SME's 8th Current Trends in Mining Finance Conference (CTMF 2023)
Managing Risk and Identifying Opportunities in a Disruptive World
- Where Finding, Financing and Securing Supply is Critical
Connecting Mining, Finance and Engineering Executives™
Monday May 8 - Thursday May 11, 2023
Revisit this site for updates, times may change
See the Agenda below and here. Meet more than 200 veteran, qualified subject-matter experts who evaluate, value, de-risk, find and fund mining projects worldwide. Register now. Conference registration fee is US$600 per delegate. Workshops US$275 per delegate. Space is limited*. The organizers may close registration early. All attendees must register in advance. No registrations on-site. We thank the sponsors including RPM Global; Shearman & Sterling; SLR Consulting, and SME Foundation and media partners. Contact us at info@smeny.org
At CTMF 2023 meet with many subject matter experts and speakers attending including:
* U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): Zack Valdez, Ph.D., Chief of Staff, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains; Grant Bromhal, Ph.D, Senior Fellow for Geosciences, National Energy Technology Lab (NETL); Othon Monteiro, Ph.D., Technology to Market Advisor - Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)
* Government of Quebec: Martine Hébert, Delegate General of Québec in New York, Québec Government Office in New York; Nathalie Camden, Associate Deputy Minister of Mines, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF); Jonathan Lafontaine, Strategic Advisor for Mining Exploration and Promotion, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF): Jean-François Béland Vice-President, Ressources Québec; Jocelyn Douhéret, Director of Mining Policies, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF); Ian Morissette, Vice President for Sustainable Development and Partnership in the Northern Territory, Société du Plan Nord (SPN) and others
* Government of Ontario: Ontario’s Minister of Mines, Honorable George Pirie and staff* Chris Wimmer, Consul and Head of Investment, Consulate General of Canada in New York
* OTC Markets Group: Chris King, SVP, International Corporate Services
* OTC Markets Group: Jason Paltrowitz, Director, OTC Markets Group International Ltd. and EVP, Corporate Services, OTC Markets Group
* Canadian Securities Exchange: Richard Carleton, CEO
* S&P Global Ratings: Donald Marleau, CFA, Senior Director, Sector Lead, Metals and Capital Goods
* S&P Global Ratings: Erin Boeke Burke, Director & Lead Analyst, Sustainable Finance
* Rob McEwen, Chairman, McEwen Mining and McEwen Copper
* Peter Boockvar, Chief Investment Strategist, Bleakley Financial Group: Guest Speaker Welcome Reception Monday May 8th
* Dolly Varden Silver: Shawn Khunkhun, CEO, President, Director
* Nisga'a Lisims Government: Charles Morven, Secretary-Treasurer
* H/Advisors Abernathy: Alan Oshiki, Executive Vice President, Co Chair of NY SME's CTMF 2014-2023
* SLR Consulting: Richard J. Lambert, MBA, P.E., P. Eng. Technical Director, U.S. Mining Advisory
* General Motors: Matt Mis, Finance Manager – EV Raw Materials Sourcing
* Shearman & Sterling LLP: Lachlan Poustie, Partner: Head of Africa Practice
* Teck Resources: Nicholas Hooper, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Exploration
* Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking: Alvaro Belevan, Senior Director
* Vior Inc.: Laurent Eustache, P.GEO., MSC., MBA, Executive Vice President
* Orion Resources: Jon Lamb, Portfolio Manager
* Shearman & Sterling LLP: Jorge Medina, Head of Renewables - Americas
* Brooks & Nelson, Anita Bertisen, Partner
* Brooks & Nelson, Jill Nelson, Partner
* Evercore: Andrew Frame, Managing Director, Global Advisory, Strategic Advisory, Mergers and Acquisitions
* Royal Gold Corp.: Alistair Baker, Vice President, Investor Relations & Business Development
* U.S. Gold Corp.: Eric Alexander, CFO and Corporate Secretary
* Colorado School of Mines, Dr. M. Stephen Enders, Mining Engineering Department Head
* Independent Director, Edward C. Dowling, Jr., Teck Resources, Compass Minerals, Copper Mountain Mining
* Orion Resource Partners, Kirsten Wolf, Chief Risk Officer, Chair, ESG committee
* Trident Royalties: Justin Anderson, Vice President, Americas
* Global Mining Capital: Keith Spence, CEO and Partner
* Murdock Capital: Thomas M. Dean, Co-Founder and President
* SLR Consulting: Grant Malensek, P.Eng., Senior Principal Mining Engineer - Mining Advisory
* Resource Capital Funds: Jasper Bertisen, Partner, Team Leader, Investment Committee Member
* RPMGlobal: Phillipe Baudry, Executive General Manager, Advisory Services
* Colorado School of Mines: Dr. Corby Anderson PE, Harrison Western Professor and Director of the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy
* Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME): David Kanagy, Executive Director
* Marc LeVier & Associates: Marc LeVier, President and President of SME 2023
* SME Foundation: Thomas Rauch, President 2023 and President, McCarl's Technical Services
* Tocvan Ventures: Brodie Sutherland, CEO
* Kroll: Alan Lee, Managing Director
* World Bank’s Prospects Group: Jeetendra Khadan, Senior Economist
* Stantec Consulting: Michael Stine, Mineral Economist
* Critical Minerals Institute: Jack Lifton, Chairman
* Murdock Capital Partners: Luis J. Mejia, Co- Founder and Managing Partner
* Douglas Silver, CEO of Balfour Holdings, LLC - Breakfast Keynote Speech on Wednesday May 10
* Independent Mining Consultants (IMC): John Marek, P. Eng., President
* Dr. Robert Quartermain, DSc, Co-Chairman, Dakota Gold Corporation - Guest Speaker Fireside Chat - Wednesday May 10 during lunch - and co panelist on Tuesday May 9 re New Challenges in Resource & Reserve Disclosure
* Cynthia Urda Kassis, Partner, Head of Project Development & Finance, Lead Industry Coordinator for Mining & Metals, Shearman & Sterling LLP
* Independent Project Analysis (IPA): Astor Luft, North America Regional Director
* Capstone Partners: Raymond McCormick, Managing Director, Energy and Natural Resources
* Capstone Partners: Angela Helenberger, Vice President, Energy & Natural Resources
* Northcott Capital and KCR Capital: Rick Reeves, Managing Director
* American Exploration & Mining Association: Mark Compton, Executive Director
* Ressources Sirios Inc.: Dominique Doucet, Founding President
* RK Equity: Howard Klein, Co-Founder and Partner
* SRK Consulting: Jeff Parshley, Corporate Consultant Mine Closure/ Environment
* SRK Consulting: Ben Parsons, Principal Resource Geologist
* McEwen Copper: Michael Meding, Vice President & General Manager
* Los Andes Copper: Eduardo Covarrubbias, Chairman
* The World Bank: John Baffes, Senior Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment
* Peter K.M. Megaw, Chief Technical Advisor, Reyna Silver, Consulting Geologist and President of IMDEX/Cascabel and co-founder of Minera Cascabel and MAG Silver
* Tetra Tech: Thomas Gray, P.E., Principal
* HSBC Bank: James Steel, Chief Precious Metals Analyst
* CPM Group: Jeffrey Christian, Managing Partner
* HATCH Advisory: Duncan Kluwak, CFA, PE, Principal
* Libra Lithium Corp.: Koby Kushner, P.Eng. CFA, CEO and Director
* SCM Decisions: Michael Samis, Ph.D., P.Eng., Principal
* Stantec Consulting: Ian Morrison, M.Eng., MBA, ICD.D, Senior Principal
* Laura Stein: Long Time Metals Industry Observer and Confidante
* Fasken: Frank Mariage, BSc, LLB, Senior Partner
* RESPEC, Stephen Kan, PhD, PE, MBA, PMP, Vice President, Mining & Energy
* RESPEC: Peter Christiensen RM-SME, Principal
* Red Cloud Financial Services Inc.: Sebastian De Kloet, SVP, Marketing
