In this episode of Mining Minds, we sit down with the leadership team behind South32 Hermosa in Southern Arizona: Andy Thompson, Vice President of Project Delivery; Aaron Lamb, Project Director; Miguel Lamadrid, General Manager of Operations; and Joe Dase, Construction & Execution. The team takes us inside the realities of building a major underground mining project on an exceptionally tight footprint—from shaft sinking, concentrator construction, dewatering and water treatment to the project's "Bluetooth laydowns," an 11-day continuous headframe pour, and the logistics required to keep construction moving safely and efficiently.

The conversation goes beyond construction to explore the culture and long-term vision behind Hermosa: developing a local Santa Cruz County workforce, building a regional mining supply chain, supporting critical mineral production, and integrating autonomous equipment, remote operations, real-time data and AI into the mine of the future. At the center of it all is a clear leadership commitment: build the project without fatalities or life-changing injuries, create lasting opportunities for the community, and prove that advanced technology works best when it empowers the people doing the work.

The best mining stories are never just about the project. They're about the people building it.

Chapters:

00:00 South32 Hermosa: Building a Major Mine on a "Postage Stamp"

06:30 Inside the Hermosa Project: Shafts, Concentrator & Construction Progress

08:30 "Bluetooth Laydowns" — Solving Hermosa's Massive Logistics Challenge

10:30 Building the Right Team, Culture & Trust from Day One

15:00 The 11-Day Continuous Headframe Pour vs. Arizona Monsoon Season

17:00 50% Complete: Leadership, Humility & Executing a World-Class Project

21:00 Water Treatment, Dewatering & Investing in the Local Community

25:00 Critical Minerals: Zinc, Silver, Lead, Manganese, Copper & U.S. Security

39:30 The Future of Mining: Autonomous Equipment, Remote Operations & AI

49:00 No Fatalities, No Life-Changing Injuries — The Legacy Hermosa Wants to Build