Company Interviews

Recording date: 17th October 2025

Jeff Phillips has spent three decades navigating the volatile junior resource sector, developing an investment philosophy he describes as "parental supervision" rather than traditional activism. His approach involves taking substantial positions of 4-10% ownership in carefully selected companies and providing strategic guidance on capital raising, shareholder composition, and development milestones.

Central to Phillips's strategy is maintaining a concentrated portfolio of just 10-14 meaningful positions across different commodities and exploration models. He argues that excessive diversification—he cites investors holding 97 or more junior resource stocks—makes portfolio management impossible and dilutes the impa...

Interview with Rudi Deysel, Board MD & CEO OF West Wits Mining

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/west-wits-mining-asxwwi-gold-producer-doubles-npv-to-500m-with-81-irr-in-updated-dfs-7533

Recording date: 30th October 2025

West Wits Mining (ASX:WWI) has successfully transitioned from project developer to gold producer, achieving a significant milestone on October 14, 2025, with its first underground ore production in South Africa's renowned Witwatersrand Basin. Managing Director and CEO Rudi Deysel confirmed that following a three-month mobilization period beginning in July, the company completed its first physical blast and ore transport from the mine.

The project's unique structure...

Interview with Niël Pretorius, CEO of DRDGOLD Ltd.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/gold-strategic-vision-vs-market-hype-how-mining-leaders-navigate-cycles-7468

Recording date: 29th October 2025

DRDGOLD represents an unusual opportunity in the gold sector—a company that has paid dividends for 18 consecutive years without interruption, maintained a debt-free balance sheet through multiple commodity cycles, and is currently funding a transformative expansion entirely from operating cash flows. For investors seeking gold exposure through operational discipline rather than exploration speculation, DRDGOLD's business model warrants serious attention.

The Johannesburg-based company, listed on both the JSE and NYSE wit...

Interview with Gord Glenn, President & CEO of Minnova Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/minnova-mci-planning-price-pace-potential-partners-1103

Recording date: 28th October 2025

Minnova Corp (TSXV:MCI) presents a distinctive investment opportunity in the junior gold development space, combining near-term production potential with substantial infrastructure advantages and exceptional leverage to elevated gold prices. The company is advancing the past-producing PL Gold Mine in northern Manitoba toward production by late 2027 or early 2028, following a strategic pivot from underground to open-pit mining that transforms the project's risk-return profile.

The company's most significant competitive advantage...

Interview with Nicholas Holthouse, MD & CEO, and Peter Ruse, Head of Corporate Development, Mont Royal Resources

Recording date: 21st October 2025

Mont Royal Resources (ASX:MRZ) is preparing to list on the Australian Securities Exchange on 5th November 2025, following its merger with Commerce Resources. The combined entity brings together North America's largest undeveloped rare earth deposit - the Ashram project in Quebec, Canada—with experienced management and a clear development strategy aimed at capitalizing on unprecedented Western government support for critical minerals.

The Ashram deposit contains nearly 200 million tons of resource grading approximately 2% total ra...

Interview with Paul Ténière, CEO, Lafleur Minerals

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/lafleur-minerals-cselflr-swanson-expansion-targets-500k1m-oz-resource-in-quebec-gold-camp-8112

Recording date: 28th October 2025

Lafleur Minerals is positioning itself for gold production within 12 months through the strategic integration of its Swanson deposit with the fully-owned Beacon Gold Mill in Quebec. CEO Paul Ténière outlined the company's comprehensive development plan during a detailed discussion, emphasizing how existing infrastructure and historical data are being leveraged to accelerate the path to production.

The company is targeting completion of a preliminary economic assessment by D...

Interview with Michael Gentile, Investor

Recording date: 6th October 2025

Michael Gentile, a strategic investor with 25 years of institutional money management experience, is conducting a five-city European roadshow featuring six of his largest portfolio investments. The tour through London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, and Frankfurt comes at a pivotal moment—gold prices are reaching new highs while institutional appetite for precious metals equities returns after years of dormancy.

