Interview with Paul Mulder, Managing Director of Pacific Lime & Cement Ltd.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/pacific-lime-cement-asxpla-pngs-first-lime-producer-targets-50m-import-replacement-market-7827

Recording date: 18th March 2026

Pacific Lime & Cement (ASX:PLA) is advancing toward February 2027 production as Papua New Guinea's first domestically-based lime and cement manufacturer. In a recent interview, managing director Paul Mulder outlined the company's progress on a project that will eliminate PNG's complete reliance on Chinese and Japanese imports while establishing a vertically integrated building materials platform with substantial government backing.

The project's competitive foundation rests on geographic advantages that significantly undercut existing supply chains. The coastal limestone deposit requires zero stripping and sits just 700 meters from the company's private wharf facility within a special economic zone. Current suppliers operate mines 100 to 200 kilometers inland in Southeast Asia, requiring land transport to public ports before international shipping. This positioning, combined with 10-year tax exemptions covering corporate tax and import-export duties, creates meaningful cost advantages for serving PNG's protected domestic market.

Financial structure represents another differentiating element. Pacific Lime & Cement funded initial development entirely through equity rather than debt, eliminating covenant restrictions and interest obligations that would reduce cash conversion. The PNG government's direct equity participation of 18% to 30% in both lime and cement special purpose vehicles values the company at approximately $700 million AUD, nearly triple the current $250 million market capitalization. This investment, formalized through a March 2018 project development agreement, signals government commitment while providing expansion capital for additional lime kilns.

Near-term revenue visibility comes from Newmont, PNG's largest gold producer, which has committed to purchasing approximately one-third of initial production capacity. The two-kiln phase one targets domestic mining operations, water treatment facilities, and road stabilization projects currently served by imports from distant sources including Israel. Surplus production will flow to Western Australian markets where the company already demonstrates supply chain capabilities.

Expansion plans encompass additional lime capacity, cement production facilities with International Finance Corporation partnership, and downstream concrete products including batch plants and cast construction materials. Management is simultaneously monetizing non-core assets, with Power China fully funding iron sands development and advisors pursuing value realization for a copper-gold exploration asset adjacent to the Frieda River operation.

View Pacific Lime & Cement's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/pacific-lime-and-cement

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Recording date: 18th March 2026

Olive Resource Capital used the March 18, 2026 market selloff to add positions across their high-conviction portfolio, as resource sector equities declined 5-7% and gold fell below $5,000 for the first time in six months. President Samuel Pelaez and Executive Chair Derek Macpherson outlined their strategic response during their weekly investor update, emphasizing that current volatility represents a buying opportunity rather than a structural market breakdown.

The firm had strategically raised cash to approximately 10% of portfolio value in January and February, anticipating seasonal weakness around the PDAC conference period. This liquidity position enabled opportunistic deployment as Middle East tensions coincided with expected seasonal softness. Olive added to an unnamed Yukon exploration company, Arizona Sonoran Copper during its M&A transaction, energy sector holdings, and Goldsky as it consolidates 100% ownership of the Barsele project.

Management emphasized their evolution toward concentrated, high-conviction positions over the past two years. This "high grading" process prioritizes companies with strong balance sheets, capable management teams, and no leverage exposure. Pelaez noted the portfolio consists of companies with "the ability to survive" market stress without facing imminent financial liabilities, recognizing that resource companies already carry inherent leverage through commodity price exposure.

Technical indicators provided reassurance that systemic breakdown had not occurred. The VIX remained subdued, the S&P 500 stayed within 5-10% of highs, and global liquidity metrics functioned normally. Most portfolio positions had simply returned to year-end levels after strong early-year gains.

Pelaez offered nuanced geopolitical analysis from the SMI conference, characterizing targeted U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure as calibrated negotiating tactics rather than full escalation. He views current tensions as transitory events unlikely to derail long-term commodity demand drivers. Strong conference attendance and well-funded companies executing substantial drill programs reinforced management's conviction that underlying sector fundamentals remain healthy despite near-term price volatility.

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Interview with Marco Roque, President & CEO of Cassiar Gold Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/cassiar-gold-corp-tsxvgldc-whoever-comes-in-on-cassiar-is-going-to-make-a-lot-of-money-9480

Recording date: 17th March 2026

Cassiar Gold Corp. (TSXV:GLDC) operates an advanced exploration project in northern British Columbia with a resource base and infrastructure profile that management believes the market has significantly mispriced. The company controls 2.3 million ounces at its Taurus deposit, comprising 1.9 million inferred ounces at 0.95 grams per tonne and 410,000 indicated ounces at 1.43 grams per tonne. With 91% of these ounces within 150 meters of surface and the deposit remaining open in all directions, the geological foundation provides both near-term development potential and longer-term expansion opportunity.

What distinguishes Cassiar from typical exploration companies is its existing infrastructure position. The property holds valid mine permits, a permitted 300 ton-per-day mill, paved road access, grid power, 25 kilometers of underground workings, and 160 kilometers of access roads. President and CEO Marco Roque emphasizes that these pre-existing assets represent hundreds of millions in sunk capital that competing projects would need to spend and years of permitting timeline already completed.

Despite these advantages, Cassiar trades at approximately $32 Canadian per ounce of enterprise value with an $80 million market capitalization, well below the $50-900 per ounce range management cites for comparable peers. The company's strategic positioning centers on dual development optionality: high-grade underground veins averaging 10-20 grams per tonne capable of generating 30,000-60,000 ounces annually with minimal capital requirements estimated at $3 million Canadian, alongside longer-term open-pit development of the bulk tonnage deposit.

The critical path to production involves re-permitting tailings facilities to current British Columbia standards, estimated at 1.5-2 years, though direct shipping ore arrangements could compress this timeline by 25-33%. With current gold prices creating potential margins exceeding $5,000 per ounce on high-grade material versus $200-300 margins in previous years, management believes the risk-reward profile for near-term development has fundamentally improved, driving increasing strategic interest and supporting the company's transition from exploration toward production.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/cassiar-gold

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