In this interview on Proven and Probable, Maurice Jackson speaks with David Talbot, Managing Director and Head of Equity Research at Red Cloud Securities, about the uranium sector’s value proposition and current state. Talbot, with over a decade of experience in the uranium industry, discusses the importance of uranium-fueled nuclear energy, which generates around 10% of global electricity, with the U.S. at 18.6% and Canada at just under 14%.
Talbot highlights the attractiveness of nuclear power: no greenhouse gas emissions during operations, mitigation of climate change impact, base load power provision, long reactor life, stable operating costs, energy security, and abundant uranium availability. The global demand for nuclear energy is growing at approximately 3.6% annually, with significant growth in China, India, Russia, and Turkey. China, in particular, is expanding its reactor fleet and aims to surpass the U.S. in nuclear capacity within the next decade.
Rumble
Despite the increasing demand, uranium supply faces challenges. The current supply-demand gap sees reactors needing 180 million pounds of uranium annually, while mines produce only 145 million pounds. Talbot notes that uranium prices have surged, influenced by factors such as production cuts, geopolitical concerns, and increased buying by entities like the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust.
Geopolitical factors, including the U.S. ban on Russian uranium imports and the Advanced Act Bill boosting nuclear reactor deployment, are significant drivers of uranium prices. The ban, effective in 2028, will force the U.S. to source uranium from friendly countries, while the Advanced Act aims to streamline nuclear project permitting and support the nuclear sector’s growth.
Talbot also touches on Kazakhstan’s mineral extraction tax increase, which could discourage production expansion. He believes that while some events are priced into the current uranium market, the U.S. uranium production could rise, benefiting from higher prices and supportive policies.
David A. Talbot is a mining analyst with Red Cloud Securities. He spent nearly a decade as a geologist in the gold industry, working with Placer Dome, Franco-Nevada, and Newmont Capital. Talbot joined Dundee’s (now Eight Capital) research department in May 2003, and in the summer of 2007, he took over the role of analyzing the fast-growing uranium sector. Since then, he has expanded his expertise to include lithium, graphite, cobalt, and iron ore. Talbot is a member of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and serves on the PDAC Convention’s selection committee for the Corporate Presentation Forum for Investors. He has been featured on BNN, CNBC, and in The Economist, among various other media publications. He has also chaired several investment sessions. Talbot graduated with distinction from the University of Western Ontario, earning an Honours B.Sc. degree in geology.
Ottawa, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – July 23, 2024) – Gold79 Mines Ltd. (TSXV: AUU) (OTCQB: AUSVF) (“Gold79” or the “Company”) announces that the Company intends to issue 306,396 common shares of the Company in connection with a US$48,000 (CAD$66,024) share payment due under the option agreement covering a portion of the Company’s landholdings for the Gold Chain project in Arizona.
The common shares issued will have a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. This shares-for-debt transaction remains subject to TSX-V approval.
About Gold79 Mines Ltd.
Gold79 Mines Ltd. is a TSX Venture listed company focused on building ounces in the Southwest USA. Gold79 has four gold projects, two of which are partnered with major gold producers (Kinross at Jefferson Canyon and Agnico at Greyhound). Gold79 is focused on establishing a maiden resource at its Gold Chain project in Arizona and advancing its Tip Top Project in Nevada.
For further information regarding this press release contact:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are made as of the date hereof and are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions which involve risks and uncertainties associated with our business including any future private placement financing, the uncertainty as to whether further exploration will result in the target(s) being delineated as a mineral resource, capital expenditures, operating costs, mineral resources, recovery rates, grades and prices, estimated goals, expansion and growth of the business and operations, plans and references to the Company’s future successes with its business and the economic environment in which the business operates. All such statements are made pursuant to the ‘safe harbour’ provisions of, and are intended to be forward-looking statements under, applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statements contained herein that are statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. We caution readers of this news release not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as a number of factors could cause actual results or conditions to differ materially from current expectations. Please refer to the risks set forth in the Company’s most recent annual MD&A and the Company’s continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca. Gold79 does not intend, and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
North Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – July 22, 2024) – Lion One Metals Limited (TSXV: LIO) (ASX: LLO) (OTCQB: LOMLF) (“Lion One” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that in response to market demand, it has arranged, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSX-V“), a non-brokered private placement (the “Sidecar Private Placement“) of up to 5,405,405 units (the “Units“) at a price of $0.37 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000. Each Unit consists of one common share (the “Common Shares“) and one Common Share purchase warrant (the “Warrants“), each such Warrant exercisable at a price of $0.50 per share and expiring 36 months from the date of issue.
The Sidecar Private Placement reflects the same terms as the previously announced $10 million private placement led by Eight Capital as lead agent (the “Agent“) pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption available under National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (the “LIFE Offering“). However, the Sidecar Private Placement will be settled directly with the Company and not through the Agent. The Company may pay a finder’s fee on the Sidecar Private Placement in accordance with the policies of the TSX-V. The net proceeds of the Sidecar Private Placement will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. All securities issuable pursuant to the Sidecar Private Placement will be subject to a four month hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws.
The Sidecar Private Placement is expected to complete concurrently with the LIFE Offering. In aggregate, under the LIFE Offering and the Sidecar Private Placement the Company expects to issue 32,432,432 Units for gross proceeds of $11,999,999.80.