Gentile's investment approach centers on contrarian positioning in the junior mining sector. His gold thesis, established during the 2018 downturn, was built on concerns about unsustainable government debt le...

Interview with Craig Jones, Managing Director & CEO of Perseus Mining

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/perseus-mining-asxpru-record-financial-results-capital-returns-7829

Recording date: 27th October 2025

Perseus Mining has embarked on a new leadership chapter with Craig Jones assuming the managing director and CEO role, bringing 15 years of operational and capital project expertise from Newcrest Mining to guide the African-focused gold producer through an ambitious expansion phase.

Jones outlined a strategy centered on operational continuity rather than radical change. The focus remains squarely on delivering Perseus's five-year growth plan, which encompasses three key pillars...

Interview with Kevin Bailey, Executive Chairman & CEO of Po Valley Energy

Recording date: 27th October 2025

Po Valley Energy, a $60 million Australian-listed natural gas producer operating in northern Italy's Po Valley basin, represents a compelling investment case built on immediate cash generation, visible production growth, and alignment with Europe's energy security priorities. With a single well currently producing and plans to drill multiple additional wells over the next two years, the company offers exposure to premium European gas pricing in a geopolitically strategic market.

The company's sole producing asset, the Podere Maiar well in...

Recording date: 24th October 2025

Derek McPherson (Executive Chair) and Sam Pelaez (President, CEO, and CIO) of Olive Resource Capital are viewing recent weakness in gold and mining equities as a buying opportunity rather than a trend reversal, despite gold correcting from $4,300 to $4,000 per ounce and leading equities declining 15-20% from recent highs.

In their October 24th podcast recorded from Zurich, the duo characterized the pullback as normal seasonal volatility within an ongoing bull market. Sam noted that gold reached an RSI reading of 92—the highest ever recorded before the correction, suggesting the rally had extended be...

Interview with Sam Spring, President and CEO, Kincora Copper

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/kincora-copper-tsxvkcc-project-generator-strategy-transforms-growth-path-6975

Recording date: 20th September 2025

Kincora Copper has successfully transformed from a traditional single-project explorer into a diversified project generator, backed by prominent resource investors Rick Rule and Jeff Phillips through a C$4 million financing with a 12-month hold period. Following a 10-for-1 share consolidation, the company now operates with only 43 million shares outstanding and less than 40% free float, creating one of the tighter capital structures in the junior mining space.

The strategic pivot...

Interview with Dan Barnholden, CEO of Luca Mining Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/luca-mining-tsxvluca-high-grade-drilling-results-boost-mexican-mining-operations-7559

Recording date: 22nd October 2025

Luca Mining (TSXV:LUCA) is pursuing an ambitious transformation strategy designed to triple its market capitalization from $300 million to over $1 billion by scaling production to 200,000 ounces of gold equivalent annually. The company operates two underground mines in Mexico-Campo Morado, a polymetallic VMS deposit in Guerrero, and Tahuehueto, an epithermal gold-silver mine in Durango—both previously starved of capital for a decade.

CEO Dan Barnholden, bringing two decades of investment ba...

Interview with
Kiran Patankar, President & CEO of Maple Gold Mines
Matt Manson, President & CEO of Radisson Mining Resources Inc.

Recording date: 16th October 2025

Two junior mining companies are systematically advancing high-grade gold projects in Quebec's Abitibi greenstone belt, leveraging the region's extensive infrastructure while pursuing disciplined capital allocation strategies that prioritize technical de-risking over speculative development.

Radisson Mining Resources focuses on the O'Brien Gold Project, a historical high-grade mine that operated until 1957 when economic constraints at $35-per-ounce gold forced closure at one-kilometer depth. CEO Matthew Manson now targets two kilometers as...

