Nick Von Schirnding
Rainmakers & Potstirrers

Nick Von Schirnding

CHAIRPERSON: Arc Minerals

www.arcminerals.com

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‘It is all about copper, and that is frankly for Anglo and all other majors the No.1 priority’

EXPLORATION company Arc Minerals, which is in a copper joint venture (JV) in Zambia with Anglo American, had an eventful 2024, with a promising drilling programme planned for the wet summer season into 2025. Von Schirnding is keen to bring his former employer Anglo back to its historic roots in Zambian copper, with a focus on the promising Domes copper resource in the northwest of the country. 

In an update in November, Arc announced copper mineralisation was observed at all targets drilled and that the priority target had been confirmed. “I am very encouraged by the progress made during the drilling campaign by our JV partner, Anglo American, notably the identification of a new priority target and the fact that drilling is set to continue into the wet season,” Von Schirnding said. The geological neighbourhood is certainly promising as it lies near First Quantum’s Sentinel and Kansanshi operations. Arc is also seeking to discover and develop Tier 1 copper deposits in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt at a time when the Southern African country is scrambling to reduce its economic dependence on diamonds, which are losing their lustre in the face of soaring demand for cheaper lab-grown gems. 

Arc announced in October that it had received an extension of its prospecting licences for its Virgo Project in Botswana. Anglo is shearing off many of its non-core operations including De Beers and Amplats. But copper remains front and centre for Anglo, which will provide comfort to Von Schirnding, who needs his partner’s balance sheet.

LIFE OF NICK

Articulate and approachable, Von Schirnding is a lawyer by training. He knows Arc’s JV partner Anglo American well, having worked there for almost two decades including a stint at De Beers. He also headed investor relations at Anglo. Von Schirnding has held various positions as director, CEO and chair of several mining companies including Arc, which he chairs, and Ortec.

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