Tuesday is the busiest day at Diggers though, being Day 2, also delivered the biggest challenge for many of the more than 2000 delegates to get to the start line in time for the first presentation at 8.30am.
It was no challenge for more than 200 people who piled into the Kalgoorlie Town Hall at 7am yesterday for the Gold Industry Group’s annual Leadership breakfast.
Featuring a stellar line-up – Northern Star Resources boss Stu Tonkin, Gold Fields’ new boss Mike Fraser, Sarah Coleman from Perenti’s idoba arm and Evolution Mining mine geologist Grace Cruise – it was a free-flowing conversation about what the gold sector might look like in 2050.
It continued the good vibe in the Town Hall from Monday night for the well-attended Women in Mining WA bash.
While Cruise quipped she would like to lead one of the big gold miners by then – far from impossible, given her energy and enthusiasm – Tonkin floated the idea that one day we might not have to dig gold out to extract its value but leave it in-situ, utilising blockchain-esque innovation. A bit like a super-safe gold vault. Something for the pointy heads to ponder.
And as Coleman pointed out, the conversation needs to shift from innovation – read: AI, technology and automation – replacing people to complementing, upskilling and future-proofing a workforce.
It was a good conversation and the enthusiasm carried over to a packed Day 2 opening session, featuring in order four in-the-news presenters:
- Tony Ottaviano from Australia’s newest lithium producer, Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR);
- Evolution Mining’s (ASX: EVN) Jake Klein, one of the more polished presenters doing the rounds
- Shane Hartwig in his debut as managing director of heavy rare earths hopeful Northern Minerals (ASX: NTU), which has rarely been out of the news; and
- Duncan Craib of uranium producer Boss Energy (ASX: BOE), which has been riding the ups and downs of the latest uranium wave.
In fact, with an eye to tomorrow evening’s gala awards night, Boss would be a contender for the Digger of the Year, having restarted the Honeymoon uranium mine in South Australia.
It would be outrageous, of course, to not give it to a gold player like Morgan Hart’s Cambodia-focused Emerald Resources (ASX: EMR), Wayne Brammell’s turned-around Westgold Resources (ASX: WGX) or back-from-the-dead Spartan Resources (ASX: SPR), given that bullion is trading around $3700. And Diggers is a gold forum, after all!
Staying with gold, while it was political movements that dominated Day 1 – and almost-gone WA Liberal David Honey remained omnipresent in the marquee yesterday; maybe organising some post-politics board seats? – it was some political news yesterday that was welcomed by WA’s gold producers.
The WA Government’s lunchtime announcement in parliament it would hang onto ownership of The Perth Mint ends more than a year of speculation – and uncertainty for the Mint’s 700 staff.
The best way to celebrate this news at Diggers, of course, would’ve been with some AngloGold Ashanti honeycomb. Alas, the “other” South African major was conspicuous by its absence – booth or presentation. And no honeycomb.
Back to tomorrow’s award winners, which this writer has repeatedly predicted incorrectly.
Presumably the Dealer of the Year will be Azure Minerals, represented at Diggers by its new co-owner, SQM (Booth 96). Azure’s other co-owner and 2020 GJ Stokes Memorial winner Gina Rinehart is in Paris, of course, trying to collect gold of a medal variety across swimming, rowing and volleyball.
Maybe Spartan should have entered its rickshaws in the Paris 2024 time trial event?
And it would be a shock if WA1 Resources (ASX: WA1) is not named the Best Emerging Company – though that gong sometimes becomes a poisoned chalice. And not just of the platinum variety.
WA1’s niobium glow rubbed off on St George Mining (ASX: SGQ) yesterday, with the John Prineas-led explorer announcing a deal to acquire the Araxa niobium project in Brazil – smack bang in niobium heartland – and a $21.3 million capital raising to fund the deal.
St George shares went through the roof – at one stage they were up 30 per cent before closing the day 21 per cent higher at 4.1¢. Next year’s Emerging Company?
Or maybe Australian Vanadium (ASX: AVL) or niobium wannabe Encounter Resources (ASX: ENT), which had the pleasure of yesterday’s 5pm slot.
If you thought 5pm was a late slot, Gold Road Resources (ASX: GOR) boss Duncan Gibbs had the pleasure of closing his 5.15pm presentation – and Day 2 proceedings – by inviting delegates to drinks at the Kal Tire Mining Tire Group Traditional Bash.
“Thank you for your Diggers stamina,” Gibbs told a surprisingly large audience in the auditorium.
Last night the place to be, of course, was the Palace Hotel for Ashok Parekh’s annual bash. There was a lot of Liberal love in the air – and despair for the Boomers as we watched them go down in extra time to Serbia.
No medal for Paddy Mills & Co.
For diggers and dealers, the podium will be packed tonight.
