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Base Metals Energy Junior Mining Miles Franklin Precious Metals

Expert Forecasts Major Bubbles and Explains How to Avoid Them

What will the stock market look like in 2025, a year that has started grimly with catastrophic fires burning in California and dangerous snow and ice blanketing the east even before the presidential inauguration?

While interviewing 321gold’s Bob Moriarty this week on CEO & Market Expert Interviews on YouTube, Lucijan Valkovic said his own unofficial private polling found that 95% of people he asked said the market is heavily overvalued and is “about to crash or correct big.”

Moriarty said that while he was a “contrarian,” and it scares him “when 95% of people agree on anything,” the market is “clearly in a bubble.”

“The stock market is a giant bubble in search of a pin,” said Moriarty.

“There are some immense forces in play (and) no one can really predict what’s going to happen,” he said. “However, it’s very easy to predict whatever happens is going to be bad. So, my belief is the stock market’s an accident waiting to happen. And it’s like Bitcoin, you’ve got a lot of people playing musical chairs. And everybody thinks when the music stops, they’re going to be able to reach a chair. And there’s one slight problem with that theory, . . . and that is, what if there’s no chairs?”

Moriarty predicted the fall would be worse than 1929, “much worse.”

“We are going to go through pain, and it’s going to be extreme pain because this economy is so far out of whack,” he said.

Precious Metals as Insurance Policies

How to protect yourself? “You should put your money in something that is not part of the bubble,” Moriarty said.

“I happen to believe the highest value of precious metals is not their investment potential; it’s their potential as an insurance policy against chaos,” he said. “But the cheapest thing in the world right now is resource stocks. They’re literally being given away.”

The world’s central banks have “added significant amounts of gold to their reserves in recent years — and their buying continues even as gold’s price reaches new highs,” Sharon Wu reported for CBS News in December.

“While the precious metal offers unique protections during economic uncertainty, it also comes with challenges,” she wrote. “Storage costs and lack of income generation, for example, make it a complex investment choice.”

However, Valkovic noted that central bank gold purchases are expected to continue this year.

Gold and silver are insurance policies “against financial chaos,” Moriarty told him. “We all need reserves. You need it as an individual. You need it as a family. You need it as a town or city. You need it as a country. And you certainly need it as a bank.”

Moriarty said the banks are looking at the world and the state of the economy and deciding they need extra protection from negative events.

“There are some very dangerous black swans flying, and we need to protect ourselves,” he said. ” And that’s exactly the reason that individuals should be doing the same thing.”

Could Silver Outperform Gold?

Both gold and silver recently hit four-week highs, and gold is expected to have another solid year, but investors should brace for some volatility and temper their upside expectations, Kirill Kirilenko, Senior Analyst at CRU, told Kitco News’ Neils Christensen.

But he predicted gold prices would average around US$2,580 per ounce in 2025 as markets react to Trump’s proposed economic policies. The analyst had more optimism for silver, forecasting an average price of US$31.35 per ounce for the year.

“Silver could slightly outperform gold this year, driven by an increasingly tight fundamental outlook,” he said.

The British research firm expects silver, which as nature’s most conductive metal remains integral to the green energy transition, to remain well-supported.

Moriarty gave another reason for looking at the white metal. “Silver is absurdly cheap,” he said. “My belief is if you’re faced with three or four different alternatives for investing, you should buy what’s cheap, and you should save.”

While gold recently reached a zenith, silver’s top amount of US$49.95 per ounce was hit in 1980. It was US$30.57 per ounce on Friday at the time of writing.

“Silver has got a long way to run,” Moriarty said. “My opinion is silver will always be the most attractive investment in the resource sector.”

Nuclear: Very Cheap, Very Safe

Moriarty also said he saw uranium stocks performing well as artificial intelligence (AI) and a surging number of data centers recently helped push the price for element, the main fuel for nuclear reactors, to a record high, according to a Yolowire release posted on Barchart.

Prices for enriched uranium rose to US$190 per separative work unit, the commodity’s standard measure, which is up 239% from US$56 three years ago,” according to the report.

