EP 174 | Platinum: Is It Worth Its Weight in Gold?
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
Release Date: 09/10/2026
EP 180 | Tungsten – Part 2: Key Technical Considerations for Tungsten Projects
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
In Part 2 of Snowden Optiro's Fresh Thinking tungsten series, Senzeni Mandava Matondi, Laurie Hassall and Melanie Bulley discuss the key technical considerations for tungsten projects from a resource geology perspective. Building on Part 1's exploration of tungsten markets, pricing and global supply chains, this episode shifts the focus to deposit geology, mineralogy, assaying, metallurgical recovery and geometallurgy. The discussion explores: Tungsten deposit types: The geological characteristics of skarn, quartz vein, stockwork, granite-related and stratabound deposits. Scheelite and...
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EP 179 | Tungsten – Part 1: Understanding the Price Surge and Global Supply Chain
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
In this episode of Snowden Optiro's Fresh Thinking podcast, Julian Aldridge, Regional Director – EMEAA, is joined by Melanie Bulley, Senior Consultant, and Laurie Hassall, Principal Consultant, for the first discussion in a two-part series on tungsten. The discussion examines tungsten from a market and supply chain perspective, with particular attention to the recent rise in APT prices and the factors affecting the availability of tungsten products. Topics discussed include: Ammonium paratungstate (APT), its role as an intermediate tungsten product and its use as a market price reference....
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EP 178 | Inferred Resources in Mine Planning: Practice vs Reporting
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
Inferred Mineral Resources are the lowest-confidence Mineral Resource category, but what role should they play in mine planning? In this episode of Fresh Thinking, Tarrant Elkington is joined by Allan Earl, Executive Consultant at Snowden Optiro, to discuss the practical and regulatory considerations around including Inferred Resources in mine plans. Tarrant and Allan explore the distinction between mine plans developed for operational and strategic purposes and those used for public reporting. They discuss how Inferred Resources are treated under different reporting frameworks, including...
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EP 177 | Rethinking Grade Control: When Ordinary Kriging Isn’t Enough
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
When does ordinary kriging stop being the best approach for grade control? In this episode of Fresh Thinking, Ian Glacken, Executive Consultant, and Dr Gregory Zhang, Senior Consultant at , explore direct SMU estimation and the circumstances where conventional ordinary kriging may not provide the best result. They discuss the challenges presented by highly skewed grade distributions, mixed populations and complex anisotropy, and consider alternative approaches including categorical indicator kriging (CIK), multiple indicator kriging (MIK) and localised MIK. Drawing on a case study, Ian...
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EP 176 | Evolving Air Quality Regulations: A Catalyst for Electric Machine Adoption
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
Changing workplace exposure limits could become an important driver of battery electric vehicle adoption in underground mining. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by , Hamish Guthrie is joined by Sarah de Vries to discuss Sarah’s recent presentation at The Electric Mine Conference 2026, “Evolving Air Quality Regulations: A Catalyst for Electric Machine Adoption.” Sarah explores the changing regulatory environment for diesel particulate matter (DPM) and other airborne contaminants, and what tighter exposure limits could mean for underground mine ventilation, operating costs,...
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EP 174 | Platinum: Is It Worth Its Weight in Gold?
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
Platinum is one of the world’s rarest and most geographically concentrated metals, with applications spanning the automotive, industrial, jewellery and emerging hydrogen sectors. But what does its evolving supply and demand outlook mean for the mining industry? In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Senzeni Mandava Matondi and Julian Aldridge explore platinum’s geology, market dynamics and strategic importance. They discuss the concentration of global platinum supply, changing automotive demand, the potential role of hydrogen technology, substitution between platinum group...
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EP 173 | The Theory of Sampling: Why Every Mining Decision Begins with a Representative Sample
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
Was the sample representative? Every geological model, resource estimate, grade control decision and reconciliation result ultimately depends on the quality of the samples behind it. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Melanie Bulley is joined by Senzeni Mandava Matondi to explore the Theory of Sampling and why representative sampling is fundamental to reliable decision-making throughout the mining value chain. They discuss why natural heterogeneity makes sampling challenging, the difference between correct and incorrect sampling errors, why precision should not be confused...
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EP 172 | Tailings Are Not Just Relocated Ore: The Nuances of Tailings Mineral Resource Estimates
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
Tailings Mineral Resource Estimates can appear straightforward. The material has already been mined, crushed, processed and deposited in one location — but tailings facilities present their own unique set of technical challenges. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by , Senzeni Mandava and Melanie Bulley explore the nuances of estimating Mineral Resources within tailings facilities. They discuss how tailings differ from conventional in situ deposits and why depositional engineering, rather than natural geological controls, can become fundamental to understanding continuity. opics covered...
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EP 171 | Part 2 of 2: Managing Uncertainty - How Better Grade Control Leads to Better Decisions
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
In Part 2 of our Fresh Thinking by two-part series, host Melanie Bully is joined by Senzeni Matondi to continue the discussion on why the most expensive mistake in grade control isn’t necessarily mining low-grade material — it’s making the wrong decision about whether material is ore or waste. Following on from Part 1, this episode explores how mining operations can make better grade control decisions by understanding and managing uncertainty. Melanie and Senzeni discuss why average grade alone doesn’t tell the full story, how conditional bias and grade smoothing can affect ore and...
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EP 175 | Why Resource & Reserve Reconciliation Matters
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro
In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Rayleen Hargreaves, Principal Consultant at Datamine and Product Owner of Reconcilor, talks with Ian Glacken, Executive Consultant at Snowden Optiro, about the importance of reconciling mineral resources and reserves across the mine value chain. Resource and reserve reconciliation is often given less attention than the production stages of the mining process, yet it provides an important link between what a company reports, what it plans to mine, and what is ultimately produced. Rayleen and Ian discuss: The role of resources and...
info_outlinePlatinum is one of the world’s rarest and most geographically concentrated metals, with applications spanning the automotive, industrial, jewellery and emerging hydrogen sectors. But what does its evolving supply and demand outlook mean for the mining industry?
In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Senzeni Mandava Matondi and Julian Aldridge explore platinum’s geology, market dynamics and strategic importance.
They discuss the concentration of global platinum supply, changing automotive demand, the potential role of hydrogen technology, substitution between platinum group metals (PGMs), supply constraints and the challenges of bringing new mines into production.
The conversation also considers what these trends could mean from a mining perspective, including the potential for renewed exploration, mine life extensions and new project development.
Subscribe to Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro for more technical discussions covering geology, resource estimation, mining and the commodities shaping the industry.