* Virginia Tech: Richard Bishop, Department of Mining & Minerals Engineering, Professor of Practice Advisory Board Member
* Bernard (Barney) Guarnera, Broadlands Mineral Advisory Services Ltd
* Kroll: Peter Lamb: Senior Director
* Lomiko Metals Inc.: Belinda Labatte, Chief Executive Officer and Director
* Osisko Metals Inc.: Robert Wares, Chairman and CEO
* NioBay Metals: Jean-Sébastien David, President, CEO, Director
* Traxys Battery Holdings: Erez Ichilov, Managing Director
* World Steel Dynamics: Philipp Englin, CEO
* Trigon Metals: Jed Richardson, President, CEO and Director
* Winsome Resources: Christopher Evans, Managing Director
* Eagle Mines Management: Robert Schafer, President
* Van Eck Associates Corp.: Joe Foster, Gold Strategist
* SLR Consulting: Deborah A. McCombe, P. Geo., Global Technical Director, Global Mining Advisory
* Timberline Resources Corp:, President & Chief Executive Officer, Fire Fox Gold Corp.: Chairman, Patrick Highsmith
* Red Cloud Mining Capital: Chad Williams, Chairman
* Resource Capital Funds: Conner Schmeits, Associate
* Laura Granier, PC, Partner, Co-Chair Mining Group, Holland & Hart LLP: Guest Speaker Welcome Reception Monday May 8th
* Colorado School of Mines: Roderick G. Eggert, Professor of Economics & Business, Coulter Foundation Chair in Mineral Economics, & Deputy Director, Critical Materials Institute
* Columbia University: Robert Johnston, Executive Director, Center on Global Energy Policy
* BlackRock Metals: Sean Cleary, CEO
* Northcott Capital: Steve Smith, Chief Executive Officer
* SRK Consulting: Erik Ronald, Principal Geologist
* SRK Consulting: Matthew Sullivan, Principal Mineral Economist
* FTI Consulting: Bertrand Troiano, Managing Director, Power, Renewables and Energy Transition industry practice
* Piedmont Lithium: Erin Sanders, SVP Corporate Communications
* Anthony Vaccaro, President, The Northern Miner Group
* SLR Consulting: Simon Mendum, Financial Sector Lead: USA
* SLR Consulting: Jason Cox, P. Eng. Global Technical Director, Mining Advisory
* Colorado School of Mines: Graham Davis, Faculty Fellow, The Payne Institute for Public Policy, Professor Emeritus of Mineral Economics, Division of Economics and Business
* Artemis Capital Advisors: Doug Sherrod, Managing Director
* Artemis Capital Advisors: Catherine Virga Cox, Managing Director
* Stagg Resource Consultants: Alan Stagg, President & Principal Economic Geologist
* Shearman & Sterling LLP: Christopher Ryan, Partner, International Arbitration practice
* Jesse Sherrett, Partner, International Arbitration practice, Shearman & Sterling LLP
* Trillium Gold Corp.: Russell Starr, President & CEO
* DLA Piper: Oliver Wright, Partner
* Power Nickel Inc.: Terry Lynch, CEO
* RESPEC Consulting: John S.L. Morgan, Senior Vice President
* Shearman & Sterling LLP: Jorge Medina, Partner in the Project Development & Finance practice and Head of Renewables (Americas)
* Greyfriars LLC: Matthew D. Zolnowski, President
* GreenMet: Drew Horn, President
* Glencore: Dr. Sumedh Gostu, Technical Risk Manager & Hydrometallurgy Expert
* Bloomberg Intelligence: Mike McGlone, Senior Commodity Analyst
* CPM Group: Rohit Savant, Vice President, Research
* Myrmikan Capital LLC: Daniel Oliver, Principal
* Mining Journal: Paul Harris, Editor, The Americas
* Independent Director: John King Burns, Principal
* Torys LLP: Braden Jebson, Partner, Metals & Mining Group
* University of Delaware: Prof. Saleem H. Ali, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment
* University of British Columbia: John Steen, Associate Professor, EY Distinguished Scholar in Global Mining Futures, and Director of the Bradshaw Research Initiative in Minerals and Mining (BRIMM)
* Guanajuato Silver Company: James Anderson, Chairman & CEO
* Guanajuato Silver Company: Ramón Dávila, Director & President
* BQ Energy: Paul Curran, CEO
* Integrated Information Systems, Inc., Douglass N. Loud, Esq. President
* Better In Our Back Yard: Ryan Sistad, Executive Director
* Virginia Tech: Aaron Noble, PhD, Professor & Incoming Department Head, Department of Mining & Minerals Engineering
* Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP: Steven McKoen, Partner
* Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP: John Wilkin, Partner
* ING Capital: Remco Meeuwis, Director, Metals and Mining Americas
* Stanford Mineral-X: David Zehn Yin, PhD, Co-Founder & Program Director
* Bloomberg: Todd Sibilla, Commodity Market Specialist
* Shearman & Sterling LLP: George Karafotias, Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions
* Partners in Performance: Carsten Heide, Director
* Partners in Performance: Jonathan Scarlett, Director
* Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP: Sandra Gogal, Partner, Aboriginal Law Group
* America Rare Earths: Mel Sanderson, President of North America and Executive Director
* Exploits Discovery Corp.: Jeff Swinoga, President, CEO, Director
* and many many others too many to list here, join us! Register today
Meet with them all, advisors and experts on precious, base, energy, battery metals and rare earth minerals, and many varied stakeholders and policy makers who work to anticipate, manage and reduce the risks associated with mine projects. Learn about many technical, economic, policy and business issues discussed by leading mining and related sector subject matter experts and executives who evaluate, de-risk, find, and finance mineral resources and mining projects of all types around the world.
The two day agenda focuses on funding the mining of and sourcing critical, strategic, industrial and precious metals and minerals processing and recycling, as the industry and consumers of minerals of all types adapt to a fast changing, disruptive geo-political, different world where all are transitioning to sustainable operations and attempting to secure and on-shore minerals needed for the transition to renewable energy, electric vehicles, and the green economy. The impact on mining is profound. It is a complex, unique, technical sector with specific issues and needs, dependent on where mother nature inexplicably places the world's mineral resources.
We hope to see you in NYC in May 8-11, 2023! Why should you attend CTMF 2023?
* Meet leading authorities and subject matter experts in-person who work each day to improve mine operations, production and supply of minerals of all types, who are engaged by many of the world's leading mining, financial and technical and non-technical services firms addressing the latest trends and issues impacting and driving the global metals and mining markets.
* Learn about the emerging gulf of available supply of key minerals driven by government policy and global energy transition, minerals and land policy and recent geopolitical developments, and why not every mineral resource is economic, nor commercial, and challenges and opportunities the current economic climate presents as global industry adopts climate change technology.
* Learn about technical, non technical and financial and management issues and economic and societal trends and talk with others about how they are impacting the financing and success and or failures of mine projects of all types including precious, base and industrial minerals and metals, as well as the related markets and managing and operating in an inflationary environment.
* Get your questions answered by key decision makers, influencers, who are leading qualified world renowned technical, financial and non-technical advisors who evaluate, de-risk, value, find and fund mine projects of all sorts worldwide.