“A resurgence of interest in nuclear power has come as governments and companies source carbon-free power to service major industrial facilities and communities,” the release said.

“Nuclear power is a very cheap, very safe form of energy,” Moriarty said. “And we need more of it. … Green energy has been oversold. It is not a solution. It is a very expensive problem.”

But which uranium stocks to invest in? “I think you could walk into a dark room, and you could put the names of the stocks up on a wall. You could shut the light off and throw a dart, and hit something. Uranium is very cheap.”

Moriarty said he doesn’t know which bubble will burst first. But “we’ve got a lot of bubbles, and it is a time for safety, and in a time for safety, you go for what is the least bubbly,” he said.

“The least bubbly, I like that,” agreed Valkovic.

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Important Disclosures:

  1. Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
  2. This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company. 

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Base Metals Emx Royalty Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals Project Generators

EMX Provides Financial Update

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 9, 2025) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (the “Company” or “EMX“) is pleased to announce that the Company ended the year with approximately $27 million in cash and cash equivalents and $35 million in long term debt that matures in July 2029 under an agreement with Franco Nevada Corporation. The Company’s balance sheet was strengthened because of several transactions closing before the end of the December quarter as discussed below.

Sale of Shares in Ensero Holdings Inc (“Ensero”) – Ensero repurchased all our common and preferred share holdings in Ensero for approximately $5.6 million. The Company invested approximately $3.8 million in Ensero in 2020, and since making the investment has earned approximately $1.0 million in dividends. The Company has sold all its holdings in Ensero as of December 31, 2024.

Early Property Payment at Berenguela Royalty Property in Peru – The Company received an early property payment from Aftermath Silver Ltd (“Aftermath”) totaling $2.9 million. Aftermath has one final payment totaling $3.25 million which is due in November 2026. The Company has a sliding-scale net smelter return (NSR) Royalty on all mineral production from the Project for the life of mine commencing at the declaration of commercial production, and includes a 1.0% NSR royalty on all mineral production when the silver market price is up to and including US$25 per ounce, and a 1.25% NSR royalty on all mineral production when the silver market price is over US$25 per ounce and when the copper market price is above US$2 per pound.

Royalty buy-down Completed at Park Salyer Property in Arizona – The Company has received $500,000 from Arizona Sonoran Copper Company Inc. (“Arizona Sonoran”) from the buyback of 1.0% NSR royalty covering the Park Salyer Property which is part of the Arizona Sonoran’s Cactus Property. The buy-down by Arizona Sonoran reduces the Company’s NSR royalty on Park Salyer from 1.5% to 0.5% which is not capped and cannot be reduced.

About EMX – EMX is a precious, and base metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.

For further information contact:

David M. Cole
President and CEO
Phone: (303) 973-8585
Dave@EMXroyalty.com

Isabel Belger
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 178 4909039
IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain “forward looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/236492

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Base Metals Emx Royalty Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals Project Generators

EMX Completes Its 5 Million Share Normal Course Issuer Bid Program

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 8, 2025) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to announce it has completed its existing Normal Course Issuer Bid (“NCIB”) program announced on February 7, 2024. Under the NCIB, the Company was allowed to purchase for cancellation up to 5,000,000 common shares over a twelve-month period representing approximately 4.45% of the issued and outstanding shares prior to commencement. EMX has purchased for cancellation the full 5,000,000 common shares at an average price of US$1.65 per share totaling approximately US$8.3M including a recently purchased 1,375,600 shares in a block trade from an undisclosed seller at a price of approximately US$1.64 (C$2.35) per share.

About EMX. EMX is a precious and base metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.

For further information contact:

David M. Cole
President and CEO
Phone: (303) 973-8585
Dave@EMXroyalty.com

Isabel Belger
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 178 4909039
IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain “forward-looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/236472

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Base Metals Emx Royalty Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals Project Generators

EMX Executes Agreement to Sell Four Projects in Western USA to Pacific Ridge Exploration

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 8, 2025) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to announce that it has executed four separate option agreements (the “Agreements”), all dated January 7, 2025, with Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (“Pacific Ridge” or “PEX”) for the Ripsey West, Royston, Red Star, and Mineral Hill projects (the “Projects” or individually a “Project”) located in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, respectively. The Agreements provide EMX with cash payments, an equity stake in PEX, and required work commitments on the Projects during the earn-in period. Additionally, upon earn-in for a given Project, a 3% net smelter return (“NSR”) royalty, annual advance royalty (“AAR”) payments, and milestone payments provide a strong foundation for future upside as the Projects advance.

