Citadel-MAGNUS brings you a daily update from the 2022 Diggers & Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie.

AGENDA

Major to watch:

The session immediately after Tuesday’s lunch break is one not to be missed as IGO’s Peter Bradford, St Barbara’s Lucas Welsh and 29Metals’ Peter Albert take the stage.

With investments in lithium, nickel, copper and gold, the three companies cover a portfolio of the hottest commodities of the moment.

Junior to watch:

The post-lunch session also includes the conference’s only ‘urban miner’ Neometals. Managing director Chris Reed will be updating on the Company’s battery recycling and vanadium recovery projects – both fascinating projects that don’t involve any actual mining.

Later in the afternoon sees the swansong of the self-proclaimed Ash Barty of mining, Mincor’s David Southam. Southam finishes up at Mincor next week after a stunning few years delivering the company into production, and is keen to exit at the top of his game.

After Panoramic Resources’ Victor Rajasooriar compared Southam to Joffrey Baratheon, no doubt he will be looking to return serve.

Rajasooria also likened Western Areas’ Dan Lougher as Robert Baratheon, Peter Bradford as the Night King and himself as Jon Snow, the King of the North in his interpretation of the battle to sit on the ‘Nickel Throne’.

After hours:

Tonight’s events include the Traditional Bash in the main marquee while PWC will host its cocktail party at the Museum of the Goldfields.

TALKING POINTS

Conference chairman Jim Walker kicked off proceedings with a lovely tribute to Ausdrill founder Ron Sayers, the industry icon and ‘son of Kalgoorlie’ who passed away earlier this year.

Unfortunately, many delegates didn’t get to hear Jim’s opening remarks, or those of keynote speaker Dr Dambisa Moyo. Two early morning Virgin flights from Perth to Kalgoorlie were cancelled, while passengers on one of the Qantas services had to sit through delays at Perth airport and then another half an hour on the tarmac at Kalgoorlie, because there were no stairs available to let them off.

PACKED TO THE RAFTERS

The main marquee of the conference was buzzing for the whole day as 2620 delegates crammed in and tried to avoid the odd shower and Kalgoorlie’s biting winter cold.

Also pleasing to see was the number of females at the conference, with women now making up about one-third of the audience.

LAST WORDS

“My assistant isn’t here to help me,” a well-known corporate lawyer as he struggled to assemble his name tag and lanyard.