Interview with Alex Black, Executive Chairman of Rio2 Ltd.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/rio2-tsxrio-approaching-january-2026-production-targeting-20000tpd-ramp-up-7959

Recording date: 23rd December 2025

Rio2 Limited (TSX:RIO) represents a compelling investment opportunity at the critical inflection point between development and production, with first gold pour from its Fenix heap leach project in Chile scheduled for January 2026 whilst the recently acquired Condestable underground copper mine in Peru contributes immediate substantial cash generation. The dual-asset strategy directly addresses the binary risk inherent in single-asset junior companies whilst providing diversified exposure to both precious and base metals during favourable pricing environments characterised by gold exceeding $4,500 per ounce and copper benefiting from structural supply constraints.

Management delivered the Fenix project on time and on budget at $150-160 million total capital expenditure, representing modest capital intensity for a gold operation of this scale. The operation targets 60-70,000 ounces during the 2026 ramp-up year before reaching steady-state production of 100,000 ounces annually by 2027 at nameplate throughput capacity of 20,000 tonnes per day. Critically, the starter project represents only 1.7 million ounces of the property's 5 million ounce resource base, which was defined using $1,800 per ounce gold price pit shells, creating significant reserve expansion potential in the current $2,600+ pricing environment. Systematic exploration drilling commencing in 2026 targets resource growth potentially reaching 5-7 million ounces by the late 2027 feasibility study for phase two expansion.

The December acquisition of Condestable fundamentally altered Rio2's financial trajectory and risk profile. The transaction added 10 years of proven and probable reserves, unusual longevity for any producing operation that eliminates near-term reserve replacement pressures. The mine produces 27,000 tonnes of copper equivalent annually (60 million pounds copper) at current throughput rates of 8,400 tonnes per day, generating clean concentrate grading 80% copper and 20% precious metals. At current metal prices, Condestable generates over $100 million in annual free cash flow after taxes with sustaining capital requirements below $10 million per year, creating an 8% annual cash yield on Rio2's $1.2 billion market capitalisation before considering Fenix's contribution.

The combined operations project to generate $150-175 million annual free cash flow once Fenix reaches steady-state production, providing capital to fund organic expansion at both properties without equity dilution. Condestable offers clear expansion pathway from 8,400 to 12,000 tonnes per day throughput (40% increase) with study underway, whilst the underexplored 45,000-hectare land package surrounding the mine provides blue-sky resource growth potential that previous private equity owners neglected in favour of cash flow extraction.

Management's 25-year Peru operating history and successful prior mine development through Minera IRL validates capability to navigate Latin American permitting, community relations, and operational challenges. The successful $205 million financing with $800 million total demand (4x oversubscription) demonstrates institutional confidence in the execution track record and strategic vision. Rio2 currently trades at approximately 2x EBITDA on Condestable alone, before attributing value to Fenix production or substantial organic expansion potential at either asset. Comparable producers in the 100,000+ ounce gold and 50+ million pound copper production range typically trade at 4-6x EBITDA multiples, suggesting significant valuation convergence opportunity as quarterly production reports validate operational performance through 2026-2027.

Management explicitly positions Rio2 as an active consolidator building toward eventual corporate transaction within 3-5 years rather than perpetual operator, with Executive Chairman Alex Black noting "we're not building a company for the next 20 years" but rather "taking advantage of the situation, the time, the metal prices and building something up that is very very valuable." G Mining's $8.5 billion valuation whilst operating two assets provides reference point for Rio2's potential valuation trajectory, representing 7x current market capitalisation as the production platform matures and demonstrates consistent operational execution across both jurisdictions.

