MINING'S NEXT GENERATION ABSTRACT: A dramatic shift is underway in mining. Changes in geopolitics, technology, and a generational divide have created huge problems – and opportunities – in the industry. Silicon Valley, Saudi Arabia, and other emerging financial centers are capitalizing on these opportunities by backing new entrants like KoBold Metals and Fleet Space Technologies. Can the traditional mine finance centers in Toronto and Sydney maintain their dominance? In this talk, we’ll explore these fundamental shifts, and the opportunities they create, in more detail. We’ll demonstrate, with real-world case studies, ExploreTech’s approach to navigating this world – combining boots-on-ground work with software that helps field teams move 10x faster. In addition, we’ll highlight a few other companies and technologies to keep an eye on. Finally, we’ll dig into the big question of whether the new entrants are prepared for the real-world challenges of mining – or if they’re doomed to make the same mistakes of the past. BIOGRAPHY: Alex Miltenberger is an entrepreneur and geophysicist in the mineral exploration industry. He was inspired to pursue a career in mining during his undergraduate studies at Michigan Tech, located in the historic Keweenaw copper district. After Michigan Tech, he attended Stanford University, where he completed a PhD in geophysics. Upon graduating from Stanford, Alex worked as a computational geoscientist for Rio Tinto Exploration before co-founding ExploreTech, a mineral exploration company that uses software to speed up discovery timelines.

Application deadline is April 9, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

The Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals (FGIM) is an international meeting of geologists and mining professionals interested in industrial minerals. For over half a century the Forum’s focus has been on the geology of industrial minerals with an emphasis on the promotion of the knowledge and organization of mining, mineral processing, regulation and reclamation through the forum meetings, presentations and field trips.

Thank you for your participation in the SME Midweek Member Mixers (MMM), a virtual networking event. We’re excited to announce the 2025 event series and invite you to join us.  What’s New for 2025? The MMM will now be held every-other month. Register once for the entire year and you’ll have access to all the events in the series.  Event Details When: The second Wednesday of every other month at 9:00 AM Mountain Time (US & Canada) Dates: January 8 March 12 May 14 July 9 September 10 November 12

The NorCal section is having a spring gathering in Grass Valley, CA on Saturday May 17. This is intended to be an event that can be enjoyed by spouses/partners and other family members and similar in character to the visit we had at the Kennedy Mine in Jackson some years ago. Firstly, Grass Valley and its near neighbor, Nevada City, are wonderful destinations for an overnight or weekend getaway. Both have charming old downtowns that date to the gold rush era and have wonderfully preserved period buildings. There are lots of both B&B and modern accommodations, excellent dining and many art and antique stores. For more information, look up www.grassvalleychamber.com and www.nevadacitychamber.com. There are two locations of great interest to the mining community, the Empire Mine State Park and the North Star Mineral Museum. A brochure for the Empire is attached. We will gather in the Empire parking lot at 11.30am for lunch. There are picnic tables adjacent to the parking lot. You are welcome to bring your own lunch or we will pick up a sandwich for you at Raleys for $10 and we will have bottles of water. The Empire Mine was owned by the Bourn family in the 19th and early 20th century and features an estate lodge, gardens and other buildings as well as the old mineyard. The site has a garden tour at 1015am. Estate tours at 11.30 and 1.30 and mineyard tours at 12.30 and 2.30. Tours are limited to 25 people and fill up early on weekends so you will need to let Ed McCarthy know, and he will be there at opening to sign attendees up. There is a 5$/person feed to enter the park and food is not allowed inside. The North Star Museum does not open until noon. It is about a mile away from the Empire and we have arranged for a guided tour to begin at 12.15. It is limited to 15, and parking is very limited at that Museum. A highlight in the North Star is the Pelton Wheel, which was developed in Grass Valley area in the 1870s. If more people want to see the North Star, we will arrange a second tour at 130pm. The North Star does not have an entry fee but asks for voluntary donations. SME NorCal will be making a donation. Raleys sandwiches are the Mediterranean Veggie and the Santa Cruz (turkey and trimmings). Let Ed McCarthy know about your tour and food preferences. Text 303-324-8248 or email perfmin17@gmail.com We look forward to seeing you on May 17.

Application deadline is May 6, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

Every two years, industry leaders and practitioners from around the world gather at the Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC), the authoritative program for the tunneling profession, to learn about the most recent advances and breakthroughs in this unique field. This comprehensive conference helps practicing professionals keep up with the ever-changing and growing tunneling industry. Stay on top of new trends and technologies as well as innovative concepts, new equipment, materials, management, financing, and design challenges.

The 20th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium The organizing committee and mining engineering faculty at The Pennsylvania State University welcome you to the 20th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium 2025 webpage. The symposium will be hosted in collaboration with the Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME) and the Underground Ventilation Committee (UVC) of the SME. The 20th North American Mine Ventilation Symposium will be hosted from 21st – 26th June 2025 in Pittsburgh/ Southpointe, Pennsylvania, United States.

