Company Interviews

Interview with Peter Akerley, President & CEO of Erdene Resource Development Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/erdene-resource-development-tsxerd-fulfills-first-gold-pour-in-mongolias-bayan-khundii-8096

Recording date: 12th January 2026

Erdene Resource Development achieved first gold production at its Bayan Khundii mine in southwestern Mongolia during Q3 2025, marking a significant milestone for the junior miner. The company completed the $115 million construction in 22 months, meeting both timeline and budget targets despite operating in what was previously considered a challenging infrastructure environment.

The plant has reached nameplate capacity of 1,950 tons per day, currently processing material at approximately 2 g/t. Erdene is systematically increasing feed grades toward the 3.8 g/t reserve grade, targeting commercial production declaration by April 2026. The company transitioned from bulk mining during commissioning to selective high-grade operations, though technical refinements continue around blasting optimization and material handling.

The operating subsidiary carries $123 million in debt, comprising a $50 million commercial loan and approximately $60 million in shareholder loans from partner Mongolian Mining Corporation. Despite debt service obligations, partners approved a $10 million exploration budget for 2026, reflecting confidence that operations have achieved self-sustaining status.

Erdene's growth pipeline includes the Dark Horse satellite deposit containing 48,000 ounces at 7 g/t, scheduled for year-three production. The company is evaluating plant expansion options including gravity circuit additions and heap leach processing for oxide material. Major development projects include the Altan Nar gold-copper project advancing toward feasibility over three years and the Zuun Mod molybdenum-copper system delivering a preliminary economic assessment by mid-2026.

The strategic context has improved significantly since project conception. Infrastructure constraints that historically challenged southwestern Mongolia are being resolved through Chinese border power connectivity and road construction. Gold prices above $2,600 versus the $1,860 reserve base definition create substantial margin expansion potential, while lower cutoff grades expand the economic envelope across multiple deposits. CEO Peter Akerley describes the strategy as building "a new minerals district in southwestern Mongolia that ultimately will be a multi-mine producer of multiple commodities."

View Erdene Resource Development's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/erdene-resource-development

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Recording date: 17th December 2025

Olive Resource Capital's leadership team has delivered a nuanced precious metals outlook for 2026 that challenges conventional wisdom whilst identifying specific opportunities backed by fundamental analysis. In this latest Compass podcast, President and CEO Sam Pelaez alongside Executive Chairman Derek Macpherson presented a framework emphasizing selectivity over broad-based precious metals enthusiasm.

The firm's highest-conviction call centres on platinum, which Macpherson identified as his top commodity pick for 2026. The case rests on three pillars: persistent market deficits, tight physical supply, and anticipated policy shifts. "The market's in deficit. It's a small market and it's tight," Macpherson explained, before highlighting a critical catalyst: "I think we're going to see some of these EV mandates are going to get rolled off. More ICE engines by 2030 or 2035 are going to evaporate." This reassessment of aggressive electric vehicle timelines supports continued internal combustion engine production, sustaining autocatalyst demand for platinum and palladium. Olive maintains significant positioning in the PGM complex to capture this opportunity.

The macroeconomic foundation underpinning precious metals remains robust despite consensus recession fears. Pelaez articulated the firm's contrarian economic view: "I think the global economy surprises to the upside. The general consensus is bearish. The GDP now for the Atlanta Fed is over 3%. The Treasury and the Fed are injecting liquidity right now. China is on an expansionary fiscal policy." Macpherson reinforced this perspective, noting unprecedented global deficit spending: "China's got a trillion dollars worth of stimulus, the US is spending money like it's going out of style. The Europeans all went into deficit spending to fund their defense efforts."

This liquidity-driven environment creates favourable conditions for hard assets, though Olive's leadership expects commodity market leadership to potentially rotate from precious towards industrial metals. Gold maintains its portfolio role despite moderated return expectations following 2025's exceptional 60% advance, with Pelaez noting that reduced speculation in precious metals need not preclude continued gold strength supported by central bank buying and monetary accommodation.

Perhaps most controversially, both executives expect silver to disappoint investors in 2026 despite positive fundamentals. Pelaez explained: "Every person on the planet seems to be uber-ultra-mega bullish silver. I'm not saying I think silver is going to go down necessarily, but it's going to be the most disappointing because the expectations for it are so high." Technical analysis suggests silver "has already corrected up to the average" based on 25 years of volume-weighted data against gold, with "the biggest move in silver" having "already occurred literally over the past eight weeks."