* At breakfast, lunch, refreshment breaks, workshops and receptions meet with and build relations with the engineers, financiers, and executives who advise the world's investment firms and mining executives from Junior exploration focused companies to the world's largest mining firms.
* Attend informative, in-depth workshops led by leading expert instructors as well as other delegates to learn about complicated issues unique to mining that impact project success.
* To see an incomplete roster of firms expressing interest to be at CTMF 2023 visit Why Attend
With many in the industry and elsewhere of the need for younger, the next generation of leaders to rise within the industry - that topic will be one to be addressed in several panels at CTMF 2023. All of which is why NY SME encourages you to join SME, learn about it and in particular the good and extensive work the SME Foundation does including by providing grants and scholarships to students and teachers focused on the geosciences. NY SME this year will make a donation to SME's Foundation (SMEF) that helps inspire and foster the next generation of geoscience professionals. We encourage your firm to learn about it and do the same.
On Monday May 8 there will be two afternoon workshops followed by a Welcome Reception with two guest speakers starting at 5:30 pm. Registration for the two days of the conference starts at 7 am on Tuesday with the agenda kicking off at 7:40 am . There will be many engaging panel and roundtable discussions, keynotes, fireside chats and breakout sessions throughout Tuesday May 9 and Wednesday May 10. On both days there will be evening receptions with a guest speaker on Tuesday. On Thursday May 11 are two morning and one afternoon workshop, with breakfast starting at 7:15 am. Workshops start at 8:15 am and ~1 pm, with morning and afternoon refreshment breaks and lunch.
Join us to meet with many industry leaders focused on evaluating and advising key decision makers and stakeholders about global mineral supply chains. Learn about the impact of the explosive growth of demand for key metals and many related financial, technical and non-technical critical issues as the world transitions to electric vehicles, batteries, energy storage, and clean energy and technology. Meet with and hear many experts discuss topics and trends that impact raising capital and how management and investors anticipate, track, manage and reduce the risks associated with mining projects. At all CTMF activities there will be opportunity to meet and talk with experts with first hand knowledge of critical, rare earth and battery metal; base, precious and industrial mineral and metal; and uranium, nuclear, coal, renewable energy, hydrogen and power generation as well as policy makers and officials from U.S., Canada, Mexico, elsewhere and lender, alternative finance, investment executives.
Register for informative, engaging workshops on Monday May 8 and Thursday May 11. You do not have to register for the conference to attend those. View the agenda below and here showing many of distinguished, qualified, experts speaking, in addition to the guest speakers highlighted below including three inductees to Canada's Mining Hall of Fame.
NY SME thanks Rob McEwen for returning to CTMF as a guest speaker on Tuesday May 9 at the Reception about: Entering a New Super Cycle for Metals Without the Workforce to Maximize the Moment! During his talk, Mr. McEwen will speak about the geopolitical tensions and trade sanctions that have disrupted global trade. As a result, countries as well as large multinationals are beginning to scramble for metals, something they haven’t thought about for a long time. The energy transformation is adding to the demand for secure and in many cases in-country sources of supply. Compounding our ability to scale up to meet this increased demand is the shortage of graduates, in the west, looking to work in exploration, mining and processing. Our challenge is a bit of a paradox. What do we have to do to attract individuals to an industry out of favor with the general population but offers some of the highest paying jobs in many countries?
Rob McEwen is Chairman, Chief Owner of McEwen Mining which has four mines located in USA, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina. Associated with the gold industry all of his career, the first 18 years in the investment industry and since 1990 as CEO of several gold mining companies. Founder of Gold Corp Inc. where he grew is market capitalization from $50 million to over $8 billion. At McEwen Mining (MUX) he owns 17% of the company, takes a salary of $1/year and the cost of his investment in MUX and McEwen Copper exceeds $220 million. Rob and his wife have donated over $60 million to encourage excellence and innovation in healthcare and education. Awards: Order of Canada, Canadian Mining Hall of Fame member, Honorary Doctor of Law Degrees from York University and Western University. Click here to see other awards and memberships. View of recent provocative, interesting interview with Rob here.
Dr. Robert Quartermain, DSc, Co-Chairman, Dakota Gold Corporation on Wednesday May 10th during lunch in a fireside chat with Anthony Vaccaro, President of the Northern Miner. A focus of their conversation will be about The Brucejack Project - Discovery to Production in 8 Years: Lessons Learned. Notably, the high grade Brucejack Gold Mine in Northern British Columbia is today Canada's fourth largest gold producer. Dr. Quarterman will talk about its fast tracked discovery, permitting, financing; some of the lessons learned about the use of consultants along the development timeline from 2009 to 2017, as well as other lessons learned when consultants have differences in interpretation of data. Those and other key, important topics all should know about the mining industry - from one of the industry's best leaders. Learn more about Dr. Quartermain here.
Dr. Robert Quartermain serves as the Co-Chairman of Dakota Gold Corp. and was most recently Executive Chairman of Pretium Resources Inc., which he founded in October 2010. Prior to Pretium, he was President and CEO of Silver Standard Resources Inc. (now SSR Mining Inc.) for 25 years from 1985 - 2010. Dr. Quartermain holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Brunswick, a Master of Science from Queens University, held his Professional Geoscience certification from the Engineers and Geoscientists BC from 1992 - 2022 and Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of New Brunswick. Dr. Quartermain has a number of education, wildlife, diversity and social justice philanthropic interests that he supports. Dr. Quartermain was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame ("CMHF") in August 2022 for his significant contributions to the mining and exploration industry both in Canada and internationally over his career.
NY SME also thanks Anthony Vaccaro, President, The Northern Miner Group for joining us. Anthony has overall responsibility for some of the mining industry's most distinguished media brands including The Northern Miner, Canadian Mining Journal and Mines handbook. He holds the CFA designation, has an MBA in Investment Management and is board member of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. He is based in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. Vaccaro will also chair a fireside chat with Ontario's Minister of Mines, Honorable George Pirie first thing Wednesday morning together with Mr. McEwen. We are honored to have the Minister and his staff join us.
Also speaking at CTMF 2023 will be another inductee to Canada's Mining Hall of Fame, Douglas Silver, CEO of Balfour Holdings, LLC and recent author of "Rise of the Mining Royalty Companies". Mr. Silver will present a keynote talk on Wednesday May 10th during the networking luncheon about The Conflict Between ESG and Shareholders. Therein Mr. Silver will discuss his views about the ESG paradigm that is consuming the investment world and forcing companies to restructure their businesses to be in compliance with these new demands. As he and others are beginning to realize, beyond the operators struggling with this daily, this issue naturally has opened a Pandora's box of unforeseen issues. One of the largest issues is the quest to appease both the shareholders and the other stakeholders. This presentation will explain these issues and provide potential solutions.
Doug Silver, CEO of Balfour Holdings, LLC. has had a storied career in the minerals industry. He has been an exploration geologist, management consultant, mineral appraiser, M&A advisor, investor relations expert and mine financier. Mr. Silver was a founder, CEO and Chairman of International Royalty Corporation and participated in building the world’s largest mining PE firm as a portfolio manager. Douglas founded the Denver Gold Group, today’s premiere gold investor forum. He is a strong advocate for women’s rights and has sat on advisory boards at the University of Arizona and Colorado School of Mines. Douglas is also a well-known keynote speaker, author, writer and fly fisher. He is one of only three people to be inducted into both the U.S. National Mining Hall of Fame and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. Learn more about Doug here.