The Ripsey West Project is a shallow copper porphyry target in central Arizona’s Laramide copper province with exploration potential for both supergene and hypogene mineralization. The Royston Project in western Nevada targets a late Triassic-early Jurassic copper porphyry system. Of note, porphyries of this age have not traditionally been explored for in the region, even though this age of magmatic activity generally displays a stronger gold affinity than Laramide systems. The Red Star Project is a copper porphyry target adjacent to the historical Star mining district in Utah, and has added potential for skarn, manto, and carbonate-replacement deposit (CRD) styles of mineralization. The Mineral Hill Project in eastern Wyoming is centered on an alkaline intrusive complex, which displays both epithermal and copper-gold porphyry exploration potential.

EMX acquired the Projects through the staking of open ground after recognizing overlooked opportunities in districts with historical exploration. EMX’s track record of organically generating new targets in historical mining districts underscores the strength of the Company’s project generation business model.

Commercial Terms Overview (all dollar amounts in USD). Under the terms of the Agreements, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Pacific Ridge can earn 100% interest in each Project over a five-year option period by satisfying the following terms on a per-Project basis: a) upon receipt of regulatory approval, Pacific Ridge will pay $60,000 in cash and issue 200,000 Pacific Ridge shares (on a post 10:1 consolidation basis), and b) Pacific Ridge will also make option payments totaling $180,000, issue 1,175,000 additional shares, and complete $2,250,000 in exploration expenditures over the five-year term of the option agreement.

Upon option exercise by Pacific Ridge, EMX will retain a 3% NSR royalty on each applicable Project; 1% of the royalty may be bought back by first completing an initial 0.5% royalty buyback for a payment of $1,000,000 to the Company prior to the eighth anniversary of the Effective Date of the Agreement. If the first buyback is completed, then the remaining 0.5% of the royalty buyback can be purchased any time prior to production for $3,000,000. Pacific Ridge will also make AAR payments of $25,000 per Project, which will increase by $10,000 per year until reaching a cap of $75,000 per year. In addition, Pacific Ridge will make Project milestone payments consisting of: a) $500,000 upon completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment, b) $1,000,000 upon completion of a Pre-Feasibility study, and c) $2,000,000 upon completion of a Feasibility Study.

Project Overviews

Ripsey West: The Ripsey West Project spans over 2,161 hectares and consists of 36 unpatented mining claims and eight state exploration leases in central Arizona’s prolific Laramide copper province. Historical exploration by Conoco, Bear Creek, Noranda, BHP, Freeport-McMoRan, and others concentrated on altered and mineralized outcrops adjacent to EMX’s primary target area. These outcrops display distal chlorite-epidote and sericitic alteration over a broad footprint measuring approximately four by six kilometers, with a central zone of moderate sericitic alteration. Locally, structurally controlled zones exhibit strong sericitic alteration and variable copper mineralization. Through a detailed compilation of historical drilling and an iterative structural study, EMX determined that the district has undergone significant tilting of approximately 90 degrees. The historically explored area represents distal alteration and mineralization, along the paleo-eastern margin of the tilted and dismembered porphyry copper system, whereas EMX’s Ripsey West Project targets the core of the system several kilometers to the west. Exploration by a previous partner included two drill holes totaling 649 meters which primarily tested the depth to bedrock. Beneath the post-mineral alluvium, the alteration in the drill holes matches well with the predictive interpretation of the system, but left the target and the core of the porphyry system untested at depth.

