By Rob Tyson, The Dig Deep Podcast
Europe’s push to secure more of its critical-metal supply is creating renewed interest in historically productive mining districts. In the latest episode of the Dig Deep Mining Podcast, Metal Prospecting AS (MetPro) President Steele Hemmerich explains why Norway’s Grong Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide district may offer a faster, lower-risk path toward new European copper and zinc production.
MetPro, formally Metal Prospecting AS, is advancing the drill-defined Skiftesmyr copper-zinc deposit in Central Norway. The company’s objective is to update the project to NI 43-101 standards, expand its existing mineralized footprint and move it toward pre-feasibility readiness.
“We have over 18,000 metres of modern diamond drilling completed, so this isn’t a story about starting from a blank page,” Hemmerich said. “We’re building on decades of historical development.”
That existing technical foundation is central to MetPro’s investment case. Rather than beginning with a conceptual greenfield target, the company has access to extensive historical exploration, drilling and production information from a district with a long-established mining history.
Hemmerich brings an unusual combination of practical field experience and capital-markets knowledge. After beginning his career in oil and gas, he moved into corporate finance and worked on transactions across the mining, energy and technology sectors. Based in Dubai, he has evaluated resource projects throughout Europe, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
His experience has shaped a disciplined approach to project assessment.
“A great financial model built on shaky technical data is still a shaky project, no matter how clean the spreadsheet looks,” Hemmerich noted.
MetPro believes Skiftesmyr’s technical database, location and infrastructure provide a meaningful advantage. The project benefits from road access, nearby rail lines, renewable hydropower and access to deepwater ports. These features could potentially reduce future capital requirements and shorten development timelines compared with remote greenfield projects.
The company is planning a multi-phase exploration program intended to expand the project beyond six million tonnes. Proposed work will test mineralization at depth, along strike and in areas where historical drilling may not have adequately accounted for potentially valuable gold and silver mineralization.
MetPro’s timing also aligns with Europe’s efforts to strengthen domestic critical-material supply chains. The European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act establishes 2030 benchmarks calling for at least 10% of annual strategic raw-material consumption to come from EU extraction, alongside targets of 40% for processing and 25% for recycling. Copper is included among the EU’s strategic raw materials.
“Domestic mining is only covering maybe a quarter of what Europe actually consumes,” Hemmerich said, emphasizing how far the continent remains from self-sufficiency.
For MetPro, the opportunity is to combine historical data, modern exploration and established infrastructure to revitalize a proven Scandinavian mining district.
“Brownfield, previously drilled, tier-one jurisdiction with existing infrastructure—those can move from resource to production far faster than a greenfield discovery.”
Learn more at www.metproas.com and listen to the complete interview with Steele Hemmerich on the Dig Deep Mining Podcast.
About Rob Tyson and the Dig Deep Mining Podcast
Rob Tyson is the founder of Mining International, a specialist recruitment firm supporting mining companies, consultancies, family offices, investors and funds worldwide. With 25 years of recruitment experience, including 16 years dedicated to mining, Rob specializes in identifying senior executives, technical experts and project-critical personnel for confidential and hard-to-fill positions.
Since founding Mining International in 2014, Rob has placed more than 250 senior and technical professionals across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Australasia. His global search methodology reaches experienced candidates who may not be actively seeking new positions but are open to the right opportunity.
Rob is also the host of Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast, where he interviews mining executives, investors, technical specialists and industry leaders from around the world. The podcast explores the projects, technologies, commodities and people shaping the future of the global mining sector.
A UK and Australian citizen and father of three, Rob is also an enthusiastic football supporter, gym-goer, chess player and traveller.
Learn more at Mining International or contact Rob at +44 7407 380533.