Other notable guest speakers, beyond those and many other leading experts who will be attending CTMF, are the two guest speakers at the Monday May 8 Welcome Reception. (Registration to it is limited to the first 125 registered people). The guest speakers include Laura Granier, PC, Partner, Co-Chair Mining Group, Holland & Hart LLP who will provide an update about Lithium Americas Corp's Thacker Pass lithium mine project in Nevada, one of the most talked about and anticipated lithium projects in the world, and other mining projects under development in America. We are eagerly looking forward to her remarks.
The second guest speaker is Peter Boockvar, a well known Markets Strategist often interviewed on Bloomberg TV, MSNBC, etc. View a recent interview here. Peter will discuss the outlook and interconnection of inflation, interest rates, the economy and markets and highlight that the world is a much different place than many of us are used to over the past 10-15 years. The era of cheap money is over and we're not going back. It's time to acclimate to an environment of sticky inflation, higher interest rates and tighter monetary policy.
Peter Boockvar is Chief Investment Officer of Bleakley Financial Group, a New Jersey based $8 billion wealth management firm. Peter is also Editor of The Boock Report, a macro market newsletter. Prior to joining Bleakley, Peter was the Chief Market Analyst at the Lindsey Group, a macro economic and market research firm founded by former Federal Reserve Governor Larry Lindsey. Before this, Peter worked as a macro analyst and portfolio manager for a brief time with Omega Advisors and had previously been a partner at Miller Tabak + Company where he was the equity strategist and a portfolio manager.
Laura Granier, Partner, Co-Chair of Holland & Hart’s mining group delivers pragmatic counsel to help mining, energy, and natural resources clients navigate litigation and regulatory challenges. Laura's clients, including large energy users, mining companies, and water purveyors, benefit from both her extensive litigation and regulatory experience, and her experience as Vice President and U.S. General Counsel for a large utility provider. Laura represents clients before numerous regulatory agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the Nevada Division of Water Resources, and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. She has served as lead counsel in numerous regulatory proceedings including general rate cases, integrated resource planning and on complex water, resource and environmental agency issues. Laura also assists clients through the permitting process for projects on public and forest system lands. Laura has served as lead counsel in numerous court cases involving agency decisions and rule-making managing large client groups and complex issues. She has frequently and successfully handled cases involving key industry issues, complex matters and high stakes litigation. Laura also has successful defended agency decisions authorizing resource projects on public lands. Laura also works closely with clients in the areas of municipal law and government affairs, water rights acquisitions and permitting, and related policy issues.
Do not miss their insightful remarks. Below is the content-rich agenda. It is also is shown here with speakers' bios and panel abstracts. Confirmed advanced registration is required. Space is limited*. There is no on-site registration. Organizers may close registration early.
Below is the Agenda - Schedule for the CTMF 2023 Conference
View Schedule at a Glance here
Content and times may change
We thank the sponsors including RPM Global; Shearman & Sterling; SLR Consulting, and SME Foundation and media partners.
Monday May 8, 2023 - Workshops
Workshop registration and lunch start at 11:30 am; workshops end at 4:45 pm
Welcome Reception registration starts at 5:30 pm - 7:45 pm at Shearman & Sterling
Workshop I. Workshop One: Managing Construction Risks & Mitigating Consequences on Mining Projects: by Shearman & Sterling from Noon to 2:15 pm: Two: Assessment of the Productivity of a Mining Project through Mine-to-Mill Reconciliation: The Importance of Post Investment Reviews by Geo Global and RESPEC from 2:30 pm to 4:45 pm. Registration includes lunch and Monday reception and dinner.
Workshop II. Workshop Two: S-K 1300 Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations: by Wood Plc. and Mine Technical Services Ltd. (MTS) on Monday May 8. Registration and lunch start at 11:30 am, workshop ends at ~4:30 pm. Registration includes lunch and Monday reception and dinner.
Monday May 8, 2023 - Welcome Reception
Sponsor Red Cloud Securities Inc.
Registration and reception start at 5:30 pm; with guest speakers start at 6 pm, end at 8:00 pm at Shearman & Sterling
Guest Speaker: Laura Granier P.C., Partner, Co-Chair Mining Group, Holland & Hart LLP - Laura will provide an update about Lithium Americas Corp's Thacker Pass lithium mine project in Nevada and other mining projects under development in America, and
Guest Speaker: Peter Boockvar, Chief Investment Strategist, Bleakley Financial Group will discuss the outlook and interconnection of inflation, interest rates, the economy and markets - as only Peter Boockvar can. You will not want to miss these talks.
Tuesday May 9, 2023 - CTMF 2023 Conference Day One
Revisit this site for updates, times and order may change
We thank the sponsors including RPM Global; Shearman & Sterling; SLR Consulting, and SME Foundation and media partners
7:00 am Registration and breakfast - Sponsors SRK Consulting; McEwen Mining; McEwen Copper
7:40 am Welcome by New York SME, Conference Co-Chairs: Tim Alch, Executive Director, Alan Oshiki, Chairman and Shearman & Sterling: Cynthia Urda Kassis, Partner, Head of Project Development & Finance | Lead Coordinator for Mining & Metals Opening Remarks: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME): David Kanagy, Executive Director; Marc LeVier, SME President 2023; and SME Foundation: Thomas Rauch, President
8:00 am I.1. A Deep Dive on Mining’s Financial Trends: Global Profit Forecasts, Spending Plans, and Credit Quality: Keynote: S&P Global Ratings: Donald Marleau, CFA, Senior Director, Sector Lead, Metals and Capital Goods
8:25 am I.2. Key Trends: Overcoming Challenges and Disruptions Impacting Financing Mines Today: Roundtable: Chair: SLR Consulting: Richard J. Lambert, MBA, P.E., P. Eng. Technical Director, U.S. Mining Advisory, Teck Resources: Nicholas Hooper, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Exploration; Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking: Alvaro Belevan, Senior Director, Orion Resources: Jon Lamb, Portfolio Manager; Royal Gold Corp.: Alistair Baker, Vice President, Investor Relations & Business Development
9:10 am I.3. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Spectrum: Innovation to Commercialization to Support Energy Transformation: Roundtable: Current and future opportunities to identify and promote research and development and that will deliver the resources to reach a carbon-free future: U.S. Department of Energy: Zack Valdez, Ph.D., Chief of Staff, Office of Manufacturing & Energy Supply Chains (Ch); U.S. Department of Energy: Dr. Grant Bromhal, Senior Fellow for Geosciences: National Energy Technology Lab (NETL); U.S. Department of Energy: Dr. Othon Monteiro, Technology to Market Advisor: Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA)
10:00 am I.4. Intended and Unintended Consequences of U.S., Canadian and Other Government Incentives: Roundtable: Shearman & Sterling LLP: Cynthia Urda Kassis, Global Project Development & Finance Practice Group Leader, Lead Industry Coordinator for Metals & Mining (Ch); FTI Consulting: Bertrand Troiano, Managing Director, Power, Renewables and Energy Transition industry practice; Shearman & Sterling LLP: Jorge Medina, Head of Renewables - Americas; Torys LLP: Braden Jebson, Partner, Metals & Mining Group
10:45 am Refreshment break (available 9:45 – 11:15 AM) - Sponsors Reyna Gold and Reyna Silver
10:55 am I.5. Where Are We in the Mining & Metals' Cycle? What is the Outlook for Commodities, Precious, Critical, Base, Battery and Other Metals? Metals Pricing Trends & Outlook: What’s Different? Roundtable: The World Bank: John Baffes, Senior Economist, Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment (Ch); HSBC Bank: James Steel, Chief Precious Metals Analyst; CPM Group: Jeffrey Christian, Managing Partner; and World Steel Dynamics: Philipp Englin, CEO
11:40 am I.6. A Current Perspective about Critical Minerals re Economics and Policy: Roundtable: Colorado School of Mines: Roderick G. Eggert, Professor of Economics & Business, Coulter Foundation Chair in Mineral Economics, and Deputy Director, Critical Materials Institute (Ch); Columbia University: Robert Johnston, Executive Director, Center on Global Energy Policy; Greyfriars LLC: Matthew D. Zolnowski, President; GreenMet: Drew Horn, President
12:25 pm Keynote Speaker Lunch - Sponsor Government of Quebec
12:35 pm Introductions, Keynote and Panel Discussion: Government of Quebec
I.7.1. Introductions: Martine Hébert, Delegate General of Québec in New York, Québec Government Office in New York
I.7.2. Keynote Speech: Nathalie Camden, Associate Deputy Minister of Mines, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF)
I.7.3. Panel Discussion: Critical and Strategic Minerals Supply Chains in Québec: When Government Policies and Strategies Make It Happen - With all the financial tools and coordinated action that it puts in place, we can say that the Government of Québec has built a unique business environment favorable to mining project development with a strong focus on the critical and strategic minerals sector. During this panel, we will learn about those tools and actions put in place by the MRNF and SPN, and hear the testimony of a Québec mining company, Vior, that benefits from it.