Macpherson acknowledged tactical opportunities, expecting a "blowoff top in silver at a higher price than where we are right now," but anticipates year-end underperformance following silver's characteristic pattern of spiking then rolling off. Olive maintains silver exposure to capture near-term momentum whilst preparing to reduce positions.

The firm's strategy emphasises diversified mining equities as preferred investment vehicles, highlighting Ivanhoe Mines with its PGM production "coming online at a perfect time when the market is moving higher." This approach provides leveraged precious metals exposure whilst managing single-commodity risk through companies with multiple revenue streams and operational catalysts.

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Recording date: 23rd December 2025

Olive Resource Capital executives are positioning against consensus views heading into 2026, predicting commodity strength driven by unprecedented fiscal stimulus rather than the widely anticipated recession that has dominated economic forecasts for three consecutive years.
Sam Pelaez, President, CEO, and CIO, identified oil as his top commodity performer despite—or rather because of—overwhelming bearish sentiment. With Atlanta Fed GDP tracking above 3%, Federal Reserve liquidity injection, and Chinese expansionary fiscal policy, Pelaez argues the global economy will surprise to the upside. He characterised oil as "the most hated commodity" trading in oversold conditions, positioning it for recovery as excessive negative positioning unwinds against improving fundamental backdrop.

Executive Chairman Derek Macpherson selected platinum as his best performer, citing structural market deficits and anticipated regulatory shifts. The critical catalyst involves potential rollback of electric vehicle mandates eliminating internal combustion engines by 2030-2035. Such policy reversals would extend ICE production timelines, directly supporting platinum demand through catalytic converter applications in a tight, supply-constrained market.

In their most controversial prediction, both executives identified silver as likely to disappoint relative to extremely bullish expectations. Pelaez noted that 25-year volume-weighted data suggests silver has already corrected to average levels, with the biggest move occurring over the past eight weeks. He anticipates commodity leadership rotating from precious metals to industrial commodities as economic growth accelerates, reducing speculative interest in silver despite positive underlying fundamentals.

The executives' no-recession call underpins their constructive commodity stance. Macpherson emphasized unprecedented government deficit spending globally—China's trillion-dollar stimulus, aggressive US spending, European defense funding—combined with Federal Reserve rate cuts creates liquidity-driven conditions favouring commodity performance. He stated this liquidity flow makes recession unlikely despite three years of predictions, instead creating stagflation environment supporting material demand.

Specific equity opportunities include Ivanhoe Mines as top portfolio performer, offering exposure to one of the world's five largest copper mines with smelter entering commercial production this quarter, plus PGM phase one commissioning and premier zinc deposit. Pelaez highlighted severe scarcity of investable copper opportunities enhancing Ivanhoe's positioning.

Merger and acquisition targets identified include Arizona Sonora in copper, where Rio and Hudbay involvement creates competitive tension and neighbour Ivanhoe Electric requires the asset for project viability. In gold, Aurion Resources adjacent to Rupert Resources in Finland faces increasing opportunity cost of inaction after 24 months without transaction. CANEX Metals pursuing hostile merger with Gold Basin neighbour represents classic merger arbitrage opportunity with potential dollar valuation from current 15-16 cent levels.

Contrarian dark horse positions suggested in deeply depressed nickel and lithium markets, where extreme bearish sentiment and technical oversold conditions may create rebound opportunities despite uncertain fundamental timing.

Geopolitical wild card involves potential Ukraine peace resolution, which executives believe would trigger reconstruction-driven commodity demand surge rather than market weakness from returning Russian supply. They note Russian oil already trades globally at discounts, suggesting peace could actually tighten markets as Russia reprices exports.

The Olive Capital framework prioritises positioning against sentiment extremes—buying oversold energy whilst tempering precious metals expectations—rather than confident directional forecasts, explicitly acknowledging uncertainty whilst providing actionable investment thesis for navigating 2026 commodity markets.

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Interview with Tara Christie, President & CEO of Banyan Gold Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/banyan-gold-tsxvbyn-high-grade-explorer-attracts-institutional-interest-with-76m-oz-resource-7940

Recording date: 30th December 2025

Banyan Gold (TSXV:BYN) has emerged as a compelling opportunity in North America's gold development space, hosting 7.6 million ounces across 2.2 million indicated and 5.4 million inferred resources at its road-accessible AurMac project in Canada's Yukon Territory. The company closed 2025 with nearly $40 million in treasury following strategic financings, including backing from Peruvian mining family Alpayana, positioning it to execute an aggressive 40,000-meter drill program in 2026 at efficient costs of $350 per meter.

