In this episode we chat to Marty Knauth, CEO of Zanaga Iron Ore Company (ZIOC) who are an iron ore exploration and development company with their flagship asset Zanaga Iron Ore Project which is located in the Republic of Congo.

I’ve known Marty for more than 10 years now and has a strong reputation for building teams, turning visions into reality and generally getting things done in numerous cultures and countries. He has recently joined Zanaga Iron Ore as CEO and joins us to talk about an exciting project he is leading in the Republic of Congo, some of the challenges the project is developing solutions for, and a general discussion about leadership in the minerals sector.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Marty has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, with a strong reputation for building teams and turning visions into reality in various countries and cultures.
• Zanaga Iron Ore Project in the Republic of Congo has a compelling investment case, with well-understood geology, low strip ratio, and a two-stage capital profile for hematite and magnetite processes.
• Clear and consistent communication has been key to building trust with the government of the Republic of Congo and other stakeholders, demonstrating the importance of integrity in relationships.
• The mining industry faces a major challenge in attracting and retaining skilled individuals with the right attitude and aptitude for the work, highlighting the need for better promotion of the industry's value.
• Zanaga Iron Ore is focused on partnerships and front-end engineering and design phase in the next 15-18 months, aiming for a construction decision in mid-2026 and commissioning in the first half of 2030 for the phase one hematite process.

BEST MOMENTS

"We need to work harder. We need to train harder. We need to communicate harder around that mining, materials management, bulk materials handling through quality products that we all, all of our raw feed goes into actually does make a difference to the planet."

"The key challenge is reminding people who Zanaga are, what we're about, and the scope and the scale of this project."

"Obviously, what you've been talking about is branding of our industry. And I suppose and I hear often that we're not good promoters of our own industry."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Mail: rob@mining-international.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast

Web: http://www.mining-international.org

https://www.zanagairon.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/zanaga-iron-ore-company-ltd/about/

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

Podcast Description

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.

In this episode, we chat with Emanuel Proença, CEO of Savannah Resources who are one of Europe’s leading conventional lithium development company with one of the most significant lithium raw material assets within the European Union.

Emanuel is an experienced business executive and an expert in the energy transition in mobility with a strong track record of managing transformation and generating growth within sectors including, green fuels production and market development, electrification of mobility, liquid fuels hedging, trading, logistics and retail of liquid fuels, and digitalisation. Emanuel gives us an overview of Savannah Resources and how the project is going to help with Portugal’s energy transition.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Savannah Resources' Barroso Lithium project in Portugal is crucial for Portugal's energy transition and Europe's energy transition.
• The project aims to be in production by the end of 2026, contributing significantly to the European lithium supply chain.
• The project has a strong management team with experience in the mining and lithium sectors, positioning it well for success.
• Savannah Resources is actively engaging with the local community, aiming to bring economic benefits and support to the region.

BEST MOMENTS

"The project alone can deliver a third of the Critical Raw Materials Act objective for lithium. So a target that seemed ambitious given the tradition that Europe has in mining becomes totally achievable."

"The project is positioned in a location that allows us to be very well positioned to serve the refining sector throughout Europe."

"The level of urgency, the speeds at which the CRMA was delivered after it started, make me conclude today that yes, Europe will be able to deliver on its strategy and will be able to speed up."

"The board helps us with execution, ensuring that we are doing things right and that we are executing to the best standards."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Mail: rob@mining-international.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast

Web: http://www.mining-international.org

Website: https://savannahresources-wwwsavannahresourcescom.azurewebsites.net/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savannah-resources-plc/

X: https://x.com/savannahres

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

Podcast Description

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.

In this episode, we chat to Rob Mosig, Non-Executive Technical Director for Alien Metals who are a global minerals exploration and development company that will shortly make the transition to iron ore producer. The company now holds a collection of high-quality projects within its portfolio, spearheaded by its Hancock DSO (direct shipping ore) iron ore project in which it has a 90% holding, through its 100% owned subsidiary the Iron Ore Company of Australia (IOCA).

Rob is a geologist with over 30 years of experience in lateritic terrain, platinum group metals, diamonds, and precious metals and has been previously a founding CEO and MD of a few ASX-listed companies during his career. He talks about Alien Metals, its projects, exploration activities, and the strategic outlook for the company.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Rob has over 30 years of experience in the mining industry, particularly in platinum group metals, diamonds, and precious metals.
• Alien Metals is a small junior exploration company with two significant brownfields projects in iron ore and platinum group metals, focusing on imminent development.
• The strategic vision for Alien Metals includes transitioning to a miner in the near term by prioritising iron ore production while also developing the Pinderi Hills project for platinum and silver mining.
• The key ingredients for Alien Metals to transition to a miner include building a strong team, focusing on quality projects, and managing finances carefully.
• The exploration industry has evolved over the years with advancements in drilling technology and geophysical methods, providing opportunities for Alien Metals to enhance their exploration activities.

BEST MOMENTS

"I think teamwork is one of the big ingredients that's necessary. Then I think we need projects that we believe in."

"There's been some excellent discoveries made by office interpretation. But overall, I think there has been less field time."

"I believe that iron ore will be in focus. And I believe that with regards to Pinderi Hills and its silver and platinum, my main aim now is to assist the team."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Mail: rob@mining-international.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast

Web: http://www.mining-international.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-mosig/

Website: https://www.alienmetals.uk/

Email address: robertwmosig@gmail.com

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

Podcast Description

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.