I.7.3.1. Moderator - Jonathan Lafontaine, Strategic Advisor for Mining Exploration and Promotion, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF)
I.7.3.2. Jocelyn Douhéret, Director of Mining Policies, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF)
I.7.3.3. Ian Morissette, Vice President for Sustainable Development and Partnership in the Northern Territory, Société du Plan Nord (SPN)
I.7.3.4. Exploration Mining Fund - to be announced
I.7.3.5. Laurent Eustache, Executive Vice President, Vior Inc.
1:35 pm I.8. Current State of China Affairs, Geopolitics and Impact on the Global Minerals Supply Chains: Roundtable: Global Mining Capital: Keith Spence, CEO & Partner (Ch); Independent Director: John King Burns, Chairman & CEO of Jaxon Mining; RPMGlobal: Phillipe Baudry, Executive General Manager, Advisory Services; Eval Minerals: Andre Gauthier, President; Roc Global LLC: John Zhang, Managing Director
1:35 pm I.8A. Having Your Smart Phone and Using It Too: How to Address NIMBY Issues For Miners and All of Us: Roundtable: Fasken: Frank Mariage, BSc, LLB, Senior Partner (Ch); Lomiko Metals Inc.: Belinda Labatte, Chief Executive Officer and Director; Osisko Metals Inc.: Robert Wares, Chairman and CEO; NioBay Metals: Jean-Sébastien David, President, CEO, Director
2:20 pm I.9. Importance & Challenges of Raising Finance for Exploration and Early-Stage Development; What is Different Today for Miners Looking to Raise Capital? Chair: Eagle Mines Management: Robert Schafer, President; Van Eck Associates Corp.: Joe Foster, Gold Strategist; Timberline Resources Corp:, President & Chief Executive Officer, Fire Fox Gold Corp.: Chairman, Patrick Highsmith; Red Cloud Mining Capital: Chad Williams, Chairman
2:20 pm 1.9A. Bringing the Next Generation of Critical Minerals and Battery Metals Facilities Online: Roundtable: McCarl’s Technical Services: Tom Rauch, President (Ch); Blue Whale Materials: David Fauvre, Co Founder and Chief Strategy Officer; Materia USA: Rabbi Yechezkel "Zeke" Moskowitz, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer; Piedmont Lithium: Erin Sanders, SVP Corporate Communications
3:05 pm I.10. Securing Mineral Supply Chains and Conflicting Policy Priorities: Keynote: American Exploration & Mining Association: Mark Compton, Executive Director
3:05 pm 1.10A. The Automotive Industry Faces a Supply Chain Issue: China Dominates Critical Minerals Processing: Keynote: Critical Minerals Institute: Jack Lifton, Co-Chairman
3:25 pm Networking refreshment break - Sponsors Reyna Gold and Reyna Silver
3:45 pm I.11. Root Causes of Delays in Regulatory Approval of New Mineral Development Projects: Roadmap to Success: Roundtable: Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LLC: Stephen Donohue, P.H., VP: Mining (Ch); Foth Infrastructure & Environment LLC: Andrea Martin, P.E., Lead Engineer (Ch); Big Rock Exploration: Gabriel Sweet, Principal (Ch): Perpetua Resources: Mckinsey Lyon, VP External Affairs; Holland & Hart LLP: Laura Granier P.C., Partner, Co-Chair Mining Group (Ch)
3:45 pm I.11A. New Challenges in Resource & Reserve Disclosure: Roundtable; SLR Consulting: Deborah A. McCombe, P.Geo., Global Technical Director, Global Mining Advisory (Ch); Dakota Gold Corp.: Robert Quartermain, DSC, Co-Chairman; Stanford Mineral-X Initiative: David Zehn Yin, PhD, Co-Founder, Program Director; SLR Consulting: Jason Cox, P. Eng., Global Technical Director, Canada Mining Advisory
3:45 pm I.11B. Energy: Part One: Energy; Uranium; Nuclear Power - Capstone Partners: Raymond McCormick, Managing Director, Energy and Natural Resources (Ch); Northcott Capital and KCR Capital: Rick Reeves, Managing Director (Ch); Capstone Partners: Angela Helenberger, Vice President, Energy & Natural Resources
4:30 pm I.12. Financing Projects with Jurisdictional, New Technology and other Challenges: Roundtable: Shearman & Sterling LLP: Lachlan Poustie, Partner, Head of Africa Practice (Ch); International Finance Corporation (IFC): To be announced; ING Capital: Remco Meeuwis, Director, Metals and Mining Americas
4:30 pm I.12A. U.S. SEC Rule S-K 1300 Disclosures for Mining Registrants: Are You Ready? Chair: Wood Plc.: Greg Gosson, Ph.D., Technical Director, Geology & Compliance; Mine Technical Services Ltd.:, Stella Searston, FAusIMM, MAIG, RM SME, Principal Geologist; and Geosyntec Consultants: Edwin R. Peralta, PE, RM, SME, Principal Mining Engineer
4:30 pm I.12B. Energy: Part Two: Natural Gas, Coal, Hydrogen: PMV Research LLC: Michael Spohn, Independent Investment Analyst, Natural Resources; WSP: D. David Marston, P.E., Senior Vice President, Mine Engineering and Stability District Business Line Director; CRU International: Chris Lawson, Head of Fertilizers
5:15 pm 1.13. Many Risks and Opportunities: An ESG Ratings Provider’s Perspective of the Mining Sector and A Current View of the Lithium Market: Two Discussions: S&P Global Ratings: Erin Boeke Burke, Director & Lead Analyst, Sustainable Finance; RK Equity: Howard Klein, Co-Founder and Partner
5:15 pm I.13A. Valuation of Mining Projects: Current Views: Roundtable: SLR Consulting: Grant Malensek, P.Eng., Senior Principal Mining Engineer - Mining Advisory (Ch); Van Eck Associates Corp.: Adam Graf, Senior Mining Analyst; Stagg Resource Consultants: Alan Stagg, President & Principal Economic Geologist; Broadlands Minerals Advisory Services Ltd.: Bernard 'Barney' J. Guarnera, President
5:15 pm I.13B. Precious Metals: Gold, Silver, Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) - An Outlook: Bloomberg Intelligence: Mike McGlone, Senior Commodity Analyst; CPM Group: Rohit Savant, Vice President, Research; Myrmikan Capital LLC: Daniel Oliver, Principal
6:00 pm I.14. Closing Remarks followed by evening reception, with guest speaker
Tuesday May 9, 2023 Evening Reception 6:00 - 7:30 pm - Sponsors ARK Silver; Big Rock Exploration; Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP; Costmine Intelligence; Dolly Varden Silver; Guanajuato Silver; Honey Badger Silver; Relevant Gold
6:20 pm Welcome Remarks by NY SME
6:25 pm Guest Speaker: Rob McEwen, Chairman of McEwen Mining: Entering a New Super Cycle for Metals Without the Workforce to Maximize the Moment!