Interview with Ravi Sood, Chairman & CEO of Golconda Gold

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/golconda-gold-tsxvgg-aiming-to-deliver-a-step-change-in-production-4824

Recording date: 20th October 2025

Golconda Gold has established itself as a disciplined precious metals producer, emerging from a decade-long bear market to operate two permitted gold mines with strong growth prospects. The flagship Galaxy Gold Mine in South Africa, currently producing just over 10,000 ounces in 2025, is set for a production ramp up to more than 40,000 ounces annually by 2028. This expansion leverages the existing infrastructure, specifically a 50,000-ton-per-month mill running at only 30-40% utilization, which supports...

Interview with Philippe Cloutier, President & CEO of Cartier Resources Inc.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/cartier-resources-tsxvecr-cartier-launches-massive-gold-exploration-7820

Recording date: 21st October 2025

Cartier Resources (TSXV:ECR) represents a compelling gold exploration opportunity centered on demonstrating mining camp-scale potential along Quebec's renowned Cadillac Fault in the Abitibi region—one of the world's most productive gold districts with over a century of mining history and hundreds of millions of ounces produced. The company has consolidated approximately 15 kilometers of strategic land position between multiple historic mining camps and adjacent to Agnico Eagle's producing operations, positioning it...

Interview with Gan-Ochir Zunduisuren, Managing Director of Asian Battery Metals PLC

Recording date: 15th October 2025

Asian Battery Metals (ASX:AZ9) is emerging as a focused critical minerals developer in Mongolia, strategically positioned at the doorstep of Asian consumption markets. Led by Managing Director Gan-Ochir Zunduisuren, a mining engineer with 22 years of experience including a board position at Rio Tinto's Oyu Tolgoi copper operation, the company is advancing a portfolio of copper, nickel, and gold projects in southwestern Mongolia's prospective Central Asian orogenic belt.

The company's flagship Oval copper-nickel project has delivered significant validation...

Interview with Brett Marsh, President & CEO of Spartan Metals

Recording date: 16th October 2025

Spartan Metals Corp has emerged as a focused player in the critical minerals sector with its Eagle project in Nevada, a past-producing district that encompasses two historic tungsten mines and a high-grade copper-silver operation. The company's strategic approach centers on reviving domestic tungsten production at a time when the United States faces near-total import dependence for this defense-critical metal.

CEO Brett Marsh, bringing 25 years of geology experience across major mining companies and junior explorers, has deliberately structured Spartan around tungsten...

Interview with Nicholas Bridgen, CEO of Ferro-Alloy Resources Ltd.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/ferro-alloy-resources-lsefar-low-cost-vanadium-play-preps-feasibility-study-for-june-2025-6715

Recording date: 15th October 2025

Ferro Alloy Resources has released feasibility study results for its Kazakhstan vanadium project, revealing exceptional economics that position the company among the lowest-cost producers globally. Phase 1 development demonstrates a net present value of $749 million with a 22% internal rate of return, while production costs of just $0.36 per pound after byproduct credits place the project in the bottom decile of global vanadium operations.

Chief Executive Nicholas Bridgen attributes these compelling...

Interview with Blake Hylands, CEO of Lithium Ionic Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/opportunity-in-volatility-lithium-projects-poised-for-rebound-5610

Recording date: 15th October 2025

Lithium Ionic has significantly strengthened the economics of its Bandeira lithium project in Brazil, delivering a rare improvement in feasibility study updates. The company's latest Definitive Feasibility Study reveals exceptional metrics: a post-tax internal rate of return exceeding 60%, net present value of $1.5 billion, and a two-year payback period over a 19-year mine life. Most notably, capital costs decreased by $70 million to $190 million, positioning Bandeira among the lowest-cost lithium developments globally.

Interview with Sean Wade, CEO of Power Metal Resources PLC & Marcel Nally, Founder of Minestarters

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/power-metal-resources-aimpow-advancing-a-pipeline-of-high-potential-exploration-projects-6311

Recording date: 15th October 2025

Power Metal Resources is investing £3 million to become the cornerstone investor in Minestarters, a blockchain-based platform designed to address critical funding shortages in early-stage mining exploration. The AIM-listed mining exploration incubator will acquire 49% of Minestarters, gaining access to significantly larger capital pools through tokenisation while maintaining visibility of investment value through tradable digital assets.