Certain subscribers under the Sidecar Private Placement are expected to be directors and management of the Company. The issuance of Units to directors and management of the Company will constitute a “related party transaction” as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (“MI 61- 101“). The transactions will be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of any securities issued or the consideration paid by such persons will exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization.
The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the “United States” (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
About Lion One Metals Limited
Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited “Walter Berukoff“ Chairman and CEO
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend” and similar words referring to future events and results. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include statements regarding anticipated completion of the Sidecar Private Placement and the Offering, and the proposed use of proceeds of the Sidecar Private Placement and the Offering. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, including, with respect to the Sidecar Private Placement and the Offering, the conditions of the financial markets, availability of financing, timeliness of completion of the Sidecar Private Placement and the Offering, and the timing of TSX Venture Exchange approval; and with respect to the use of proceeds, the sufficiency of the proceeds, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, and competitive, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES
Kelowna, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – July 22, 2024) – F3 Uranium Corp. (TSXV: FUU) (OTCQB: FUUFF) (“F3” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that summer drilling has commenced to test conductors on the Clearwater West property which is located 13km to the south of Fission Uranium’s Triple R uranium deposit (see F3 news release dated June 18, 2024).
SKRR Exploration Inc. (TSXV: SKRR) has an option to acquire up to a 70% interest in the Clearwater West Property (see F3 news release dated May 26, 2023, and SKRR news release dated Jan 22, 2023) by making cash payments and issuing shares to F3 and funding exploration work, with F3 serving as the operator during the earn-in period.
Clearwater West is an early-stage exploration project prospective for uranium mineralization. The uranium mineralization model for the Clearwater West property is basement hosted and structurally controlled Athabasca Basin unconformity related deposits.
Summary of the Clearwater West Property:
The Clearwater West Project is located ~20 km outside the edge and in the south-west area of the Athabasca Basin, which is poised to become the next area for the development of major uranium mines in Saskatchewan. It is 13 km south of Fission Uranium’s Triple R deposit, located 7 km outside the basin edge on its PLS Property, where a Feasibility Study was recently completed, and 17 km south of NexGen’s Arrow deposit. The Clearwater West property is comprised of 3 contiguous mineral claims totaling 11,786 hectares which are immediately south and adjacent to Fission Uranium’s PLS property.
Basement hosted Athabasca unconformity related deposits often feature unique characteristics that can be identified by various geophysical surveys. A VTEM survey flown over the property in early 2014 defined electromagnetic (EM) conductors, some of which are interpreted to be possible extensions of the EM conductors identified on the PLS property immediately to the north.
F3’s experienced and successful management and technical team, with a track record of three major high-grade uranium discoveries in the Athabasca Basin region since 2010 (Waterbury Lake project J Zone, PLS Triple R deposit and most recently the PLN JR Zone) will operate and manage Clearwater West. F3 currently holds a 100% interest in Clearwater West.
Qualified Person:
The technical content of this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and approved on behalf of the company by Raymond Ashley, P.Geo., President & COO of F3 Uranium Corp., a Qualified Person. Mr. Ashley has verified the data disclosed. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the company’s properties but may not be representative of expected results.
About F3 Uranium Corp:
F3 is a uranium project generator and exploration company, focusing on projects in the Athabasca Basin, home of some of the world’s largest high grade uranium discoveries. F3 currently has 20 projects in the Athabasca Basin. Several of F3’s projects are located near large uranium discoveries including Triple R, Arrow and Hurricane.
Contact Information
F3 Uranium Corp. 750-1620 Dickson Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y9Y2
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the suitability of the Properties for mining exploration, future payments, issuance of shares and work commitment funds, entry into of a definitive option agreement respecting the Properties, are “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
Edmonton, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – July 19, 2024) – Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSXV: GZD) (FSE: G6H) (OTCQB: GZDIF) (“Grizzly” or the “Company”) announces an extension to the private placement (the “Offering”) of Units and Flow-Through Units originally announced on June 20, 2024. The Offering is for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,000,000 if fully subscribed. The Offering consists of up to 16,666,668 Units and up to an additional 16,666,668 in any combination of Units or Flow-Through Units, at a price of $0.03 per Unit and Flow-Through Unit (each as defined below).
Each Unit shall consist of one common share of the Company (“Common Share”) and one non-transferrable common share purchase warrant (“Warrant”) entitling the warrant holder to purchase an additional Common Share for $0.05 and expiring on the earlier of a) 30 days following written notice by the Company to the warrant holder that the volume-weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is at or greater than CA$0.10 per Common Share for 10 consecutive trading days; and (b) 24 months from the date of issuance. Each Flow-Through Unit shall consist of one Common Share and one half of one Warrant, each of which shall be issued as a “flow through share” for the purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Offering is being offered to qualified subscribers in the Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario and in other jurisdictions as the Company may in its discretion determine, in reliance upon exemptions from the registration and prospectus requirements of applicable securities legislation.
The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Offering, if fully subscribed, as follows:
Mineral Property Exploration
Drill Exploration Program
$ 500,000
Other
$ 100,000
$ 600,000
Mineral Rights and Permits
$ 105,000
Corporate Overhead
Management fees to Officers
$ 72,000
(6 months)
Other Corporate Overhead
$ 213,000
$ 285,000
General working capital
$ 10,000
$ 1,000,000
There is no minimum to the Offering. If the Company closes on less than the maximum proceeds, the use of proceeds will be adjusted. In the case that the Offering is over-subscribed, the Company may increase the size of the Offering by an additional 10%, with any remaining over-subscribed amount allocated pro-rata to all subscribers.
