Gold Fields exec calls on majors to ‘lean in’ on gold exploration

By Mariaan Webb – Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly

Gold Fields greenfields exploration VP Matthew Crawford has called on major gold companies to play a greater role in early-stage discovery, saying the burden of exploration is increasingly being shouldered by junior miner.

In a speech delivered at the Diggers and Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie, Australia, Crawford warned that the industry was not discovering enough new gold and that seniors needed to “step up, lean in, support with capital, support with technical capabilities, and also provide that long-term commitment”.