There was a lot going on during the opening session of the first day of the annual Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Once the obligatory Australian anthem was played and delegates had worked out where the coffee and fresh juice stands were in this new Diggers & Dealers layout in this new Goldfields Community Pavilion, it was time to focus on the day’s star attraction.
And it didn’t take long for the crowds to lap up the opportunity to be in a photo with The Perth Mint’s Guiness Book of World Records-breaking 500kg gold bar. A five-nines (that is 99.999% purity) bar to be precise, worth almost $100 million.
Hats off to the Mint team for braving the crowds – including former WA Mines Minister Bill Marmion; the incumbent Mines Minister Daniel Pastorelli is expected to make his Diggers & Dealers debut tomorrow – and tolerating all those fingerprints on their prized possession.
Sometime size matters and, for the purist in the refining space, a 500kg bar is more impressive than a 12.5kg version. And far more difficult to create, which speaks to refining capability. It’s as a simple as A-B-C.
Almost as exciting as the Mint’s gold treasure was the fireside chat mining reporter Dom Piper (so experienced he could be regarded as a veteran) held with this year’s keynote presenter, Joe Hockey.
Hockey, a former Federal Treasurer turned Australia’s ambassador to Washington turned Donald Trump golf buddy turned lobbyist, was in ebullient form and entertained a packed Goldfields Arts Centre auditorium with views on everyone ranging from Pauline Hanson (“genuine and heartful”), Vladimir Putin (“he’s an evil human being”), Iran’s regime (“evil regime, have no doubt about that”) to Donald Trump (“it’s easy to get elected (but) hard to govern”).
As with former Liberal politicians who addressed Diggers, Hockey enjoyed a warm reception before he was whisked off for some more media engagement and the invite-only Diggers chairman’s lunch.
Following the first morning tea in the Community Pavilion, the focus of yesterday’s presentations turned to gold, gold, gold – 12 of 20 presentations – though it was not easy to detect a theme.
Northern Star Resources chief technical officer Steve McClare focused on the in-commissioning 27Mtpa Fimiston process plant at KCGM and the extensive renewable energy project in development. Both projects are designed to deliver a step-change cut to operating costs.
Evolution Mining managing director Lawrie Conway highlighted continued margin growth while Gold Fields chief operating officer Francois Swanepoel touched – albeit super briefly – on the Gruyere gold mine, now owned 100% by the South African major following the takeover of Gold Road Resources last year.
“We are setting the asset up for long-term delivery,” Swanepoel said of a mine that seven years since first gold has struggled to deliver on its promise.
It was a first-time presenter, DevEx Resources boss Marnie Finlayson, who highlighted a worthy theme.
Taking to the podium in the afternoon to talk about DevEx’s uranium ambitions, Finlayson flagged she was the third Tim Goyder stock to present yesterday, following Minerals 260 (gold) and Liontown Resources (lithium). Talk about a balanced mineral diet.
“I am here to build a business,” Raleigh Finlayson’s sister said before admitting to copying a slide from her brother’s Genesis Minerals pitch deck.
Her business plan mirrors that of larger peer Deep Yellow – two to three assets that, combined, can produce 10 million pounds of uranium oxide a year.
All this talk of margin growth and increased demand for green baseload power meant delegates had developed a well-earned thirst.
The Clarke Energy Cocktail Party again delivered the initial thirst relief before delegates headed out on the town.
The hotels were heaving while the Women in Mining WA team again put on a splendid sundowner in the Kalgoorlie Town Hall.
Peter Cook & Band rocked the Palace Hotel’s Gold Bar. Barnsey wouldn’t have cut it as a warm-up act.
Tomorrow kicks off like most good days – with breakfast.
Either at the Gold Industry Group event in the Town Hall or a Gorilla Gold feast of burgers and Bloody Mary’s.
That should set the scene for Day 2.