In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay finders fees payable in any combination of cash and warrants with terms equivalent to the Warrants, to registered broker dealers, limited market dealers or arm’s length persons in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”) and applicable securities legislation and regulations. The Common Shares and any Common Shares issued on exercise of the Warrants are subject to restrictions on trading until four months and one day from the date of issuance in accordance with the policies of the Exchange. The Offering is subject to acceptance by the Exchange.
ABOUT GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC.
Grizzly is a diversified Canadian mineral exploration company with its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange focused on developing its approximately 72,700 ha (approximately 180,000 acres) of precious and base metals properties in southeastern British Columbia. Grizzly is run by a highly experienced junior resource sector management team, who have a track record of advancing exploration projects from early exploration stage through to feasibility stage.
On behalf of the Board,
GRIZZLY DISCOVERIES INC. Brian Testo, CEO, President
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Caution concerning forward-looking information
This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend” and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Grizzly in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Grizzly’s actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon.
Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management’s Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. Grizzly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required by law.
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN
NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lion One Metals Limited (TSX-V: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an amended agreement with Eight Capital as lead agent (the “Agent”), to upsize the previously announced private placement. In connection with the upsized offering, the Company will issue up to 27,027,027 units of the Company (the “Units”) at a price of $0.37 per Unit (the “Issue Price”) for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000 pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption available under National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (the “Offering”), in each of the Provinces of Canada other than Quebec. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a “Share”) and one common share purchase warrant (a “Warrant”). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of three years from the date of issuance.
The Company will make available an offering document relating to the Offering (the “Offering Document”) which will be accessible under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and at https://liononemetals.com. Prospective investors in the Offering should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision.
The Offering is expected to close on or around July 26, 2024 (the “Closing Date”). Closing of the Offering is subject to certain customary conditions including receipt of all necessary approvals including satisfaction of listing conditions of the TSX Venture Exchange.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Shares in the United States. The securities to be sold in the Offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.
About Lion One Metals Limited
Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited “Walter Berukoff” Chairman and CEO
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward‐looking statements and forward‐looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward‐looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend” and similar words referring to future events and results. The forward‐looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include statements regarding anticipated completion of the Offering and debt settlement, and the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward‐looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, including, with respect to the Offering and debt settlement, the conditions of the financial markets, availability of financing, timeliness of completion of the Offering, and the timing of TSX Venture Exchange approval; and with respect to the use of proceeds, the sufficiency of the proceeds, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, and competitive, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedarplus.ca, including the Offering Document. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward‐looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward‐looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward‐looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
That’s a debt load that now represents over 120% of GDP. Earlier this year, the cost of interest payments alone passed the cost of defense spending.
The psychologically important $35 trillion milestone will likely be crossed sometime between this week’s Republican National Convention and when the Democrats gather in a few weeks’ time in Chicago — if debt continues to grow by an average of about $8 billion a day.
Yet a Yahoo Finance review of this week’s flood of political commentary — both Republicans in Milwaukee and Biden on the campaign trail — underlines a political reality of this election season: This historic debt is simply not a front-burner issue.
“We stand for fiscal sanity, for low taxes, and for reduced debt,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he endorsed Republican nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday night.
What the line contained in snappiness it perhaps lacked in internal consistency. Lowering taxes is likely to increase deficits and debt.
“Our government sold us a false bill of goods with the Iraq war and the 2008 financial crisis loading up our national debt that falls on our generation’s shoulders,” added former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy during his speech.
The debt rose by nearly $8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. Biden is on pace to oversee a similar rise. In total, the national debt has ballooned by more than 70% over the last 7.5 years, fueled by a flood of new spending as well as these obligations stretching back decades.
Former President Donald Trump is displayed on a screen during the second day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. (PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images) (PEDRO UGARTE via Getty Images)
All told, the vast majority of the major convention speeches so far this week haven’t brought up debt or deficits at all, according to a review of transcripts and videos. The Republican platform offers promises to cut “wasteful government spending” but doesn’t discuss debt or deficits directly.
It’s a notable shift for the Republicans who in years past campaigned on ideas like a balanced budget amendment and fielded major candidates who rose through the ranks as members of the deficit hawk wing of the party.
That wing of the party still exists but was far from prominent this week.
“The fiscal warning signs are really just so bright, so loud, and it’s as though nobody who’s running for office is paying attention,” said Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, in a recent Yahoo Finance interview.
Few mentions from Biden as well
The same has been true to a certain extent on the other side of the aisle this week.
Before cutting his trip short after a positive COVID test, he said that his plan to make billionaires have to pay a minimum tax of 25% will generate $500 billion over the next decade, “allowing us to do more for childcare, eldercare, bring down the federal deficit, and so much more.”
But it’s a plan unlikely to pass Congress, even if Biden wins a second term.
Gallup recently found that federal spending and the budget deficit are collectively something 51% of respondents worry “a great deal” about, the sixth highest issue on the list.
But that issue hasn’t translated into a campaign focus for either side.
President Joe Biden arrives at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas for a campaign swing this week. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Another positive trend is that debt as a percentage of GDP has stabilized and even declined slightly in recent years.
Tax cuts that could make it worse
The lack of focus on debt also comes as there is massive focus on another issue that could make the problem worse: taxes.
These rates will be a top-tier issue in 2025, with major individual provisions of the 2017 Trump tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year. That means taxpayers could face a significant effective tax hike if Washington doesn’t act.