CEO Sean Wade describes the funding environment for early-stage m...

Interview with Joe Ovsenek, CEO of Tudor Gold 

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/tudor-gold-tud-higher-grade-results-show-improved-understanding-2585

Recording date: 16th October 2025

Tudor Gold is advancing its Treaty Creek project in British Columbia's Golden Triangle from exploration into mine development under new leadership with proven experience building the nearby Brucejack Mine. The company controls a 21.66 million ounce gold resource grading 0.92 g/t and is implementing a selective underground mining strategy rather than pursuing bulk tonnage approaches.

President and CEO Joe Ovsenek leads a management team that joined in May 2025, bringing direct regional e...

Interview with Chad Peters, President & CEO of Ridgeline Minerals and Chris Frostad, President & CEO of Purepoint Uranium

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Ridgeline Minerals and Purepoint Uranium represent a fundamental departure from the traditional junior mining exploration model that has historically destroyed shareholder value through relentless dilution. Both companies have structured strategic partnerships with major mining companies, including Nevada Gold Mines, South32, Cameco, and Orano, that provide 100% non-dilutive funding for exploration programs while the juniors retain fully carried interests of 20-25% through to commercial production. This structure addresses the central problem facing exploration investors: companies repeatedly...

Recording date: 14th October 2025

Derek Macpherson, Executive Chairman of Olive Resource Capital, and CEO Sam Pelaez presented their outlook on the evolving commodity markets during their October 14, 2025 Compass podcast. Their analysis highlights a transition from precious metals dominance toward broader industrial commodity opportunities driven by monetary policy and structural supply constraints.

Gold continues trading at $4,100 with silver exceeding $50 per ounce despite recent Middle East peace developments. Pelaez emphasized that global liquidity has reached all-time highs, surpassing pandemic levels, and maintains the highest correlation with gold performance. This monetary backdrop combines with central banks actively reducing...

Interview with Keith Boyle, CEO of New Found Gold and Victor Cantore, President & CEO of Amex Exploration Inc.

Recording date: 16th October 2025

New Found Gold and Amex Exploration represent a new generation of Canadian gold developers taking a pragmatic path from exploration to production, leveraging high-grade resources and phased build strategies to minimize dilution and accelerate cash flow.

New Found Gold CEO Keith Boyle outlines how the acquisition of Maritime Resources positions the company to become a near-term producer at its Queensway Project in Newfoundland. The addition of a toll milling option significantly...

Interview with Alan Carter, President & CEO of Cabral Gold Inc.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/cabral-gold-tsxvcbr-2500oz-margins-position-brazil-project-for-exceptional-near-term-returns-8097

Recording date: 16th October 2025

Cabral Gold has positioned itself for a transition from explorer to producer following the recent US$45 million gold loan financing that fully funds construction of its Brazilian heap leach operation without diluting shareholders, a rare achievement in the junior mining sector. With first gold pour scheduled for Q4 2026, investors have clear visibility to cash flow generation within 12 months.

The project's financial profile stands out in today's gold...

Interview with Glenn Mullan, President & CEO of Val-d'Or Mining Corporation

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/val-dor-mining-vzz-new-royalty-story-emulating-recent-success-1729

Recording date: 10th October 2025

Val-d'Or Mining Corporation employs a prospect generation model centered on staking mineral properties 100%, conducting minimal initial exploration with an annual budget of only $300,000, then partnering with larger mining companies to fund drilling and development work. This approach reduces the need for capital-intensive exploration and limits shareholder dilution typical in junior miners. Their current major partnership with Eldorado Gold involves $36.5 million committed exploration spending across 12 properties in Quebec and Ontario. Val-d'Or...

Interview with David Detata, Managing Director of Strategic Energy Resources

Recording date: 9th October 2025

Strategic Energy Resources (ASX:SER), a Perth-based junior explorer with a market capitalization of approximately $4-5 million, has established a distinctive position in Queensland's copper-gold exploration sector through its prospect generator business model and hypothesis-driven approach to target evaluation.

