Canada

The base case is zero. The reality is 20 per cent over. Mining’s most expensive assumption isn’t going away.

Will Kendall has a line that lands with the quiet force of something everyone in the room already knew but hadn’t quite said out loud: "Base case is cost overruns of over 20 per cent," Will says, "That’s your base case.

By Jamie Wade on August 27, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Rare Earth Elements

The contractor recovery has a forward visibility problem, and the JV model is quietly rewriting how junior projects get built

There are two stories inside Grant Thornton's latest mining contractors report, and the one getting most of the attention is the wrong one.

By Jamie Wade on April 28, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Mineral Processing, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, Procurement Efficiency, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Long-term Planning, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical)

Exploration still works, but getting to the first drill hole now takes longer, costs more, and tests patience before the rocks ever do

The mining industry is not running out of deposits.

By Jamie Wade on March 30, 2026
Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Regulatory Adherence, Environmental Permits, Stakeholder Communication, Workforce, Training and Development, Employee Retention, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration, Geological exploration and resource modelling, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, North America, United States, Nevada, Canada, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Africa, Botswana
Precious Metals, Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Zinc, Strategic Minerals, Lithium

Mining powers up for a battery-fuelled future as experts say success now depends on smart data, skilled people and the courage to rethink operations

There’s a moment in every technological revolution when optimism meets reality - when the glossy promise of transformation hits the grit of practical deployment.

By Jamie Wade on March 15, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Process Improvement, Equipment Maintenance, ESG, Education and Training Initiatives, Sustainable Practices, Long-term Planning, Workforce, Training and Development, Health and Well-being Programs, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Collaboration with Research Institutions, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation
Australia, North America, Canada, British Columbia
Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, Energy Minerals, Strategic Minerals, Lithium

From star power to subsurface smarts, next-gen tech is helping explorers drill less, discover more, and finally see what’s really beneath their feet

As the global mining industry continues to adapt to shifting expectations around productivity, sustainability, and cost-efficiency, exploration remains one of the most critical—and complex—phases in the mining life cycle.

By Jamie Wade on March 7, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Workflow Management, Costs, Cost Control, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration, Geological exploration and resource modelling, Remote sensing techniques in mineral exploration, Geophysical instruments and their applications, Geoscience data visualisation and analytics, Exploration technologies and methodologies
North America, Canada, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia
Precious Metals, Gold, Base Metals, Copper, Zinc, Strategic Minerals, Lithium

Why stable jurisdictions, faster permits and clear rules are winning the global mining investment race

The annual temperature check from the Fraser Institute has landed — and while the rocks haven’t moved, capital certainly has.

By Jamie Wade on February 28, 2026
Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Regulatory Adherence, Environmental Permits, Legislative Updates, Stakeholder Communication, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration
Australia, North America, United States, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Canada, Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Africa, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Botswana, Mali, Europe, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Oceania, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Asia, China
Precious Metals, Base Metals, Rare Earth Elements, Strategic Minerals

Mining’s next bottleneck isn’t in the ground – it’s in the policy inbox

At first glance, the WA Mining Club’s Market Outlook Luncheon at Optus Stadium looked like it would follow a familiar script.

By Jamie Wade on February 6, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, ESG, Regulatory Adherence, Environmental Permits, Legislative Updates, Long-term Planning, Economic Balance, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation
Australia, Western Australia, North America, United States, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, France, Asia, China
Uranium, Strategic Minerals, Precious Metals, Gold, Silver, Base Metals, Copper, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical)

Mining just got complicated – diggers are now diplomats data wranglers and nation builders whether they like it or not

There was a time when mining’s job was simple: dig it up, ship it out, repeat.

By Jamie Wade on January 29, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Process Improvement, ESG, Workforce, Training and Development, Employee Retention, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Exploration, Geoscience data visualisation and analytics, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory, North America, United States, Canada, Europe, Sweden, United Kingdom
Lithium, Gallium, Base Metals, Germanium, Copper, Nickel, Rare Earth Elements, Neodymium, Dysprosium, Strategic Minerals

How rare earths are quietly pulling the mining world into a new age of magnetism and redefining the balance of power beneath the surface

In mining, every generation gets its own frontier.

By Jamie Wade on October 17, 2025
Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages, Exploration, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, North America, United States, Canada
Dysprosium, Scandium, Industrial Minerals, Strategic Minerals, Graphite, Rare Earth Elements, Lithium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Samarium, Terbium

Gold is glowing and critical minerals are warming up as cash returns to the ground in a cautious comeback for Aussie exploration companies

After a shaky start to 2025, the Australian exploration sector appears to be tentatively turning a corner.

By Jamie Wade on September 12, 2025
Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Risk, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages, Exploration, Geological exploration and resource modelling, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia, Pilbara, Goldfields-Esperance, Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory, North America, United States, Canada, South America, Africa, Europe
Industrial Minerals, Strategic Minerals, Graphite, Lithium, Precious Metals, Energy Minerals, Gold, Silver, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Base Metals, Uranium, Copper, Natural Gas, Aluminium/Bauxite, Petroleum (Crude Oil), Tungsten, Rare Earth Elements