The plans from both sides at the moment could add trillions more red ink in the years ahead.
Biden’s plan is to extend the cuts for those making under $400,000 a year. That could still cost over $2 trillion.
Biden has offered detailed plans to offset at least some of these costs with tax increases elsewhere, like his effort to put a minimum tax of 25% on billionaires.
Trump has offered far less detail when confronted with questions about the national debt and said he could take care of it with drilling for oil — which he calls “liquid gold” — without elaborating on exactly how that would work.
“There is literally a pit in my stomach,” MacGuineas said, discussing the potential trillions of dollars in costs of these cuts. “There’s a pit in my stomach right now just talking about it with you.”
Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance. Akiko Fujita contributed reporting.
NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lion One Metals Limited (TSX-V: LIO) (OTCQX: LOMLF) (ASX: LLO) (“Lion One” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Eight Capital as lead agent (the “Agent”) and sole bookrunner in connection with a “best efforts” private placement of up to 20,271,000 units of the Company (the “Units”) at a price of $0.37 per Unit (the “Issue Price”) for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $7,500,270, pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption available under National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (the “Offering”), in each of the Provinces of Canada other than Quebec. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a “Share”) and one common share purchase warrant (a “Warrant”). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of three years from the date of issuance.
The Company will make available an offering document relating to the Offering (the “Offering Document”) which will be accessible under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca and at https://liononemetals.com. Prospective investors in the Offering should read the Offering Document before making an investment decision.
The Offering is expected to close on or around July 26, 2024 (the “Closing Date”). Closing of the Offering is subject to certain customary conditions including receipt of all necessary approvals including satisfaction of listing conditions of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has granted the Agent an option to offer for sale up to an additional 15% of the Units, at the Issue Price, exercisable in whole or in part at any time for a period of up to 48 hours prior to the Closing Date. The Units issued pursuant to the Offering will not be subject to any hold periods pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Shares in the United States. The securities to be sold in the Offering have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.
About Lion One Metals Limited
Lion One Metals is an emerging Canadian gold producer headquartered in North Vancouver BC, with new operations established in late 2023 at its 100% owned Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Project in Fiji. The Tuvatu project comprises the high-grade Tuvatu Alkaline Gold Deposit, the Underground Gold Mine, the Pilot Plant, and the Assay Lab. The Company also has an extensive exploration license covering the entire Navilawa Caldera, which is host to multiple mineralized zones and highly prospective exploration targets.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Lion One Metals Limited “Walter Berukoff” Chairman and CEO
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward‐looking statements and forward‐looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward‐looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend” and similar words referring to future events and results. The forward‐looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by management of the Company. Forward-looking statements made in this news release include statements regarding anticipated completion of the Offering and debt settlement, and the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering. Although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward‐looking statements and information since no assurance can be given that they will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements and information are provided for the purpose of providing information about the current expectations and plans of management of the Company relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such statements and information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks, including, with respect to the Offering and debt settlement, the conditions of the financial markets, availability of financing, timeliness of completion of the Offering, and the timing of TSX Venture Exchange approval; and with respect to the use of proceeds, the sufficiency of the proceeds, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, and competitive, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedarplus.ca, including the Offering Document. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward‐looking statements and information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward‐looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward‐looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 18, 2024 / Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp. (TSXV:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:J0G) (the “Company” or “Stillwater”) announces it has commenced 2024 field activities including a property-wide airborne electro-magnetic geophysical survey at its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in Montana.
The Company has engaged Expert Geophysics Ltd. for a combined time-domain electromagnetic (“EM”) survey using their TargetEM26 system along with a magneto-telluric survey using their MobileMTm system. The survey will utilize the newest technological advancements in airborne EM, building on the success of the first generation DIGHEM airborne EM survey flown over the project in 2000. The total survey will cover approximately 1,069 line-kilometers and provide higher-resolution and improved depth of investigation from the DIGHEM airborne EM survey, as well as VLF coverage. The survey has been designed in collaboration with Glencore plc via the Stillwater West technical committee to fine-tune priority conductive drill targets across the 12-kilometer main resource area, as well as to assist with prioritization and ranking of additional untested conductive targets across the broader 61-square-kilometer property.
Stillwater’s President and CEO, Michael Rowley, said “We are very pleased to kick off our field activities for the season at Stillwater West. This large-scale geophysical survey is part of a larger program that is expected to include an updated mineral resource estimate that will support the commencement of various studies relating to potential production scenarios. These objectives will be important milestones in preparation for continued resource expansion drilling across the nine-kilometer deposit area as well as in developing target areas. In addition, the Company is pursuing a number of other studies and initiatives with strategic partners such as Cornell University and various US Government agencies.”
Vice-President of Exploration, Dr. Danie Grobler, said, “Work has been on-going at our core facility as we ramp up for the year. The technical committee, including Glencore, continues to be focused on the expansion potential of the lower Stillwater Igneous Complex. Detailed geological and structural interpretive work during the past two years added significantly to our understanding of the large Platreef-style mineralized system discovered within the footwall contact zone of the Stillwater Complex. Our geological models now display strong geological control and continuity on mineralized zones. The planned airborne surveys will provide important high-resolution datasets to refine targeting of high-grade nickel-copper-PGE sulphide-hosted mineralization within the multi-kilometer-scale geophysical anomalies that we see across the 32-kilometer-long mineralized system.”