6:45 pm Q&A - Moderated by Anthony Vaccaro, CFA, MBA, The Northern Miner Group, President
7:30 pm Conclusion of Day One of the Conference
Agenda for Wednesday May 10, 2023 - Day Two of CTMF 2023 Conference
View Schedule at a Glance here
Revisit this site for updates, times and order may change
We thank the sponsors including RPM Global; Shearman & Sterling; SLR Consulting, and SME Foundation and media partners
7:00 am Registration and Breakfast - Sponsors SRK Consulting; McEwen Mining; McEwen Copper
8:00 am II.1. Keynote: The Conflict Between ESG and Shareholders: Douglas Silver, CEO, Balfour Holdings
9:00 am II.2. Project Management: Why Some Projects Succeed, Some Fail: Roundtable: RPMGlobal: Stuart Smith, President, Advisory & Consulting - Americas (Ch); Independent Project Analysis (IPA): Baqun Ding, Master Analyst; US Gold Corp.: Kevin Francis, VP Exploration & Technical Services; Costmine: Mike Sinden, Vice President; Dore Copper: Ernest Mast, CEO, President
9:00 am II.2A. The Why, The What, and The How Of ESG In Mining – Managing External Pressures, Identifying and Prioritizing Strategic Elements, and Effective Reporting: Roundtable: SLR Consulting: Simon Mendum, Financial Sector Lead: USA (Ch); SLR Consulting: Joanie Baczewski, Director: ESG Strategic Advisory; SLR Consulting: Jason Cox, P. Eng. Global Technical Director, Mining Advisory
9:00 am II.2B. Filling the Supply Gap for Copper: The Most Critical Metal of All: Roundtable: Mining Journal: Paul Harris, Editor, The Americas (Ch); McEwen Copper: Rob McEwen, Chairman & President; Los Andes Copper: Eduardo Covarrubias, Chairman; McEwen Copper: Michael Meding, VP & General Manager; Colorado School of Mines: Dr. Graham Davis, Professor Emeritus
9:45 am II.3. Importance of and Methods to Manage First Nations, Aboriginal Issues: Fireside Chat: Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP: Sandra Gogal, Partner, Aboriginal Law Group (Ch); Dolly Varden Silver Corp.: Shawn KhunKhun, CEO, President, Director; Nisga'a Lisims Government: Charles Morven, Secretary - Treasurer
9:45 am II.3A. Growing Role of ESG issues from a Finance, Technical and Legal Perspective: Roundtable: Dentons LLP: Greg McNab, Partner (Ch); RPMGlobal: Phillipe Baudry, Executive General Manager, Advisory Services; Trigon Metals: Jed Richardson, President and CEO; Social Suite: Seth Forman, President
9:45 am II.3B. Mexico’s Silver Renaissance: Roundtable: Mining Journal: Paul Harris, Editor, The Americas (Ch); Guanajuato Silver Company: James Anderson, Chairman & CEO; IMDEX/Cascabel: Dr. Peter K.M. Megaw, Consulting Exploration Geologist, President; Tocvan Ventures Corp.: Brodie A. Sutherland, P. Geo., CEO; Reyna Silver: Lauren Megaw, Head of Investor Relations
10:30 am Networking refreshment break - Sponsors Reyna Gold and Reyna Silver
10:50 am II.4. Designing Project Finance Structures for the Mining Business Cycle: Roundtable: SCM Decisions: Michael Samis, Ph.D., P. Eng., Principal (Ch); Hartree Partners, LP: Matthew Rosales, P. Geo., Mine Finance & Investments Manager; Trillium Gold Corp.: Russell Starr, President & CEO; DLA Piper: Oliver Wright, Partner; Trident Royalties plc: Justin Anderson, VP, Americas
10:50 am II.4A. Human Capital Relevancy in Investment Successes and/or Failures: Roundtable: Brooks & Nelson: Anita Bertisen, Partner (Ch); Brooks & Nelson: Jill Nelson, Partner; Colorado School of Mines: Dr. M. Stephen Enders, Mining Engineering Department Head; Independent Director: Edward C. Dowling, Jr., Teck Resources, Compass Minerals, Copper Mountain Mining; Orion Resource Partners: Kirsten Wolf, Chief Risk Officer, Chair, ESG committee; Resource Capital Funds: Jasper Bertisen, Partner, Team Leader, Investment Committee Member
10:50 am II.4B. Extractive Metallurgy for Rare Earths & Critical Minerals: Roundtable : Colorado School of Mines: Dr. Corby Anderson PE, Harrison Western professor and Director of the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy (Ch); K. Marc LeVier & Associates: Marc LeVier, President (Ch); Critical Minerals Institute: Jack Lifton, Co-Chairman; Tetra Tech: Kimberly Porsche, P.E., Director of Program Management, Senior Project Manager; Tetra Tech: Thomas Gray, P.E., Principal; Virginia Tech: Aaron Noble, PhD, Professor and Incoming Department Head, Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering
11:35 am II.5. The Importance of the Robustness of Various Studies in a Mining Project Cycle: Roundtable: GeoGlobal LLC: Dr. Abani Samal, CPG, RM- SME, Fellow- SME, Fellow-SEG, Principal; RESPEC: Peter Christiensen RM-SME, Principal; SLR Consulting: Grant Malensek, P.Eng., Senior Principal Mining Engineer - Mining Advisory; Independent Mining Consultants (IMC): John Marek, P. Eng., President
11:35 am II.5A. Pathways to Net Zero: From Aspiration to Reality: Roundtable: Skarn Associates: Sophie Chung, Executive Director – Strategy & Development; Partners in Performance: Keith Russell, Director - Global Head of Energy Transformation
11:35 am II.5B. Nickel and Lithium: Needed Battery Metals for the EV/ Energy Revolution: A Discussion: HATCH Advisory: Duncan Kluwak, CFA, PE, Principal (Ch); Libra Lithium Corp.: Koby Kushner, P. Eng., CEO and Director (Ch); RK Equity: Howard Klein, Co-Founder and Partner; Power Nickel Inc.: Terry Lynch, CEO
12:20 pm Networking Lunch - Sponsor RESPEC Consulting
12:35 pm II.6.1. Fireside Chat: The Brucejack Project: Discovery to Production in Eight Years: Lessons Learned: Dr. Robert Quartermain, DSc, Co Chairman, Dakota Gold Corp. with Anthony Vaccaro, President, The Northern Miner Group (Moderator)
1:40 pm II.7. Mining M&A and Consolidation Trends: Roundtable, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP: Steven McKoen, K.C. (Ch), Partner; Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, John Wilkin (Ch), Partner, Bloomberg LP: Todd Sibilla, Commodity Applications Specialist; Shearman & Sterling LLP: George Karafotias, Partner, Mergers & Acquisitions
1:40 pm II.7A. ESG & Mine Closure: Changing Landscape for Reporting: Roundtable: SRK Consulting: Ben Parsons, Principal Resource Geologist (Ch); SRK Consulting: Erik Ronald, Principal Geologist; SRK Consulting: Matthew Sullivan, Principal Mineral Economist; SRK Consulting: Jeff Parshley, Corporate Consultant (Mine Closure/ Environment)
1:40 pm II.7B. Two Key Vital Critical Materials and Metals: Construction Materials and Vanadium: A Discussion: RESPEC Consulting: John S.L. Morgan, Senior Vice President and Phenom Resources: Paul Cowley, CEO
2:25 pm II.8. Quantifying & Managing All Risks: Geopolitical, Technical, Financial, Social and Environmental: Roundtable: Stantec: Michael Stine, Mineral Economist (Ch); Brattle Group: Florin Dorobantu, Principal; SCM Decisions: Michael Samis, Principal; Stantec: Ian Morrison, Senior Principal; Colorado School of Mines: Dr. Graham Davis, Professor Emeritus
