Diggers and Dealers: FMG, uranium and all the highlights on Day 3

It is 2021 and green hydrogen always had to make an appearance, so Fortescue Metals Group’s (ASX:FMG) closing presentation at 3.30pm AWST will be one to look out for.

CEO Elizabeth Gaines is not Twiggy Forrest himself, who seems to have committed wholly to his Global Warming saviour image with reports of new ‘green hydrogen’ proposals in just the past week in New Zealand and India.

But Fortescue Future Industries’ globe-trotting activities are sure to get a run. Fair chance she waxes lyrical also about a record year for iron ore and FMG’s Pilbara operations, and some of the broader industry themes around ESG and gender representation.

At the big end of town, Gruyere gold mine half-owner Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR) will open proceedings at 8.35am AWST this morning.

Capricorn Metals (ASX:CMM) and Ramelius (ASX:RMS) will give the morning sessions a pure gold focus. Internationals Gold Fields and Kirkland Lake (ASX:KLA) flank St Barbara (ASX:SBM) after afternoon tea.

Junior Highlights

For everyone still riding the uranium rocket to the moon Boss Energy (ASX:BOE) and Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) are there to satisfy your hunger for yellowcake.

There are plenty of early stage exploration bets on offer with Fraser Range nickel explorer Legend Mining (ASX:LEG) and Mid West gold miner Musgrave Minerals (ASX:MGV) in action.

Meanwhile, soaring lithium play Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR) and almost-lead miner Galena Mining (ASX:G1A) will provide updates on their future developments.

Stay tuned as well for news about the mining industry’s most prestigious awards from the annual Diggers ball.

With such a strong year for commodities Digger and Dealer of the year seem to be an open field. Chalice Mining (ASX:CHN) is an odds-on favourite for the Best Emerging Company award after De Grey Mining (ASX:DEG) took that gong last year.

Smart money seems to be on former Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX) boss Peter Cook for the G.J. Stokes lifetime achievement award, but you never know with that one.

What did you miss on Day 2?

The ever-conservative Jake Klein, chairman of gold miner Evolution, took a shot at the valuations of companies producing green metals, comparing them to the Dot Com bubble.

Roy Hill’s Gerhard Veldsman, as close to Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart as anyone in town this week, launched a savage takedown of the Morrison Government’s failure to open the economy post-pandemic, calling its four-stage roadmap a “wish list”.

Pilbara Minerals says the lithium shortage is real, and MD Ken Brinsden also took a shot at mine site “dinosaurs” calling for them to be ‘rehabilitated’ in the wake of reports about sexual assaults at FIFO camps up north.

And bright times for copper developers, with Solgold chairman and industry insider Liam Twigger saying the rate of discovery is not even close to keeping up with rising demand from renewable energy infrastructure and EVs.