Upcoming Events
Stillwater is pleased to announce that President and CEO Michael Rowley will be presenting at the following events:
Precious Metals Summit, Beaver Creek, Colorado, September 10-13, 2024. For information and registration please click here.
Precious Metals Summit, Zurich, Switzerland, November 11-12, 2024. For information and registration please click here.
About Stillwater Critical Minerals Corp.
Stillwater Critical Minerals (TSXV:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:J0G) is a mineral exploration company focused on its flagship Stillwater West Ni-PGE-Cu-Co + Au project in the iconic and famously productive Stillwater mining district in Montana, USA. With the addition of two renowned Bushveld and Platreef geologists to the team and strategic investments by Glencore plc, the Company is well positioned to advance the next phase of large-scale critical mineral supply from this world-class American district, building on past production of nickel, copper, and chromium, and the on-going production of platinum group, nickel, and other metals by neighboring Sibanye-Stillwater. An expanded NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate, released January 2023, positions Stillwater West with the largest nickel resource in an active US mining district as part of a compelling suite of nine minerals now listed as critical in the USA. To date, five Platreef-style nickel and copper sulphide deposits host a total of 1.6 billion pounds of nickel, copper and cobalt, and 3.8 million ounces of palladium, platinum, rhodium, and gold at Stillwater West. All of these deposits remain open for expansion along trend and at depth.
Stillwater also holds the high-grade Black Lake-Drayton Gold project adjacent to Nexgold Mining’s development-stage Goliath Gold Complex in northwest Ontario, currently under an earn-in agreement with Heritage Mining, and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu-Co critical minerals project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinum‘s Wellgreen deposit in Canada‘s Yukon Territory.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Michael Rowley, President, CEO & Director – Stillwater Critical Minerals Email: info@criticalminerals.com Phone: (604) 357 4790 Web: http://criticalminerals.com Toll Free: (888) 432 0075
Quality Control and Quality Assurance
Mr. Mike Ostenson, P.Geo., is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and he has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Stillwater Critical Minerals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Stillwater Critical Minerals and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
As the third most-consumed metal behind iron ore and aluminum, copper is all around us. Found naturally in the Earth’s crust, copper was the first metal used by humans, dating back to the 8th century BC.
Three thousand years later, homo sapiens figured out how to smelt copper from its ore, and to alloy it with tin to create bronze. Bronze was useful for tools and weapons, making it one of the most important inventions in the history of civilization.
Nothing happens without copper; as it turns out, not even civilization itself. Beginning around 5,000 BC, the “Chalcolithic” (from the Greek “khalkos” for copper and “lithos” for stone) or Copper Age was a transitionary period between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age.
It was during this time that copper was introduced as a material that could be worked into metal, paving the way towards the use of bronze later on.
The archeological site of Belovode in present-day Serbia holds the distinction as the world’s oldest copper-smelting location, circa 5,000 BC. Copper was also found in the Near East beginning in the late 5th millennium BC. Later, pockets of copper technology began appearing in northern Italy and along the Mediterranean coast.
Copper was used to shape tools, weaponry, coins and jewelry.
The arrival of metal catapulted early Britain and other societies, including China, which has a long history of using metal objects, into a whole new chapter of civilization.
Chalcopyrite is the most abundant copper-rich mineral.
Azurite is a copper carbonate mineral that forms in the upper oxidized zones of copper ore deposits. It has a deep azure-blue color. When exposed to air and water, it often shows a rainbow-like iridescence. Since ancient times, it has been used as an ore of copper, a gemstone, and a pigment. Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci even used it to create blue hues in their paintings.
Malachite was one of the first ores used to produce copper metal. Often found with azurite, malachite is a mixture of copper, iron and oxygen. It has a deep green color that does not fade over time or when exposed to light. This made malachite a popular pigment for painting. Ancient Egyptians used it for tomb paintings. European painters, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries, loved the palette of greens it gave. Artists in India, Tibet, China, and Japan used it in murals, manuscripts, ceramics and lacquerware.
Sometimes referred to as “Dr. Copper” for its ability to diagnose the health of the global economy, copper is just as essential to modern society as to ancient civilizations — if not more so.
The Copper Development Association divides its uses into four categories: electrical, construction, transport and other. By far the largest sector for copper usage is electrical, at 65%, followed by construction at 25%.
Source: Natural Resources Canada
Copper is useful for electrical applications because it is an excellent conductor of electricity. The only metal that has higher conductivity is silver, but silver is expensive by comparison.
Conductivity, combined with durability, malleability and dependability, make it ideal for wiring. Sprott notes that copper’s journey took a historic turn in the 1800s when its exceptional electrical conductivity sparked the revolutionary age of telegraphy and incandescent electric lamps to light homes.
Among electrical devices that use copper, are computers, televisions, circuit boards, semiconductors, microwaves, and fire prevention sprinkler systems.
In telecommunications, copper is used in wiring for local area networks (LAN), modems and routers. The construction industry would not exist without copper; it is essential for wiring in residential and commercial construction. The red metal is also used for potable water and heating systems due to its ability to resist the growth of water-borne organisms, as well as its resistance to heat corrosion.
The transportation industry is reliant on copper for core components of airplanes, trains, cars, trucks and boats. A commercial airliner has up to 190 kilometers of copper wiring, while high-speed trains use up to 10 tonnes of copper per kilometer of track.