Management implemented a transformative geological model in 2025 that identifies predictable high-grade zones exceeding 1 gram per ton gold. This technical advancement enables focused drilling on areas that will drive early mine economics through starter pits, converting previously classified waste blocks to ore while expanding deposit boundaries. The company shifted its development strategy from heap leaching to conventional milling with gravity-CIL processing, delivering 93% recovery rates and reducing technical risk for future partners.

A preliminary economic assessment scheduled for second half 2026 represents a critical milestone, utilizing gold price assumptions around $3,000 per ounce versus the $2,050 used in current resource estimates. This higher pricing could substantially expand pit shells and highlight project economics at a time when major producers desperately need large-scale assets in secure jurisdictions.
An unexpected silver discovery adds further upside, with intercepts reaching 14 kilograms per ton within broader high-grade zones. With silver trading at multi-year highs, this mineralization could materially enhance project value.

Trading at approximately 0.16 times net asset value compared to peer averages of 0.4, Banyan presents significant valuation upside. The combination of existing infrastructure including hydroelectric power, a mining-friendly Yukon government, district-scale potential, and completed metallurgical derisking positions the company as an attractive M&A candidate for majors seeking reserve replacement in Tier 1 jurisdictions.

View Banyan Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/banyan-gold-inc

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Recording date: 28th December 2025

Samuel Pelaez, President & CEO, and Derek Macpherson, Executive Chair, at Olive Resource Capital conducted a comprehensive year-end review of their investment decisions spanning July 2024 through September 2025, providing transparent insights into both successful calls and missed opportunities during a significant precious metals bull market.

The portfolio's standout performer was Omai Gold Mines, delivering a 10x return from an initial $0.125 position established in July 2024. Pelaez emphasized that success stemmed not merely from stock selection but from conviction-based holding through the development phase. "We had conviction for it as well, right? We held," Macpherson explained, highlighting their philosophy of establishing positions in quality juniors before momentum develops rather than chasing running stocks.

Mid-tier producers with embedded growth optionality proved highly profitable. K92 Mining, Aris Mining, and AngloGold Ashanti each delivered 220-260% returns, outperforming the GDX benchmark's 130% gain by a 2:1 ratio. These companies shared underappreciated expansion projects with capital already invested that markets had failed to recognize.

Post-U.S. election investments capitalized on anticipated permitting improvements. Arizona Sonoran Copper appreciated from $1.29 to over $5.00, while AngloGold Ashanti surged from $21 to $91—a remarkable 300% return on a multi-billion dollar company.

The managers candidly acknowledged execution shortfalls. They missed substantial returns on Fresnillo, which appreciated 500% after they correctly identified it as undervalued but failed to act. Position sizing emerged as a recurring issue, with inadequate allocations to highest-conviction names limiting overall portfolio impact.

Olive's perpetual capital structure proved advantageous during April 2025's tariff-related volatility. Without redemption pressures, the managers deployed cash opportunistically during market dislocations, capturing the subsequent rally that traditional funds missed.

Macpherson cautioned against overconfidence: "It's very easy when you get into a market like this to confuse a bull market for brains." Both managers emphasized systematic portfolio review as essential for understanding investment discipline, risk tolerance, and identifying areas for improvement in future market cycles.

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Interview with George Salamis, President & CEO of Integra Resources Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/integra-resources-tsxvitr-growing-gold-producer-with-63m-treasury-8093

Recording date: 5th January 2026

Integra Resources has successfully completed its transformation from developer to established gold producer, delivering a 400% increase in adjusted cash flow year-over-year during 2025 while consistently meeting production guidance across four consecutive quarters at its Florida Canyon operation in Nevada's Great Basin.

CEO George Salamis outlined how 2025 focused on stabilizing the asset after years of underinvestment by previous owners, addressing deferred maintenance through fleet equipment replacement, water infrastructure development, and catch-up capitalized stripping work. "We made that transition in late 2025, transitioning from sort of pure developer to cash flow and producer. And I think we proved that throughout the course of the year," Salamis explained.

The company's mid-2026 feasibility study for Florida Canyon will demonstrate significant expansion potential, incorporating exploration success, mine life extension, and approximately 50 million tons of previously uneconomic low-grade stockpile material now viable at current gold prices. This material's proximity to heap leach pads eliminates costly multi-kilometer haulage distances, creating meaningful operational efficiencies.

DeLamar, Integra's flagship development project, advanced substantially with delivery of a robust feasibility study showing $775 million base case NPV ($1.8 billion at spot prices) and 46% after-tax IRR. The simplified two-phase heap leach design reduces upfront capital requirements and development risk compared to the previous single-pad configuration. The project enters federal NEPA permitting in 2026, with management expecting significantly shorter timelines than historical 2-3 year durations due to the current administration's focus on accelerating domestic mining approvals.

Nevada North, located just 26 miles from Florida Canyon, will advance from preliminary economic assessment to pre-feasibility study during 2026, offering additional growth optionality with infrastructure synergies.

Integra's self-funding capability from Florida Canyon operations eliminates dilution concerns while enabling simultaneous advancement of its three-asset portfolio, positioning the company as a multi-asset gold producer in one of North America's premier mining jurisdictions.

View Integra Resources' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/integra-resources

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Interview with Tim Crossley, MD of Adyton Resources Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/adyton-resources-ady-gold-copper-with-near-term-production-2290

Recording date: 7th January 2026

Adyton Resources (TSXV:ADY) is executing a differentiated strategy in Papua New Guinea's gold sector that combines near-term production with significant exploration upside. Managing Director Tim Crossley, who brings extensive operational experience from BHP and over a decade of PNG-specific expertise, has structured the company to advance on two parallel tracks without compromising either objective.'

The cornerstone of this approach is an innovative joint venture structure on Fergusson Island with East Vision Investment Holdings, a Singaporean-Chinese group that recently completed a 50-megawatt hydropower project in PNG. This asset-level JV fully funds development to production, with East Vision earning into 50% ownership by meeting milestones. The initial target is the Wapolu project, a former producing mine with existing infrastructure including tailings impoundments, airstrip, and wharf facilities. Production is targeted for October 2026 at approximately 15,000 ounces annually, with the higher-grade Gameta project following 12-15 months later to bring total production to over 80,000 ounces per year.

Critically, this JV-funded production pathway preserves Adyton's entire balance sheet for exploration at Feni Island, the company's flagship asset. Following a CAD$20 million raise in August 2025, the company has deployed over 8,000 meters of drilling since March, testing targets across a whole-of-island land package in what Crossley describes as "a 120 million ounce discovery belt" between Lihir and Bougainville. A mineral resource estimate update is planned for late 2026, with the ultimate goal of proving a 5+ million ounce resource with copper credits.

The island-based operations provide distinct advantages: barge mobilisation eliminates helicopter costs, and ocean transit requires no customary landowner consents, simplifying social license compared to mainland operations. With Fergusson cash flows potentially funding continued Feni exploration without further dilution, Adyton is positioning itself to transition from explorer to producer while maintaining substantial discovery optionality in one of the world's most prospective gold belts.

View Adyton Resources' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/adyton-resources-corporation

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Interview with Gerald Panneton, Executive Chairman of Gold Terra Resource Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/gold-terra-resources-tsxvygt-resource-update-pea-in-612-months-ahead-of-newmont-option-8117

Recording date: 7th January 2026

Gold Terra Resources is advancing a compelling high-grade gold opportunity in Canada's historic Yellowknife district, where the Campbell Shear system produced 14 million ounces at 14-22 grams per tonne before shutting down in 2003 at $340 gold. With gold now exceeding $4,400 per ounce, CEO Gerald Panneton is executing a strategic pivot that transforms previously sub-economic mineralization into a robust production opportunity.

The company is positioning to acquire the Con Mine by 2027, leveraging critical infrastructure advantages including existing mining lease and surface rights that eliminate major permitting hurdles. Gold Terra has identified approximately one million ounces at 5-7 g/t between surface and 1,000 meters by re-evaluating historical drilling with lower cutoff grades that remain economically robust at current prices. Key target areas include the Yellorex zone with 500,000-700,000 ounces and Zone 103 with another 500,000 ounces - both areas that were considered sub-economic when the mine closed.

The 2026 execution plan centers on systematic de-risking through 15,000 meters of drilling focused on resource conversion and expansion, with an updated mineral resource estimate targeted for September and a preliminary economic assessment by year-end. The conceptual operation would process 2,000 tonnes per day, producing approximately 140,000 ounces annually with breakeven costs estimated at $1,500-$2,000 per ounce - implying margins exceeding $2,000 per ounce at current gold prices.

Blue-chip mining investors including Eric Sprott, David Harquail, and Mackenzie Funds have validated the strategy through a recent $7 million financing, with 95% participation from existing shareholders. The company has already invested $20 million in 30,000 meters of drilling, establishing a substantial technical database.

Panneton, who developed the Detour Lake mine into a 30-million-ounce discovery, projects that Gold Terra could achieve billion-dollar market capitalization as a cash-flowing producer by 2029-2030, representing substantial upside from current valuation of approximately $30 per ounce of resources.

View Gold Terra's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/gold-terra-resource-corp

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Interview with Dylan Langille, VP Exploration of White Gold Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/white-gold-corp-tsxvwgo-23m-financing-funds-major-drill-program-at-yukon-gold-project-8485

Recording date: 8th January 2026

White Gold Corp is embarking on an aggressive expansion program under new exploration leadership, targeting significant growth of its 3-million-ounce gold resource across a vast 300,000-hectare land package in west-central Yukon. The junior explorer has recruited Dylan Langille, who brings proven discovery credentials from seven years at Kinross's Great Bear project, where he helped grow the resource from 5 million to 7 million ounces following the company's $1.8 billion acquisition.

The company recently secured $23 million in financing to fund 25,000 to 30,000 meters of drilling in 2027—representing 30% of all historical drilling across its four flagship deposits. This program focuses exclusively on resource expansion rather than infill, with Langille emphasizing that "2026 is going to be focused strictly on growth." The strategy reflects management's assessment that demonstrating scale potential takes precedence at this stage, particularly given the limited drilling to date. Golden Saddle, which contains 2.1 million ounces, has only 60,000 meters of drilling, while Arc has been tested to just 120 meters vertical depth across a 1.5-kilometer strike length.

A key near-term catalyst is the maiden preliminary economic assessment expected in the first half of 2027, driven by Golden Saddle's high-grade core containing 1.1 million ounces at 3 grams per ton and 700,000 ounces at 5 grams per ton. This exceptional grade is expected to support robust economics even before the planned resource expansion.

White Gold also benefits from significant infrastructure developments in the district. Neighboring Fuerte Metals plans a production decision by 2027 at its Coffee deposit, including road construction through White Gold's property portfolio. This infrastructure fundamentally changes the economic equation for satellite discoveries, potentially enabling toll-milling arrangements that make smaller deposits economically viable.

The company's systematic approach to district-scale consolidation positions it to unlock value in a historically productive but technically underexplored region that has produced over 25 million ounces of placer gold.

View White Gold's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/white-gold-corp

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Interview with Ippolito Ingo Cattaneo, CEO of Ajax Resources

Recording date: 9th January 2026

Ajax Resources plc, a London-listed natural resources investment company with a £6 million market capitalisation, has positioned itself as an opportunistic acquirer of undervalued South American mining projects. With £2.5 million in cash and a portfolio spanning Argentina and Brazil, the company is executing a strategy centred on acquiring technically advanced assets at significant discounts to their historical expenditure.

CEO and largest shareholder Ippolito Ingo Cattaneo, who owns 18.38% of the company, explained the investment thesis: "The goal is to focus on assets that have a high historical expenditure. We acquire projects that have a latent value which simply hasn't been realised and opportunistically acquire them from companies that may have undergone board changes, strategy changes or are simply not performing."

The company's flagship Eureka copper-gold project in Jujuy Province, Argentina, exemplifies this approach. Despite 400 years of artisanal mining history, the project has never been drill-tested with modern methods. Ajax acquired all 12 licenses from Bezant Resources for just £170,000—a fraction of the $8 million paid in 2010. Equipment is currently being mobilised for a 1,500-meter initial drilling program, with a maiden JORC-compliant resource estimate targeted for mid-2026.

The recent acquisition of the Pereira Velho gold project from Appian Capital Advisor provides strategic validation. Appian, a major private equity group specialising in mining investments, accepted predominantly equity consideration and will become a significant shareholder—an unusual arrangement that endorses Ajax's capabilities. The project sits 20 kilometers from the Serrote mine, which Appian sold in May 2025 for $420 million after acquiring it for $30 million in 2018.

Ajax's board-driven structure, with directors predominantly compensated in equity rather than cash, aligns management incentives with shareholder value creation. The company has raised approximately £3.6 million across three funding rounds since 2022, with the board consistently contributing significant capital. Cattaneo's ambitious target is clear: transform Ajax from its current £6 million valuation to a £100 million market capitalisation through disciplined execution and near-term production, leveraging Argentina's political transformation under President Milei and favorable copper market fundamentals.

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