2:25 pm II.8A. Renewable Energy & Clearing Pathways to Project Success: Discussion: BQ Energy: Paul Curran, CEO and Integrated Information Systems, Inc., Douglass N. Loud, Esq. President
2:25 pm II.8B. Two Experts’ Views re Why Metallurgy Matters: Discussion: Colorado School of Mines: Dr. Corby Anderson PE, Harrison Western Professor and Director of the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy and K. Marc LeVier & Associates: Marc LeVier, President
3:10 pm Networking refreshment break - Sponsors Reyna Gold and Reyna Silver
3:30 pm II.9. Why Listing on the OTC Markets in the US is Essential for Growth: Roundtable: OTC Markets Group: Chris King, SVP, International Corporate Services; OTC Markets Group: Jason Paltrowitz, Director, OTC Markets Group International Ltd. and EVP, Corporate Services, OTC Markets Group; Canadian Securities Exchange: Richard Carleton, CEO; Red Cloud Financial Services Inc.: Sebastian De Kloet, Senior Vice President, Marketing
3:30 pm II.9A. Broader Frontier Issues in Mining and the Circular Economy: Roundtable: University of Delaware: Prof. Saleem H. Ali, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment (Ch); University of British Columbia: John Steen, Associate Professor, EY Distinguished Scholar in Global Mining Futures, and Director of the Bradshaw Research Initiative in Minerals and Mining (BRIMM); Bloomberg NEF: Sung Choi, Associate
3:30 pm II.9B. Getting to Net Zero by Effectively Combining Primary and Secondary Metals: Discussion: Glencore: Dr. Sumedh Gostu, Technical Risk Manager and Hydrometallurgy Expert (Ch); and others
4:15 pm II.10. What We Have is a Failure to Communicate: How Mining Industry Communications Fail to Benefit Stakeholders: Roundtable: The Prospector News: Michael Fox, Publisher (Ch); H/Advisors Abernathy: Alan Oshiki, Executive Vice President (Ch); Ellis Martin Report: Ellis Martin; Refined Substance Inc.: Kimberly Darlington, Principal; Better In Our Back Yard: Ryan Sistad, Executive Director
4:15 pm II.10A. How to Get Systemic Decarbonization of Mining Paid For and Engineered: Inspire Resources Inc.: Andy Reynolds, President (Ch); Deloitte LLP: Michael E. Raynor, Managing Director; SysEne Consulting Inc.: Flyn McCarthy, Principal; Neoteric Energy and Climate: Kim Carnahan, Founder
4:15 pm II.10B. Financing Your Water Needs: Why Off-Balance Sheet Financing of Water Assets is More Than an Option, It’s Critical in Today’s Environment: Roundtable: Resilient Infrastructure Group: Bill Brennan, President (Ch); Resilient Infrastructure Group: Sid Singh, Director of Investments and others
5:00 pm Closing Remarks by Conference Chair Wednesday Reception 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Shearman & Sterling LLP - Sponsors ARK Silver; Big Rock Exploration; Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP; Costmine Intelligence; Dolly Varden Silver; Guanajuato Silver; Honey Badger Silver; Relevant Gold
Thursday May 11, 2023 - Workshops at Shearman & Sterling
Revisit this site for updates, times and order may change
We thank the sponsors including RPM Global; Shearman & Sterling; SLR Consulting, and SME Foundation and media partners
Morning workshop registration and breakfast starts at 7:15 am; workshops III & IV start at 8:15 am and will end at 11:30 am with lunch starting at 11: 45 am. Afternoon workshop registration and lunch start at 11:45 am. Workshops V & VI will begin at 12:45 pm and end at 4:30 pm.
7:15 am Registration and Breakfast - Sponsors SRK Consulting; McEwen Mining; McEwen Copper
Workshop III. Morning Workshop: Critical Aspects for Technical Due Diligence and Assessing Project Risks: by SRK Consulting on Thursday May 11 from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm. Registration includes breakfast and lunch
Workshop IV. Morning Workshop: Two Parts: (A.) How to Quickly and Reliably Estimate Mining Costs: by Costmine on Thursday May 11 from 8:00 am to 9:45 am. Registration and breakfast start at 7:15 am. (B.) Valuing Mineral Assets and Operations – Understanding Valuation Issues in a Changing World: Alan Stagg Consultants from 10 am to 11:45 am. Registration includes lunch
11:45 am Registration and Lunch - Sponsor RESPEC Consulting
Workshop V. Afternoon Workshop: Pathway to Mining Project Success: Independent Project Analysis (IPA): Baqun Ding, Master Analyst, and Astor Luft, North America Regional Director on Thursday May 11 from Noon to 4:30 pm. Registration includes lunch and refreshment break.
Registration is open. Local hotels are posted here. Register to meet, and ask questions of many executives, advisors, technical and non-technical experts and officials. The two day conference will consist of many engaging round table and panel discussions, keynote talks and fireside chats. All attending will have the opportunity to meet with and ask questions of the participant. If you want to submit an expression of interest to be a speaker contact us at info@smeny.org.
Past attendees include: engineers, bankers, financial analysts, investors, portfolio managers, service providers, policy officials and others. Titles of past attendees include: CEO, President, Partner, Executive Director, Project Manager, Banker, VP, Engineering & Development, Corporate Finance Specialist, CFO, Treasurer, Consultant, Managing Director, Project Geologist, Corporate Strategist, Investor, Environmental Specialist, ESG Analyst, Mining Engineer, Lawyer, Financial & Equity Analyst, Accountant, Portfolio Manager, Controller, Chief Technology Officer, Digital Communications Officer, Global Leader of Mining & Natural Resources, Founder, Community Engagement, Investor Relations Officer, Auditor, VP of Underwriting, Credit Research, Environmental Services Practice Leader and Appraiser.
All can register to attend any of the workshops described below. Visit workshops for details, including instructors' bios. Conference registration does not include attendance to any of the workshops shown below.
Workshop I. Two Part Workshop: Part One: Managing Construction Risks & Mitigating Consequences on Mining Projects presented by Shearman & Sterling: Christopher Ryan, Partner, International Arbitration and Jesse Sherrett, Partner, International Arbitration Part Two: Assessment of the Productivity of a Mining Project through Mine-to-Mill Reconciliation: The Importance of Post Investment Reviews presented by Dr. Abani R. Samal, Principal, GeoGlobal, LLC and Peter Christensen, RM-SME, Principal RESPEC Consulting on Monday May 8. Registration and lunch starts at 11:45 am, workshop starts at 12:30 pm and ends at 4:30 pm.