Red Star: The Red Star Project covers 3,005 hectares and consists of unpatented mining claims adjacent to the historical Star mining district in Beaver County, Utah. Geologic observations indicate that the source of polymetallic fissure veins and replacements in the Star mining district may be a concealed porphyry copper system. Although historical workers explored for the source porphyry, they misunderstood the timing relationships between the exposed mineralization and intrusive rocks in the area as well as erroneously mapped normal faults as thrust faults. Structural reinterpretation and geochemical zonation patterns in outcropping stratigraphy indicate a westward vector towards a down-faulted block, or blocks, within the Red Star Project. The strongest copper and pathfinder geochemical anomalies occur at the western side of the exposed Paleozoic sedimentary package, coincident with the highest abundance of prospects in the Star district. Recent geophysical datasets, including drone magnetics, induced polarization (IP), and magnetotelluric (MT) surveys, are supportive of a target in the same area independently predicted by geological and geochemical vectors. The abundance of Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the host stratigraphy indicates potential for skarn, manto, and CRD-style mineralization at the Red Star Project, in addition to the target Cu-Mo porphyry.

Royston: The Royston Project spans over 1,830 hectares and consists of 227 unpatented mining claims northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. The Royston Project represents a compelling porphyry prospect within a belt of Jurassic to late Triassic intrusive rocks in the western US, which are underexplored with respect to copper mineralization. Surface exposures and historical drilling reveal a significant zone of quartz-pyrite-sericite “QSP” style alteration in porphyry dikes and surrounding host rocks. Subsequent geological, geochemical, and geophysical work advanced EMX’s understanding of the system and led to the identification of strong vectors based on system-scale zoning of alteration and mineralization. A reconnaissance reverse-circulation (“RC”) drilling campaign was recently conducted which further validated the target concept and outlined a robust porphyry system which has undergone significant post-mineral tilting. Two of the RC drill holes were cased for re-entry with a core rig due to the shallow intersections of intense QSP (-clay) alteration with increasing base metal mineralization downhole. Follow-up core drilling will target the high temperature core of the porphyry system, which has not previously been intersected in drilling.

Mineral Hill: The Mineral Hill Project in eastern Wyoming spans over 600 hectares across 77 unpatented and 19 patented mining claims. The Project is centered on a zoned Eocene-age alkaline intrusive complex with an outer ring, interior intrusive zones, and a central breccia. Historical mining in the late 19th and early 20th centuries produced gold from alluvial deposits, gold and silver from the Treadwell Mine, and gold and copper from the Interocean Mine. EMX and previous partners recognized that the gold and silver mineralization at the Treadwell Mine is associated with lower-temperature adularia-bearing potassic alteration and is consistent with epithermal-style mineralization. In contrast, the gold and copper mineralization at the Interocean Mine is associated with higher-temperature potassic alteration mineral assemblages (including potassium feldspar and biotite), consistent with a porphyry system. Reconnaissance drill programs with previous partners confirmed these two distinct mineralization styles, but never followed up on initial drill results. Mineral Hill’s proximity to significant historical producers, such as the Homestake and Wharf mines, highlights the potential for additional discoveries in this productive belt.

EMX and Pacific Ridge look forward to commencing work on the Projects.

This transaction is another example of the execution of EMX’s business model in providing turn-key and drill ready exploration projects to its partner companies in exchange for royalty interests.

More information on the Projects can be found at www.EMXroyalty.com.

Comments on Adjacent or nearby Districts, Mines, and Deposits. The districts, mines and deposits discussed in this news release provide context for EMX’s projects, which occur in similar geologic settings, but this is not necessarily indicative that the Company’s projects host similar tonnages or grades of mineralization.

Michael P. Sheehan, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

About EMX. EMX is a precious and base metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information. For further information contact:

David M. Cole
President and CEO
Phone: (303) 973-8585
Dave@EMXroyalty.com

Isabel Belger
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 178 4909039
IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain “forward-looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/236325

Categories
Base Metals Emx Royalty Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals Project Generators

EMX Purchases Royalty Interest Over Hayasa’s Urasar Project in Armenia

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 7, 2025) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to announce the purchase of a 0.625% NSR royalty interest covering all minerals produced from the Urasar gold-copper project in northern Armenia, which is wholly owned and being advanced by Hayasa Metals Inc. (“Hayasa”, (TSXV: HAY), formerly Fremont Gold Ltd. Further to a Joint Acquisition Agreement between EMX and Franco-Nevada Corporation (“Franco”) entered into in 2023 (see EMX News Release dated August 1, 2023), Franco has also acquired a 0.625% NSR royalty.