Managing Director David Detata brings an unconventional background to mineral exploration, having spent nearly 20 years as a forensic scientist specializing in analytical chemistry before transitioning to the mining sector in 2019. This scientific discipline shapes the company's methodical approach: "We see...

Interview with Alberto Orozco, CEO of Capital Silver Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/capitan-silver-tsxvcapt-mexico-explorer-raises-53m-at-premium-and-announces-exploration-plan-6828

Recording date: 6th October 2025

Capitan Silver Corp. has achieved what no company has accomplished in over a century: consolidating Mexico's historically productive Cruz de Plata silver district under single ownership. Through two strategic transactions in 2022 and August 2024, the company has reunited lands where Peñoles mining company operated its first mine, producing 300 up to 2,000 g/t silver from the late 1800s until the Mexican Revolution fragmented the property in 1908.

The consolidation has u...

Interview with  Sam Lee, CEO of Northisle Copper & Gold

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/northisle-copper-gold-tsxvncx-district-scale-is-the-prize-8032

Recording date: 6th October 2025

Northisle Copper & Gold is advancing one of British Columbia's most significant undeveloped copper-gold assets at a pivotal moment when political alignment, commodity fundamentals, and strategic capital partnerships have converged to enable accelerated development. The company controls a major porphyry project hosting over 7 million ounces of gold and 3.5 billion pounds of copper on Vancouver Island.

Since CEO Sam Lee joined in October 2020, the company has systematically addressed the critical questions d...

Interview with Chris Frostad, President & CEO of Purepoint Uranium

Previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/purepoint-uranium-tsxvptu-high-grade-uranium-found-with-isoenergy-jv-7520

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Purepoint Uranium Group has emerged as a differentiated uranium exploration company through its combination of a significant new discovery in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin and a self-sustaining business model built on strategic partnerships with major industry players. The company's recent progress demonstrates how junior explorers can advance high-quality projects while maintaining capital efficiency and minimizing shareholder dilution.

The Dorado discovery represents the company's most significant value driver. Four drill holes have...

Interview with Julian Treger, President & CEO of CoTec Holdings

Recording date: 7th October 2025

CoTec Holdings is pioneering a new era in mining by repurposing industrial waste and tailings through six proprietary technologies, aiming to develop nearly 20 assets by 2030 with potential net present values exceeding $2-3 billion. Led by CEO Julian Treger, a seasoned investor who scaled Anglo Pacific's earnings from $5 million to over $100 million in eight years, the company holds a current market value of $130 million CAD, with 60% insider ownership driving a goal of surpassing $1 billion in valuation. Treger's approach exploits market gaps: outdated extraction...

Interview with Matt Manson, President & CEO of Radisson Mining Resources Inc.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/radisson-mining-tsxvrds-reviving-high-grade-gold-in-quebec-with-smart-low-capex-strategy-5941

Recording date: 6th October 2025

Radisson Mining Resources presents investors with a compelling value proposition in high-grade gold development: exceptional discovery economics, capital-efficient processing strategy, proven management execution, and substantial leverage to rising gold prices. The company is advancing the O'Brien Gold Project in Quebec's world-class Abitibi mining district, where historical production between the 1920s and 1950s established the deposit's credentials through museum-quality visible gold specimens and half-ounce head grades.

The investment...

Interview with Kiril Mugerman, CEO, Geomega Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/geomega-resources-gma-i-got-a-better-way-i-discovered-a-star-311

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Geomega Resources has secured a $4.5 million demonstration license agreement with Rio Tinto to deploy proprietary bauxite residue processing technology at a Quebec facility, marking a strategic pivot from mineral exploration to a technology royalty business model. The agreement includes $1.4 million in immediate payment, $100,000 in early 2026, and up to $3 million through construction and production milestones as Rio Tinto validates the technology before potential commercial-scale deployment.

The company's three-circuit processing system addresses a...