Automobiles have used copper and brass radiators and oil coolers since the 1970s. More recent applications include on-board navigation, anti-lock braking systems, heated seats, defrosting wires embedded in windows, hydraulic lines, and wiring for window and mirror controls.
Copper is a critical mineral for our infrastructure, including over 11 million km of electrical wires powering homes, businesses and industry in the United States alone.
The average home contains more than 90 kg of copper.
In 2022, the copper market was worth USD$183 billion, making it the third most valuable metals market behind only iron ore and gold.
Copper and electrification
Copper is the heartbeat of the global energy economy.
Millions of feet of copper wiring will be required for strengthening the world’s power grids, and hundreds of thousands of tonnes more are needed to build wind and solar farms. Electric vehicles use triple the amount of copper as gasoline-powered cars. Renewable energies need five times more copper than non-renewables.
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (NEF), clean energy currently consumes a quarter of copper demand, a figure that is projected to reach 61% by 2040, given our growing reliance on wind, solar and electric vehicles. (‘Copper: Wired for the Future’ by Sprott, Feb. 27, 2024)
Copper has been designated a critical mineral by several developed countries/ regions including Canada, the US, the European Union, China, Japan and India. Last year at the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit, 118 governments pledged to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Copper’s role as a critical mineral led to its inclusion in over $30 billion of funding from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
The Sprott report says that, while copper is likely to take center stage as the leading electrification metal, existing copper supplies are dwindling and new mines take up to two decades to develop, which is creating a race to meet increasing copper demand.
Global investment in the energy transition reached $1.8 trillion in 2023; it now exceeds investments in fossil fuels. To reach “net zero” emissions targets by 2050, investments must average $4.8 trillion from 2024 to 2030 (that’s almost $5T every year for the next six years!). In the 2030s, the average annual investment would need to approach $7T.
Sprott makes the following points about copper demanded by electrification and decarbonization:
By 2050, it’s projected that the global electric grid will need to double in capacity to meet the 86% increase in electricity demand.
Shifting production to greener energy sources is expected to necessitate 427 million tonnes of copper by 2050. Last year, the mining industry only produced 22Mt.
The shift toward underground wiring, which requires twice as much metal as overhead lines, is intensifying the demand for copper.
Copper is essential in EVs, finding use in electric motors, batteries, inverters, wiring and charging stations. An EV requires 53 kilograms of copper in electric motors, batteries, inverters, wiring and charging stations, about 2.4 times more than a conventional combustion vehicle uses. This volume of wire can extend up to a mile in length. Although efforts are underway to reduce copper in EVs, demand is still projected to hit 2.8 million tonnes by 2030.
Renewable energy infrastructure, including solar and wind power, needs 2.5 to 7 times more copper than fossil fuel-based technologies, depending on whether the wind installations are onshore or offshore.
The role of critical minerals in energy transition. Source: IEA, May 2021
A new study suggests that electrifying the global vehicle fleet by 2050 will require an unrealistic ramp-up in copper production.
Researchers at the University of Michigan and Cornell University found that copper can’t be mined fast enough to keep up with current US policy guidelines to make the transition from fossil-fueled power and transportation to electric vehicles and renewable energies.
For example the Inflation Reduction Act calls for 100% of new cars to be electric vehicles by 2035.
“We show in the paper that the amount of copper needed is essentially impossible for mining companies to produce,” said Adam Simon, co-author of the paper, published by the International Energy Forum (IEF).
How impossible? The researchers found between 2018 and 2050, the world will need to mine 115% more copper than has been mined in all human history to 2018. This would meet our current copper needs and support the developing world without considering the green energy transition.
To electrify the global vehicle fleet requires bringing into production 55% more new mines. Between 35 and 195 large new copper mines would have to be built by 2050, at a rate of up to six mines per year. In heavily regulated environments like the United States and Canada, it can take up to 20 years to build one mine from scratch.
The baseline (no green energy transition) scenario supposes a more realistic, but still challenging 35 new copper mines, or one per year from 2018.
Source: International Energy Forum
Source: International Energy Forum
Instead of fully electrifying the US fleet of vehicles, Simon suggests focusing on manufacturing hybrid vehicles, which require far less copper than electric vehicles — 29 kg vs 60 kg.
Going this route would not require major grid improvements and would have almost as large an impact on reducing CO2 emissions, the study found. Also, the likelihood of finding the copper needed to make hybrids is much greater than for electric vehicles.
A final takeaway from the report? There are enough copper resources on planet Earth; the concern is whether these resources can be mined fast enough to support baseline global development, then go beyond towards vehicle electrification and green energy.
The baseline scenario envisions about 1.69 billion tonnes of copper will be mined by 2050, which represents about a quarter (26%) of the total copper resource of 6.6 billion tonnes.
Going deeper underground would grow the resource to 89Bt, and 241BT may be recoverable from the sea floor.
New copper mines that came online between 2019 and 2022 took an average of 23 years to get from discovery to production, the study says.
Copper market
Demand
On the demand side, electrical grids need to be updated, and governments are embarking on large-scale infrastructure investments that are copper-intensive.
Along with the usual applications in construction wiring and plumbing, transportation, power transmission and communications, there is now added demand for copper in electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and energy storage.
Additional copper is being demanded by the electrification of public transportation systems, 5G and AI.
According to Nikkei Asia, prices are being buoyed by the need for more data centers to support the development of artificial intelligence, all of which will require copper.