All are welcome to the SME Midweek Member Mixers (MMM), a virtual networking event. We’re excited to announce the 2025 event series and invite you to join us.  What’s New for 2025? The MMM will now be held every-other month. Register once for the entire year and you’ll have access to all the events in the series.  Event Details When: The second Wednesday of every other month at 9:00 AM Mountain Time (US & Canada) Dates: July 9 September 10 November 12

Application deadline is June 18, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

Participate in a forum designed to promote communication in ground control research among consultants, regulators, manufacturers, and mine operators to expedite solutions to ground control problems in mining. Join the industry for the 44th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining this July 21-24, 2025 in Canonsburg, PA.

Application deadline is July 15, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

All are welcome to the SME Midweek Member Mixers (MMM), a virtual networking event. We’re excited to announce the 2025 event series and invite you to join us.  What’s New for 2025? The MMM will now be held every-other month. Register once for the entire year and you’ll have access to all the events in the series.  Event Details When: The second Wednesday of every other month at 9:00 AM Mountain Time (US & Canada) Dates: September 10 November 12

Application deadline is August 12, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

Title: Mineral Economics and Mine Management-Informed Mine Asset Valuation for Sustainable Returns Under Risk and Cyclicality Presenter: Mustafa Kumral, McGill University This course aims to demonstrate how mineral economics and mine management add sustainable value to a mining project or corporation. In addition to addressing how mineral policy and investment timing affect asset value, the course will cover the following topics: the capital, commercial, investment, operational, and innovation strategies of a mining enterprise; valuing a mine asset; project and portfolio management techniques for mining corporations; capacity planning; conventional and alternative finance approaches for mining projects; mining accounting and taxation; equipment availability and maintenance; sustainability, standardization, and mining. Download the course content here.

Title: Strategic Mine Planning with New Digital Technologies, Risk Management and Mineral Value Chains Presenter: Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University and Luis Montiel Petro, Vale At the time of a continuing rebound of metal markets, learn how the application of new digital technologies can add substantial value to strategic mine planning and asset valuation. The new technologies and related tools integrate technical risk management while capitalizing on the synergies amongst the elements of mineral value chains through their simultaneous optimization – from mines to products to markets. Download the course content here.

The SME Foundation is holding a golf tournament at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia on Friday, September 26, 2025. Thank you to our Title Sponsor: Fletcher

Title: Geostatistical Evaluation of Mineral Resources and their Uncertainty under the New Regulatory Environment Presenter: David F. Machuca, SRK Consulting and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University This course is designed according to the latest regulations on public reporting of Mineral Resources. It aims at showing how state-of-the-art statistical and geostatistical techniques help answer the requirements of those regulations in an objective and reproducible manner. A particular emphasis is put on understanding sampling and estimation errors and related uncertainties, as well as how to assign levels of estimation confidence through the application of resource classification fundamentals. In addition to a solid introduction to mining geostatistics, this course provides a comprehensive overview of how modern techniques, such as conditional simulations, are currently applied in the industry. Download the course content here.

Application deadline is September 10, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

From the East to the West Coast, North America’s tunneling industry is flourishing. The annual Cutting Edge Conference examines the latest advances in tunneling technology, its methodology and how they can be harnessed to assist the nation’s major upcoming underground projects. You’ll find cutting edge perspectives on a range of topics, including meeting industry challenges, developments in materials technology, and methodologies in sustainability

Application deadline is October 7, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

All are welcome to the SME Midweek Member Mixers (MMM), a virtual networking event. We’re excited to announce the 2025 event series and invite you to join us.  What’s New for 2025? The MMM will now be held every-other month. Register once for the entire year and you’ll have access to all the events in the series.  Event Details When: The second Wednesday of every other month at 9:00 AM Mountain Time (US & Canada) Dates: November 12

Extraction 2025 Meeting & Exhibition and 12th International Copper Conference. A great opportunity to gather with the global extractive metallurgy community for several days of networking and learning on a broad range of topics at the Extraction 2025 Meeting & Exhibition (Extraction 2025).

The SME Foundation is holding a golf tournament at Gold Canyon Golf Resort on Friday, November 21, 2025.

Application deadline is November 5, 2025. To be a successful mine safety and health professional, you must possess a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to effectively perform your duties and keep others safe. The Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) credential indicates to your peers and prospective employers that you have the experience, knowledge of domestic and international best practices and that you are dedicated to elevating safety and health standards on the job.

An intensive one-day conference where you can keep up on project updates, learn strategies for overcoming challenges, and discuss surrounding critical industry issues.

At MINEXCHANGE, you’re surrounded by people as excited and passionate about the mining industry as you. Join leaders from around the industry where you’ll learn the latest on today’s critical topics from innovation to responsible mining.

The North American Tunneling conference (NAT) is the premier biennial tunneling event for North America, bringing together the brightest, most resourceful and innovative minds in the tunneling and underground construction industry.

At MINEXCHANGE, you’re surrounded by people as excited and passionate about the mining industry as you. Join leaders from around the industry where you’ll learn the latest on today’s critical topics from innovation to responsible mining.

At MINEXCHANGE, you’re surrounded by people as excited and passionate about the mining industry as you. Join leaders from around the industry where you’ll learn the latest on today’s critical topics from innovation to responsible mining.