Interview with Bart Jaworski, CEO of Group Eleven Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/group-eleven-resources-tsxvzng-pitch-perfect-october-2025-8200

Recording date: 6th October 2025

Group Eleven Resources has emerged as one of Ireland's most significant mineral explorers following the discovery of high-grade zinc-lead mineralization extending 2.6 km along a prospective 6 km trend. The Ballywire project delivers exceptional grades averaging 10% zinc-lead with 100 grams per ton silver, substantially exceeding the 6% global average for operating mines. This positions the company to capitalize on Ireland's reputation for producing clean, high-quality concentrates favored by major smelters worldwide.

Recent...

Interview with Brian Miller, Director & CEO of Astra Exploration

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/astra-exploration-astr-gold-silver-project-drilling-commences-2262

Recording date: 6th October 2025

Astra Exploration has positioned itself as one of the more compelling junior exploration stories in the current precious metals bull market, combining proven high-grade mineralization, significant expansion potential, sophisticated backing, and immediate drilling catalysts at its La Manchuria gold-silver project in Argentina.

The investment case rests on exceptional initial drill results that delivered 35 g/t gold with 8,300 g/t silver and over 200 g/t gold in separate intervals, all...

Interview with Louis-Pierre Gignac, President and CEO of G Mining Ventures Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/g-mining-ventures-tsxgmin-champion-iron-tsxcia-playbook-for-success-7198

Recording date: 7th October 2025

G Mining Ventures Corp. presents investors with one of the most compelling growth profiles in the mid-tier gold sector, combining immediate cash flow generation with a clear pathway to nearly triple production by 2028—all without shareholder dilution. The company is executing a disciplined strategy that leverages operational cash flows and non-dilutive debt financing to fund aggressive expansion during a period of historically elevated gold prices.

The fo...

Interview with Dr. Terry Christopher, President & CEO, Zonte Metals

Recording date: 7th October 2025

Zonte Metals has spent seven years methodically building one of the most comprehensive datasets in Newfoundland's underexplored eastern copper terrain, and the junior explorer is now poised to test nine drill-ready targets at its Cross Hills Copper Project. Led by President and CEO Dr. Terry Christopher, a geochemist with over 30 years of industry experience and a track record of discoveries in Mexico, the company has transformed a grassroots exploration concept into an advanced iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) play spanning 14,000 hectares.

The company's...

Interview with Mark Chalmers, President & CEO of Energy Fuels

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/energy-fuels-nyseuuuu-us-critical-minerals-production-hub-7503

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Energy Fuels represents a uniquely positioned opportunity in the critical minerals sector, combining operational uranium production generating positive cash flow with strategic development of rare earth and heavy mineral sands assets addressing acute Western supply chain vulnerabilities. The company recently validated this strategy through a $700 million convertible bond offering completed in one week with Goldman Sachs as sole bookrunner, oversubscribed six to seven times at a remarkably low 0.75% interest rate.

with Derek Macpherson, Executive Chairman & Sam Pelaez, President & CEO of Olive Resource Capital

Recording date: 7th September 2025

Olive Resource Capital delivered exceptional returns in September 2025, posting gains of 38-39% for the month and bringing year-to-date performance to 121%. The results significantly outpaced major commodity benchmarks, with both the GDX gold ETF and COPEX copper ETF gaining 20% during the same period.

Executive Chairman Derek Macpherson and President Sam Pelaez attribute the outperformance to strategic positioning ahead of what they characterize as an emerging commodity bull market. Despite allocating only half of assets to precious metals...

Interview with Ron Heeks, MD of Larvotto Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/larvotto-resources-asxlrv-advancing-high-grade-gold-antimony-project-in-nsw-australia-5758

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Larvotto Resources is advancing Australia's largest antimony-gold operation at Hillgrove, New South Wales, with production targeted for mid-2026 following an accelerated 8-month construction program. Managing Director Ron Heeks has structured a $150 million development leveraging inherited infrastructure acquired from administration, compressing what would typically require $300 million and multiple years into a capital-efficient restart. The project secured $100 million USD in bond financing and $60 million AUD equity, reflecting strong investor confidence in the operation's cash...