Drill it or kill it?” when to greenlight projects and when to give up
- How can we use technology better?
- How can we collaborate better?
- How can we finance better?
- In 1956 a copper mine took 4 years to get permitted. In 2022 it took 14 years on average. Why is permitting policy often out of sync with government policy towards critical minerals, and what can be changed?
Facilitator:
Michael Pickersgill, Partner, Torys LLP
Panellists:
David Awram, Co-Founder and Director, Sandstorm Gold
Sonia Scarselli, BHP Vice President, Metals Exploration and Xplor, BHP
Dan James, Chief Operating Officer, Plethora Private Equity
Taiwo Adeniji, Senior Director Investments, Africa Finance Corporation