Commercial Terms Overview. EMX and Franco will pay Hayasa a combined US$1 million (with EMX contributing US$450,000 and Franco contributing US$550,000 in accordance with the terms of the Joint Acquisition Agreement) in exchange for:

  • A 1.25% NSR royalty interest to be shared evenly between EMX and Franco (i.e. each company will receive a 0.625% NSR royalty interest) that covers the Urasar project licenses and a surrounding area of interest; and
  • 500,000 share purchase warrants, which can be exercised on a one-for-one basis for common shares of Hayasa within 18 months at a strike price of C$0.22 per share (EMX and Franco will each receive 250,000 of the share purchase warrants).

As part of the transaction, EMX and Franco will have a right of first refusal in respect of any royalty, stream or similar interest on Urasar.

Overview of the Urasar Project. The Urasar gold-copper project was acquired by Hayasa in 2023 by direct acquisition of an exploration license from the Armenian government following an assessment of the Tethyan Metallogenic Belt by Hayasa that was led by Dennis Moore. Mr. Moore is a well-known and accomplished explorer who is credited with the discoveries of the Tocantinzinho and Cuiu Cuiu gold deposits in Brazil.

The Urasar project is positioned along a regional structural zone that juxtaposes an older package of ophiolitic rocks with younger volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Gold and copper mineralization are localized along the contact zones throughout the Urasar exploration license and elsewhere in the region. Urasar saw historic copper production by the French during World War I and was later explored by the Soviets in the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1950’s. Several Soviet era resources were defined (in accordance with the Soviet reporting systems at the time), but virtually no work has been completed since. The styles of mineralization at Urasar bear resemblance to the styles of mineralization in the Sokt gold deposit, the largest developed gold deposit in Armenia. Further information on the project is summarized on Hayasa’s website.

Armenia has seen recent exploration and development efforts by other western companies, including Orion Mine Finance and Osisko Gold Royalties, who are working to develop the Amulsar gold project in southern Armenia. In addition to its modern mining code and favorable fiscal regime, Armenia currently has over ten active metals mines, and mining is a significant contributor to its GDP.

EMX believes that Urasar has potential to become a significant discovery based upon the historical work done on the property, new surface geochemical and geophysical data collected by Hayasa, and overall geological characteristics. The royalty acquisition at Urasar represents the first co-investment between EMX and Franco as part of their Joint Acquisition Agreement.

Comments on Historical Mineral Resources. EMX does not consider the historical mineral resources defined at Urasar during the Soviet era to be compliant with NI 43-101 standards, nor is EMX treating the historic resources as current resources on the project. They are discussed here strictly for their historical context and should not be relied upon until they can be confirmed.

Comments on Nearby Mines and Deposits. The mines and deposits discussed in this news release provide context for EMX’s projects, which occur in similar geologic settings, but this is not necessarily indicative that the Company’s projects host similar styles, tonnages or grades of mineralization.

Dr. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

About EMX. EMX is a precious and base metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.

For further information contact:

David M. Cole
President and CEO
Phone: (303) 973-8585
Dave@EMXroyalty.com

Isabel Belger
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 178 4909039
IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain “forward looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/236237

Categories
Base Metals Emx Royalty Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals Project Generators

EMX Announces Acquisition of a Royalty on the Chapi Copper Mine Property in Peru

Vancouver, British Columbia–(Newsfile Corp. – January 6, 2025) – EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (the “Company” or “EMX”) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a Royalty Agreement (the “Agreement”) with Minera Pampa de Cobre S.A.C. (“MPC”), a Peruvian company focused on restarting production at the Chapi copper mine located south of the city of Arequipa in Peru (the “Chapi Mine“). MPC is owned indirectly by a privately held Canadian company, Quilla Resources Inc. (“Quilla”).