The latest copper demand driver comes from the Ukraine, where the war with Russia is consuming tonnes of bullet cartridge casings made of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc.
The European Defense Agency says a NATO 155-mm artillery shell contains half a kilogram of copper, with Ukrainian forces firing up to 7,000 per day.
Supply
Copper may have come off the boil recently due to problems in China but the structural supply deficit is real and keeping prices elevated.
World reserves by country, 2022. Source: Natural Resources Canada
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI) forecasts global copper consumption to grow 3.5% to 28 million tonnes in 2024, and for demand to increase from 27 million tonnes in 2023 to 38 million tonnes in 2032, averaging 3.9% yearly growth.
Yet the US Geological Survey reports supply from copper mines in 2023 amounted to only 22 million tonnes. If the copper supply doesn’t grow this year, we are looking at a 6Mt deficit.
Mining companies are seeing their reserves dwindle as they run out of ore. Commodities investment firm Goehring & Rozencwajg says the industry is “approaching the lower limits of cut-off grades and brownfield expansions are no longer a viable solution. If this is correct, then we are rapidly approaching the point where reserves cannot be grown at all.”
Effectively, lower grades mean millions of tonnes more rock needs to be moved and processed to get the same amount of copper.
Last week, the vice president of US investment bank Stifel Financial Cole McGill presented data that corroborates Goehring & Rozencwajg, stating “If you look at grades at the top 20 copper mines since 2000, they’ve trended down about 15-20%, and if you take out some of the higher-grade African projects, that’s even lower.”
Sprott agrees that, Chile and Peru, the top copper-producing countries, are grappling with labor strikes and protests, compounded by declining ore grades. Russia, ranked seventh in copper production, faces an expected decline due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Despite efforts by miners to ramp up production, many analysts anticipate a widening supply imbalance.
Major copper miners aren’t doing much to alleviate the problem. High-quality projects are increasingly rare and major new discoveries are lacking. The time from discovery to production averages 16.5 years.
To meet the increase in copper demand, copper majors are focused on extending the life spans and productivity of existing mines rather than carrying out more expensive, and risky, exploration and development of new (greenfield) projects.
E&MJ Engineering stated in its outlook for copper production to 2050, “The trend toward declining orebody grades and continued development of the pursuit of existing operations to exploit lower grade deposits is likely to continue, in the absence of high-grade project discovery.
A decline in ore grade results in higher operating costs due primarily to the amount and depth of material required to be mined and processed to produce the same amount of copper product. It is no surprise that both GHG emission intensity and energy intensity increase as ore grade decreases. There is a point of inflection, where below an ore grade of around 0.5% copper, the intensity of both metrics rises sharply.”
Given that many mines are fast approaching, if not already tackling, similar grades, this is a pressing problem. In its fiscal year 2020 commodity outlook, BHP, the world’s third largest copper producer, estimated that grade decline could remove about 2 million metric tons per year (mt/y) of refined copper supply by 2030, with resource depletion potentially removing an additional 1.5 million to 2.25 million mt/y by this date.”
Along with technical issues such as falling grades/ deteriorating ore quality, there is also supply pressure from growing resource nationalism.
According to Sprott, capital for the exploration and development of copper mines peaked at $26.13 billion in 2013. Since then, it has almost halved and remains low, with only $14.42 billion spent in 2022.
McGill told Bloomberg that between 2009 and 2016, copper supply grew at a CAGR of 3.5-4%. Since 2016, when copper priced bottomed at around $2-2.20/lb, the CAGR is around 1%.
Without new capital investments, Commodities Research Unit (CRU) predicts global copper mine production will drop to below 12Mt by 2034, leading to a supply shortfall of more than 15Mt. Over 200 copper mines are expected to run out of ore before 2035, with not enough new mines in the pipeline to take their place.
Last year, the government of Panama ordered First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM) to shut down its Cobre Panama operation, removing nearly 350,000 tonnes from global supply.
A strike at another large copper mine, Las Bambas in Peru, temporarily halted shipments.
Copper specialist Anglo American says it is scaling back output by about 200,000 tons, owing to head grade declines and logistical issues at its Los Bronces mine. Los Bronces production is expected to fall by nearly a third from average historical levels next year as the miner pauses a processing plant for maintenance, Reuters said.
Chile’s copper output has been dented by a long-running drought in the country’s arid north. State miner Codelco’s 2023 production was the lowest in 25 years.
All four of Codelco’s megaprojects have been delayed by years, faced cost overruns totaling billions, and suffered accidents and operational problems while failing to deliver the promised boost in production, according to the company’s own projections.
There are also concerns about Zambia, Africa’s second largest copper producer, where drought conditions have lowered dam levels, creating a power crisis that threatens the country’s planned copper expansion.
Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) reported a 6.5% Q1 drop in production at the world’s newest major copper mine, Kamoa-Kakula in the DRC.
The Congo last year overtook Peru as the world’s second-largest copper producer, but supply is threatened by ongoing armed conflict.
At least 70 people, including nine soldiers and a soldier’s wife, were killed when armed men attacked a village in western Democratic Republic of Congo, local authorities said, as violence intensifies between two rival communities…
The army is also struggling to contain the violence in the eastern part of the country, which has been torn by decadelong fighting between government forces and more than 120 armed groups seeking a share of the region’s gold and other resources.
Violence in the eastern part of the country has worsened in recent months as security forces battle the militias. Earlier this month, a militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo killed six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers.
