What's Killing African Mining Deals? AON's Risk Reality Check

The Hidden Risks of the Critical Minerals Boom | Robert Grafen-Greaney | The global demand for critical minerals is creating a massive boom cycle in African mining, but the operational risks have never been more complex. In Episode 18 of The Mining Pulse, James and Graeme sit down with Robert Grafen-Greaney, Head of Mining at AON, to unpack how the world's leading operations are securing their assets. Robert leverages his background as an on-the-ground geologist and his current role overseeing a $1.2 billion mining insurance portfolio to bridge the gap between site reality and boardroom strategy. We discuss the vulnerabilities of junior miners, the unexpected ways the AI tech boom is choking mining supply chains, and how automation and data analytics are fundamentally changing the insurance game. 🩺 Run the diagnostics on your project's resilience and subscribe for more weekly market intelligence. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to The Mining Pulse 00:34 - Meet Robert Grafen-Greaney: From Geologist to Global Risk Head 02:49 - Geopolitical Risk & The Critical Minerals Boom 11:07 - How AON Manages $1.2 Billion in Mining Premiums 19:26 - The Resilience Gap: Junior Miners vs. Tier 1 Operators 31:18 - Supply Chain Threats: Why Mines Are Competing with Big Tech 45:14 - Drones, Satellites & AI: The Future of Risk Management 52:55 - The Final Diagnostic: Robert’s Advice for Mining Leaders Connect with Us:Follow The Mining Pulse on LinkedIn for daily updates. Catch audio versions of the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.