Part One: Mining operations are highly regulated and subject to significant development, technical, geological, commercial, political, legal and other risks. As a result, over 80% of mining projects are not completed within the parameters set out in the feasibility study. As a result, often greenfield mine construction experiences significant delays and cost overruns. This Workshop will explore how companies can manage the risks and mitigate the consequences of delays, cost overruns, and other types of obstacles arising from major capital investments that can occur throughout the life of a project. The panel will examine these issues at three critical phases: contract formation; project execution; and dispute resolution.
Part Two: This workshop is intended to start a dialogue on the post investment review during the life of the mine in order to check if the mine is achieving the production target. In many cases, mines do achieve production targets and it is an opportunity to learn the reasons for such achievements. Mining operations, where production seems to be underperforming compared to plan, need special attention for better understanding of the reasons for such results. Sometimes, the production plan can be unrealistic and is not based on ground truth. There are many other reasons for production not matching with the plan on a monthly or quarterly or yearly time scale. In many cases, large mining companies conduct a post-investment review of the productivity thereby helping them to realize the truth about the project. The mining finance companies and investors should conduct such reviews to ensure that the investment would result in a good return.
Workshop II. S-K 1300 Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations - Presented by Greg Gosson, Ph.D., P.Geo., Technical Director, Geology & Compliance, Wood Group Plc and Stella Searston, FAusIMM, MAIG, RM SME, Principal Geologist, Mine Technical Services Ltd. (MTS) on Monday May 8. Registration and lunch start at 11:45 am, workshop starts at 12:30 and ends at 4:30 pm.
This workshop will focus on unique challenges the new S-K 1300 standards have created when preparing mining studies and mineral property disclosure for critical metals and minerals needed for the green economy. The challenges to be discussed are directed at specific requirements for the defined mining studies under S-K 1300, the need to show how a process method or plant design has never been used commercially in order to support mineral resources and mineral reserves, the need for market studies to support the mineral resources and mineral reserves for these unique deposits, and the availability of properly qualified persons to sign off on the many unique aspects of these deposits and their mines.
Workshop III. Critical Aspects for Technical Due Diligence and Assessing Project Risks - Presented by SRK Consulting: Ben Parsons, Principal Resource Geologist; Matthew Sullivan, Principal Mineral Economist; Erik Ronald, Principal Geologist; Jeff Parshley, Corporate Consultant, Environment on Thursday May 11. Registration and breakfast start at 7:30 am, workshop starts at 8:30 am, ends at 11:30 am, and lunch starts at 11:45 am.
SRK discipline experts will present on common observations, key items that regularly represent project risk, due diligence philosophy and approach, and the importance of a tailored experience in a Due Diligence team. SRK performs fatal flaw through deep dive due diligences globally, across commodities, and mining methods. The exposure to a variety of global projects at various stages provides a unique visibility on what to look for, what questions to ask, how to identify “red flag” items as early as possible, and when to take a deeper dive to assess a project’s technical risk.
Workshop IV. Two Part Workshop (A.) How to Quickly and Reliably Estimate Mining Costs: by Costmine on Thursday May 11 from 8:00 am to 9:45 am. Registration and breakfast start at 7:15 am. (B.) Valuing Mineral Assets and Operations: Understanding Valuation Issues in a Changing World: by Alan Stagg Consultants from 10 am to 11:45 am. Registration and breakfast start at 7:30 am, work shop starts at 8:30 am, workshop ends at 11:30 am, and lunch starts at 11:45 am.
(A.) How to Quickly and Reliably Estimate Mining Costs: Realistically estimating the costs associated with mining and mineral processing are vital steps in creating mining financial models, such as for valuations and funding decisions, that are highly relevant to a singular mining project. But the practice of mining cost estimating is often intimidating as evaluators are asked to consider all costs over the life of a project using technical data from unfamiliar fields. In this way, engineering-based (i.e., bottom-up) methods of cost estimation can be particularly time consuming and may be seen as unachievable depending on the evaluator’s background. However, modern solutions exist to guide evaluators through this process, and enable them to easily handle the significant volume of work associated with engineering-based estimates in a timely manner. This workshop (led by Sam Blakely, Costmine’s Senior Mining Engineer) offers a chance to learn how to, at a scoping- through pre-feasibility-level, efficiently create defendable engineering-based mining and mineral processing cost estimates using Sherpa, a suite of web-based cost estimating applications from Costmine. Emphasis will be given to open-pit mining cost estimating using Sherpa Surface. The opportunity to explore three other Sherpa applications (Underground, Processing, and Reclamation) will also be provided to interested participants during the later portion of the workshop. Note: To access Sherpa Surface via your laptop’s web browser during this course, each preregistered participant/ delegate will be provided with temporary login credentials. Therefore, we highly encourage all participants to attend with their own laptop computers for this portion of the course.
(B.) Valuing Mineral Assets and Operations: Understanding Valuation Issues in a Changing World: The need to establish the value of mineral assets and operations arises in many contexts—acquisitions and divestitures, investment decision-making, collateralizing assets, public reporting, financial accounting, shareholder disputes, and a variety of other adversarial actions. Each can entail a different set of issues and, accordingly, each may require the determination of a different standard of value. Societal changes, notably the increasing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) investing, is taking the mining world into uncharted waters relative to the concept of “value,” and the workshop will identify some of the areas of tension that have or can be expected to arise.
In conducting any valuation, two concepts should be kept in mind: 1) value is a perception and 2) there are various standards of value. Regarding the first, it should be noted that value is not inherent in the goods, commodity, or service to which it is ascribed but rather is created in the minds of those who make up the market. Regarding the second, it should be noted that value expresses an economic concept and, as such, is never a fact but always an opinion. In expressing such an opinion, the term “value” must be accompanied by a specific definition of the term and the term must also be qualified, for example: market value, liquidation value, investment value, and so forth. This workshop is designed to provide participants the basic foundation to allow the selection of appropriate standards of value and valuation approaches and techniques. This workshop is intended to benefit both those who conduct valuations and those who may be required to use them.
Workshop V. Pathway to Mining Project Success: Independent Project Analysis (IPA): Baqun Ding, Master Analyst, and Astor Luft, North America Regional Director on Thursday May 11 from Noon to 4:30 pm. Registration includes lunch and refreshment break.
The journey from discovering a mineral deposit to turning it into a profitable operational asset is long. Along the way, many decisions are made by different groups of people. Clear understanding of the risks and use of lessons learned from others to avoid/mitigate risk should be part of the main stream of work from the beginning to the end. Over the course of IPA’s 36 years in business, we have continuously worked with companies from different industry sectors across the world, advising on best practices for capital project planning and management. We have collected and verified the results of thousands of projects with different sizes and complexities, via face-to-face interviews with owner project teams. Using the data collected, we then conducted research studies to identify the key factors that consistently enable project success. Through individual project consulting and evaluation services, we share the learnings with current projects. These include not only industry-specific learnings, but also cross-industry, cross-regional, and special case learnings. IPA’s Pathway to Success facilitates the sharing of our projects experiences with the industry. The pathway lists all the critical factors of a mine asset development journey, and highlights what, who, and how this path should be established, so that the project outcomes, or final path destination, will meet all the business and project targets. In this workshop, we will walk our audience through IPA’s pathway to mining project success, and elaborate on each factor to provide an understanding of the important tasks along a mine asset development venture. This workshop will include a roughly 2-hour long presentation introducing the basics of key factors that drive mine asset project success, followed by a 1-hour long case study of a project evaluation, and a Q&A session.
We hope you join us! CTMF brings leading experts and stakeholders together to address topics miners, directors, investors, policy makers, stakeholders, communities and financiers want to know about financing mining projects. Contact us about participating here info@smeny.org