Loading...

PODCAST

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro

News and information from the world of geology and mining, Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro provides a new perspective on the mining industry and seeks to educate on best practice. Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors. We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors

science natural sciences

All Episodes

18:56

EP 177 | Rethinking Grade Control: When Ordinary...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/10/01

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 @SnowdenOptiro , 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

en

08:31

EP 176 | Evolving Air Quality Regulations: A Catalyst...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/09/23

Changing workplace exposure limits could become an important driver of battery electric vehicle adoption in underground mining. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬, 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

en

11:03

EP 174 | Platinum: Is It Worth Its Weight in Gold?

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/09/10

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

en

08:11

EP 173 | The Theory of Sampling: Why Every Mining...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/09/02

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

en

13:17

EP 172 | Tailings Are Not Just Relocated Ore: The...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/08/26

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 @SnowdenOptiro , 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,

en

06:35

EP 171 | Part 2 of 2: Managing Uncertainty - How...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/08/19

In Part 2 of our Fresh Thinking by @SnowdenOptiro 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

en

21:21

EP 175 | Why Resource & Reserve Reconciliation Matters

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/08/17

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,

en

04:57

EP 170 | Part 1 of 2: Why the Most Expensive Mistake...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/08/12

What if the most expensive mistake in grade control isn't mining low-grade material — but making the wrong decision about what is ore and what is waste? In this two-part episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Senzeni Matondi, Principal Consultant, joins Melanie Bully, Senior Consultant, to explore why grade control is fundamentally a decision-making discipline, not simply a grade estimation exercise. In Part 1, Senzeni and Melanie unpack the operational and financial consequences of

en

06:58

EP 169 | Why Good Estimates Can Still Produce Poor...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/08/06

If your resource model is statistically robust, why doesn't it always reconcile with production? In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Melanie Bulley and Senzeni Mandava Matondi explore why good resource estimates can still lead to disappointing reconciliation results. They discuss the impact of grade smoothing, explain the concept of conditional bias, and explore why reproducing the average grade is only part of the story. The conversation also covers practical techniques used by

en

08:30

EP 168 | When Geology Isn't Enough - Using...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/07/29

How do you model mineralisation when geological boundaries aren't clearly defined? In this episode of Fresh Thinking by @SnowdenOptiro , Senior Consultant, Melanie Bulley is joined by Principal Consultant, Senzeni Matondi to explore how Categorical Indicator Kriging (CIK) can be used to model diffuse mineralisation more objectively and consistently. The discussion covers: Why traditional wireframing can be challenging in diffuse deposits How probability-based domaining improves consistency The

en

11:58

EP 166 | What Consultants See That Mine Sites Miss:...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/07/01

What do consultants see that mine sites often miss? In this episode of Fresh Thinking bySnowden Optiro, Rayleen Hargreaves is joined by Ian Glacken to discuss the most common mine-to-mill reconciliation challenges, from stockpile management and siloed teams to understanding variance and improving decision-making. Learn why reconciliation is more than a monthly report—it's a powerful tool for improving mine performance.

en

05:06

EP 164: Critical vs Strategic Minerals: Which...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/05/29

Which commodities matter most in the global race for critical and strategic minerals? In this episode of @SnowdenOptiro Fresh Thinking podcast, Senzeni Mandava Matondi is joined by Julian Aldridge and Laurie Hassall to explore the commodities that consistently appear on critical minerals lists around the world and the factors driving their importance. The discussion examines key battery minerals including lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite, alongside rare earth elements, tungsten and

en

10:30

EP 163: Critical vs Strategic Minerals: What's the...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/05/29

What makes a mineral critical? What makes it strategic? And why are governments around the world racing to secure supplies of certain commodities? In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro , Senzeni Mandava Matondi, Julian Aldridge, and Laurie Hassell explore the growing importance of critical and strategic minerals in today's economy. From copper, lithium and rare earth elements to gallium and germanium minerals, the discussion examines how countries define these resources and why those

en

22:10

EP 162: AI in Mining: Tool or Threat to Geologists?

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/05/29

Will AI replace geologists? In this episode of Fresh Thinking by @SnowdenOptiro , we explore how artificial intelligence is being used across the mining industry, from exploration targeting and core logging to resource estimation and technical reporting. Our team discusses the opportunities AI presents, its current limitations, and why geological expertise, judgement and accountability remain critical in mining workflows.

en

13:02

EP 161: Private vs Public Mining Companies: CRIRSCO...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/05/28

What are the key differences between private mining companies and publicly listed mining companies when it comes to project development, risk, and reporting? In this episode of ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬ 's Fresh Thinking podcast, Senior Consultant, Laurie Hassall speaks with Managing Consultant, Julian Aldridge, about how private companies approach mining project economics compared with companies reporting under the CRIRSCO framework. The discussion covers: CRIRSCO Code compliance and disclosure

en

10:34

EP 157 | Part 4 of 7: Localised Conditional Simulation

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/05/01

In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Ian Glacken and Susan Havlin explore localised conditional simulation (LCS) and its role in modern resource estimation workflows. Building on earlier discussions around estimation methods, recoverable resources, and conditional simulation, this episode brings everything together to explain how LCS converts multiple simulation realisations into a single, practical block model—while preserving realistic grade variability. Key topics include: What

en

12:37

EP 156 | Part 3 of 7: Conditional Simulation

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/05/01

In this episode of Fresh Thinking by ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬, Susan Havlin and Ian Glacken explore the fundamentals of conditional simulation and its role in modelling grade variability and uncertainty in mineral resource estimation. They discuss how simulation differs from traditional methods like kriging and uniform conditioning, why capturing uncertainty is critical for modern mining decisions, and how multiple realizations can provide valuable insight into upside and downside risk. The conversation

en

11:07

EP 159 | Part 6 of 7: How Simulation Influences Mine...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/04/29

In this episode of Fresh Thinking by @SnowdenOptiro, Susan Havlin speaks with Tarrant Elkington about the mine planning implications of simulation. The conversation explores: Why resource models are fundamental to mine planning and project evaluation The impact of grade variability and smoothing on mine planning outcomes How LCS compares with conventional estimation methods such as Ordinary Kriging The operational implications of dilution, ore loss and mining selectivity How simulation-based

en

13:51

EP 158 | Part 5 of 7: Understanding Uncertainty in...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/04/29

In this episode of Fresh Thinking by ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬, Susan Havlin and Ian Glacken discuss uncertainty in mineral resource estimation and how Localised Conditional Simulation (LCS) provides a more practical framework for analysing geological risk and variability. The conversation explores: Conditional simulation and uncertainty Resource classification Simulation versus kriging Risk-qualified mine planning Why preserving variability matters Listen now to learn how modern geostatistical approaches

en

16:24

EP 167 | Behind the Paper: Enhancing Underground Mine...

Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro ·

2026/04/29

In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Ian Glacken and Rayleen Hargreaves discuss their conference paper, "Enhancing Underground Mine Reconciliation: A Unified F and R Series Framework," co-authored with Tarrant Elkington and Arja Jewbali and presented at the AusIMM International Mining Geology Conference 2026 in Brisbane in April. The conversation explores the challenges of applying traditional mine reconciliation frameworks to underground mining operations and introduces the R Series

en

178 results

Similar Podcasts

The Deep Dive Lab: Unraveling Materials Science

Son Hoang

New Books in Political Science

New Books Network

Station 151

Pale Matter | Realm

Beyond the Divide

Koala Moon

StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson