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The Morning Meeting
Welcome to The Morning Meeting — CED’s straight-talking take on mineral exploration, drilling, mining equipment and life in the field.
We discuss the problems, ideas, mistakes, technology and opportunities shaping diamond drilling, RC, Air Core and global mineral exploration. From difficult ground and remote drilling projects to equipment choices, drilling costs and the realities of running exploration programmes, nothing is off the table.
Grab a coffee. Let’s talk drilling.
WEST AFRICA COULD BECOME AN IRON ORE SUPERPOWER — BUT FIRST IT HAS TO DRILL IT
Because stretching across Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Mauritania is an extraordinary collection of iron ore deposits, exploration projects and mineralised belts that could eventually turn West Africa into one of the world's most important iron ore producing regions.
Freddy Mann
3 days ago8 min read
The Pacific Is Sitting on Serious Copper and Gold — The Problem Is Getting a Drill Rig to It
Recent drilling at the Feni gold-copper project reported a broad intersection of 167 metres grading 1.03 g/t gold and 0.12% copper from surface, including a higher-grade interval.
Freddy Mann
Oct 1110 min read
Egypt’s Gold Rush Is Waking Up — And the Eastern Desert Is Going to Need a Lot More Drilling
The country changed its mining framework in 2020 after the previous system struggled to attract the level of international exploration investment the government wanted.
Freddy Mann
Oct 49 min read
Saudi Arabia Is Sitting on More Than Oil — And the Drilling Has Only Just Started
Earlier in 2026, 24 companies and consortiums qualified to compete for exploration licences covering approximately 13,000 square kilometres across Madinah, Makkah, Riyadh, Al Qassim and Hail.
Freddy Mann
Sep 2710 min read
Guyana’s Gold Rush Is Back: Why the Next Big Discovery Needs More Than a Drill Rig
A gold project does not become a mine because somebody finds gold.
It becomes a potential mine when exploration establishes enough reliable geological, technical and economic information to justify further investment.
That takes drilling
Freddy Mann
Sep 209 min read
The World Is Coming for Africa’s Critical Minerals — But First, Someone Has to Find Them
The minerals sitting behind electrification, defence, data centres, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and the global race for technological dominance.
Freddy Mann
Sep 139 min read
The New Scramble for African Copper: Why Zambia Is Back at the Centre of Global Mining
Exploration drilling rig operating on a remote copper exploration project in Zambia
Freddy Mann
Sep 67 min read
A New Copper Superpower Is Emerging in the Andes: Why Argentina and Chile Could Reshape Global Supply
Argentina and Chile are advancing cross-border mining cooperation designed to make it easier for major projects in the Andes to share infrastructure, logistics and access to international markets.
Freddy Mann
Aug 307 min read
Gold Is Booming — But Where Will the Next Generation of Gold Mines Come From?
And across some of the world's most prospective geological regions, exploration companies are searching for the deposits that could become the next generation of gold mines.
Freddy Mann
Aug 237 min read
The Critical Minerals Race Has Started — But First, We Have to Find Them
The world is talking about critical minerals.Copper. Lithium. Nickel. Cobalt. Tungsten. Antimony. Rare earths.Governments want them.Mining companies want them.Technology companies need them.Defence industries need secure access to them.
Freddy Mann
Aug 164 min read
AI Is Creating a New Copper Crisis: Can the Mining Industry Keep Up?
Every new AI data centre requires electricity. That electricity requires substations, transformers, transmission lines, cooling systems, backup infrastructure and enormous quantities of electrical equipment.
Freddy Mann
Aug 96 min read
The World Is Running Out of New Mineral Discoveries: Is Exploration Drilling About to Explode ?
The mining industry has a problem.The world needs enormous quantities of copper, lithium, nickel, uranium, gold and critical minerals over the coming decades.
Governments are investing billions into electrification, artificial intelligence infrastructure, renewable energy, defence, data centres and modern power grids.
Freddy Mann
Aug 26 min read
The Philippines' Nickel Boom: Why the World Is Watching Southeast Asia
While countries such as Indonesia have dominated headlines in recent years, neighbouring the Philippines has rapidly emerged as one of the world's most significant nickel-producing nations.
Freddy Mann
Jul 263 min read
Chile's Copper Dominance: Can the World's Largest Producer Stay on Top?
Yet the global mining landscape is changing rapidly. Rising demand, ageing mines, declining ore grades, water shortages, and increasing operating costs are creating new challenges for the world's leading copper producer.
Freddy Mann
Jul 193 min read
Saudi Arabia’s Mining Revolution: Can the Kingdom Become the Next Global Minerals Powerhouse?
Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in mineral exploration, processing infrastructure, international partnerships and advanced manufacturing as it works to build a globally competitive mining industry.The ambition is significant.
Freddy Mann
Jul 134 min read
Australia's Iron Ore Empire: Why It Still Powers the Global Economy
From skyscrapers and bridges to railways, ports, renewable energy infrastructure, and manufacturing, steel remains the backbone of modern civilisation—and Australia remains its largest supplier.
Freddy Mann
Jul 52 min read
Zambia's Copper Comeback: Can Africa Lead the Next Mining Supercycle?
For decades, Zambia has been synonymous with copper.
Its vast mineral wealth helped build one of Africa's largest mining industries, supplying copper to the global economy for generations.
Freddy Mann
Jun 282 min read
Mongolia's Copper Opportunity: Why the World Is Watching Oyu Tolgoi
As governments and industries race toward electrification, one metal sits at the center of the global energy transition:
Freddy Mann
Jun 212 min read
China Controls the World's Critical Minerals. Should Mining Companies Be Worried?
From rare earth elements and graphite to refined lithium and battery materials, China has spent decades building a strategic position that now influences everything from electric vehicles to national security.As demand for critical minerals accelerates, the question is becoming increasingly urgent:
Freddy Mann
Jun 142 min read
Kazakhstan’s Uranium Advantage : Powering the Nuclear Comeback
For mining companies, uranium is once again attracting serious attention.
Exploration programs are increasing globally as companies look to define new resources and expand existing operations.
Freddy Mann
Jun 72 min read
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