View Rio2's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/rio2-limited

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Interview with Christopher Taylor, Chairman, and Claudia Tornquist, President & CEO of Kodiak Copper Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/kodiak-copper-tsxvkdk-q4-2025-resource-estimate-will-mark-critical-inflection-point-7948

Recording date: 10th December 2025

Kodiak Copper has announced its maiden resource estimate for the MPD project in British Columbia, marking a significant milestone after six years of exploration. The resource comprises 440 million tons at 0.39% copper equivalent (indicated) and 0.32% (inferred), containing 2.4 billion pounds of copper and 1.7 million ounces of gold across seven discrete deposits.

The company achieved remarkable exploration efficiency, discovering nearly 2 million ounces of gold with only 90,000 meters of drilling—a superior discovery rate compared to peer projects. Chairman Chris Taylor noted this efficiency exceeded even his previous work at Great Bear Resources, which sold for C$1.8 billion.

Metallurgical results are encouraging, showing 80% copper recovery and 60% gold recovery with no deleterious elements. The company is conducting optimization work to potentially improve gold recovery rates, which could significantly enhance project economics given current gold prices substantially above the $4,000 per ounce assumption used in resource calculations.

All seven deposits remain open for expansion, with drilling already indicating significant growth opportunities. The company has identified approximately 20 additional exploration targets across the property, including areas with surface samples showing 4-5% copper grades—higher than any current resource deposit yet never drill-tested.

Management is prioritizing resource expansion over immediate economic studies, believing this approach maximizes shareholder value by demonstrating the district's full scale potential. President Claudia Tornquist emphasized that "size is what will make this project attractive." The company maintains $7-8 million cash to fund a 2026-2027 drilling program, with a resource update expected in approximately one year.

The project benefits from favorable market dynamics, with copper and gold at or near all-time highs and limited pipeline of development projects to address structural supply deficits. Located in British Columbia's established mining jurisdiction, MPD is positioned as a potential future copper-gold producer in a supply-constrained market.

View Kodiak Copper's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/kodiak-copper-corp

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Interview with Jeremy Gillis, Director Capital Markets of Sendero Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/sendero-resources-tsxvsend-drilling-high-grade-targets-in-argentinas-vicua-copper-district-5346

Recording date: 10th December 2025

Sendero Resources has emerged as a compelling exploration story following a comprehensive restructuring that brought together mining industry veterans to advance a district-scale land position in Argentina's proven Vicuña copper-gold belt. Trading at approximately $30 million market capitalization with just 24 million shares outstanding, the company controls 211 square kilometers along the same structural corridor as billion-dollar discoveries including Filo del Sol, Josemaría, and Los Helados.

The transformation began in 2024 when new leadership overhauled the struggling junior explorer, recruiting CEO Alex Gostevskikh (ex-Kinross, Centerra) and Steven McMullan, a PDAC prize-winning geologist whose discovery work contributed to Kamoa—now the world's fourth-largest producing copper mine. This production-focused technical team brings a critical economic lens to evaluating mineralization from the earliest exploration stages.

What distinguishes Sendero's approach is comprehensive data reprocessing. The team analyzed 40 years of historical exploration data from the property—including 16,000 meters of drilling that showed mineralization throughout with no blank holes—plus 300,000 meters of drilling data from neighboring Filo del Sol. This work identified specific pathfinder elements and structural controls consistent between major district discoveries and Sendero's ground, including anomalous silver signatures that mirror Filo del Sol's high-grade zones.

The company has attracted blue-chip mining investors including Peter Marrone (Yamana Gold, Allied Gold) and Argentine billionaire Eduardo Elsztain, who participated in progressively higher-valuation financings. The most recent $4 million raise closed at $0.95 per share with no warrants—a significant premium to earlier rounds. With management and strategic investors controlling 60-70% of shares, minimal public float exists.

Sendero plans a focused 3,600-meter drill program for Q1 2026, targeting a newly identified area along a fault corridor that management believes hosts discovery-scale mineralization. Rather than testing multiple historical targets, the six-hole program concentrates on what the team considers the highest-probability opportunity for a significant find in this world-class gold-copper district.

View Sendero Resources' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/sendero-resources

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