The World Health Organization warns that millions of people in the DRC are facing a health and humanitarian crisis (VOA, July 13, 2024)
As the government collects billions in revenues from new mining operations, like Ivanhoe’s Kamoa-Kakula, we predict the fight over resource rents could lead to internal struggles over who controls the government. How long before Congolese copper, cobalt, diamonds and gold are labeled “blood minerals”?
The forecasted copper supply gap — more than 15Mt by 2034 — was front and center at the Rule Symposium in Florida earlier this month. Mining magnate and Ivanhoe Mines’ founder Robert Friedland said current copper prices “fall woefully short” of supporting the development of new projects.
“We see a crisis coming in physical markets and a requirement for much higher prices to enable most of the copper projects that are in development to have a prayer coming in,” Friedland said via The Northern Miner. . The incentive price to build new mines is $11,000/t.
Higher prices are needed to counteract soaring cost inflation in building new mines, even in cheaper jurisdictions like Chile and Peru.
Friedland produced a surprising statistic, that humanity must mine more copper in the next 20 years than we have in human history to meet surging global demand on the back of the energy transition.
He estimated the global economy needs to find five or six new Kamoa-Kakula-sized projects yearly to maintain a 3% gross domestic product growth rate over the next two decades.
Over the past 10 years, greenfield additions to copper reserves have slowed dramatically. S&P Global estimates that new discoveries averaged nearly 50Mt annually between 1990 and 2010. Since then, new discoveries have fallen by 80% to only 8Mt per year.
There are really only three ways for the industry to get this additional metal. First, they can increase production from existing mines; this often involves “going underground”, digging beneath the existing open pit to access more ore. An expansion to the existing concentrator or building a new one, is sometimes needed.
Second, they can expand their mines laterally, going after resources that weren’t part of the initial mine plan because they were less accessible, or un-economic.
Third, they can explore for new mineral deposits, either internally, or working with junior mining companies, which have the exploration expertise to bring a deposit forward to the point when it can be sold to a major.
Obviously option three, known as greenfield exploration, is more difficult, costly, and carries higher risk than options one and two, called brownfield exploration.
Prices
Crux Investor noted that copper prices have risen significantly, with majors like BHP acquiring copper assets through M&A rather than building new mines. Examples include BHP’s purchase of Oz Minerals and Newmont’s acquisition of Newcrest.
Despite the market’s recognition of copper’s role in the future economy and increasing supply tightness, Crux Investor says analysis shows copper prices still remain below their long-term inflation-adjusted average, suggesting room for further appreciation.
While BMO Capital Markets and Citigroup analysts believe current copper prices may rise past $4.54/lb due to a Chinese smelter supply shortage, and grid investments in China, they say a sustained price gain is needed by copper miners to make investment decisions.
Copper mining is an extremely capital-intensive business for two reasons.
First, mining has a large up-front layout of construction capital called capex – the costs associated with the development and construction of open-pit and underground mines. There is often other company-built infrastructure like roads, railways, bridges, power-generating stations and seaports to facilitate extraction and shipping of ore and concentrate. Second, there is a continuously rising opex, or operational expenditures. These are the day-to-day costs of operation: rubber tires, wages, fuel, camp costs for employees, etc.
The average capital intensity for a new copper mine in 2000 was between US$4,000-5,000 to build the capacity, the infrastructure, to produce a tonne of copper. In 2012 capital intensity was $10,000/t, on average, for new projects. Today, building a new copper mine can cost up to $44,000 per tonne of production.
Capex costs are escalating because:
Declining copper ore grades means a much larger relative scale of required mining and milling operations.
A growing proportion of mining projects are in remote areas of developing economies where there’s little to no existing infrastructure.
Many inputs necessary for mine-building are getting more expensive, as cross-the-board inflation, the highest in 40 years, infiltrates the industry. This includes two of the largest costs, wages and diesel fuel, used to run mining equipment.
The bottom line? It is becoming increasingly costly to bring new copper mines online and run them.
Investors are also demanding a higher return on investment than previously, when there was a greater appetite for risk.
Citigroup is bullish on copper, with the bank’s analysts predicting that prices could surpass $10,000 a tonne ($4.53/lb) this year due to policy support in China.
Mining.com reports Beijing is expected to introduce further stimulus to upgrade its renewable energy infrastructure at the Third Plenum meeting in mid-July:
These additional measures, specifically targeting domestic property and grid investments, are expected to support copper prices in the near term, Citi analysts said in a note.
Conclusion
Copper presents a compelling opportunity for investors. The Sprott report notes that copper prices and miners are likely to benefit from the growing supply-demand gap. It also says that copper’s strategic importance has driven significant M&A in 2023, with BHP and Rio Tinto acquiring copper producers at significant premiums. Automakers concerned about securing future supplies are investing directly in mining companies.
But copper miners buying other copper miners does nothing to alleviate the supply shortage. It only transfers one copper reserve to another. Majors have underinvested in copper exploration and development, preferring M&A to the expense and risk of finding new copper deposits.
Junior copper explorers provide investors exposure to potential new discoveries that could help narrow the supply gap. These discoveries offer the chance for outsized returns, though obviously with higher risk.
Copper equities have underperformed the copper price, presenting a potential catch-up opportunity.
Extraordinary demand growth, set against a backdrop of constrained supply, is expected to deepen the structural deficit through the end of the decade. Higher copper prices will be needed to incentive new supply. (Crux Investor)
(By Richard Mills)
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