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, EMX will acquire a royalty interest of up to 2% of Net Smelter Returns (“NSR“) on minerals produced from the approximately 26,000 hectare property (“Property Royalty”) owned by MPC (see Figure 1), as well as up to a 2% NSR royalty from any minerals that are produced from outside the Property Royalty area, but that are processed at the Chapi Mine processing facilities (“Facilities Royalty”). The Agreement also includes a two-kilometer area of interest (“AOI”) around the Property Royalty area, and any property acquired by MPC within this AOI will also be subject to an NSR royalty of up to 2% (“AOI Royalty”). As consideration for the acquisition of the first 1% of the NSR interests, the Company has paid MPC the amount of US$3,000,000. A second 1% NSR interest can be acquired by EMX, at the election of MPC, for an additional US$7,000,000 until February 28, 2025. The Property Royalty is perpetual and cannot be reduced. The Facilities Royalty and the AOI Royalty will be reduced by half (to either 0.5% NSR or 1% NSR – depending on the MPC election) on July 1, 2034.

EMX’s right to receive royalty payments will be secured by a guarantee from Quilla, and by various personal property and real property security instruments in Peru. EMX’s security interests will be subordinated to those of Hartree Partners, LP (“Hartree”), acting as the first lien lender to MPC and Quilla, in accordance with an intercreditor agreement entered into between EMX, Hartree, MPC, and Quilla.

EMX is excited by the addition of a high-quality copper royalty to the portfolio that has excellent upside development and exploration potential located in the prolific Paleocene-Eocene copper-molybdenum porphyry belt of Southern Peru.

Background on Quilla

Quilla is a newly formed Canadian company that recently (December 2024) acquired MPC from Nexa Resources S.A. (NYSE: NEXA), one of the world’s top zinc producers with operations in Brazil and Peru. Quilla was founded by Victor Gobitz and a select group of shareholders looking to rapidly build an intermediate-sized base metals company. Mr. Gobitz is a senior mining executive who will be transitioning from his role as President and General Manager for the world class Antamina mine in Peru to lead Quilla. Mr. Gobitz has worked with a number of companies in Peru over recent years including Rio Alto Mining, Compañía Minera Milpo (now Nexa Resources Peru), and Compañía de Minas Buenaventura, and from his deep knowledge of the mining industry in Peru has assembled an experienced and accomplished team to quickly execute on Quilla’s plans to restart copper production at Chapi.

Background on the Chapi Mine1

The Chapi Mine is located in southern Peru’s Moquegua and Arequipa Departments at an elevation of approximately 2,750 meters, and has ready access approximately 50 kilometers south-southeast from the city of Arequipa. Historical, small-scale copper production, which is poorly documented, occurred intermittently from the 1930s through the early 1980s. Subsequently, between 2006 and 2012 the Chapi Mine produced approximately 5,000 to 8,500 tonnes per annum, initially of copper sulphates from open-pit and underground mining and heap leaching, and later copper cathodes from open-pit mining, heap leaching, and SX-EW (solvent extraction-electrowinning) processing. The grades mined during 2006-2012 were reported as 0.59% – 1.04% copper. The operations were halted in 2012 due to declining copper prices and operational challenges that were mainly related to insufficient ore control on materials delivered to the leach pads.

The historical Chapi Mine is comprised of two principal open pits, underground workings, a crushing and grinding circuit, heap leach pads, a solvent extraction plant, an electrowinning copper cathode plant, and related infrastructure including mine camp, office facilities, water supply, and power. Since 2012, Chapi has been maintained under care and maintenance with the principal permits for mining operations remaining in place under a temporary suspension.

Chapi Geology and Exploration Upside2

The deposits at Chapi are comprised of sandstone-hosted copper mineralized mantos, partially oxidized and secondarily enriched, that are related to a series of porphyry intrusions. The Chapi Mine lies between, and directly along trend from, some of the world’s largest producing porphyry copper deposits, including Cerro Verde and the Cuajone-Quellaveco-Toquepala cluster (refer to inset in Figure 1). All of these deposits and districts, as well as others, comprise the Paleocene-Eocene Cu-Mo porphyry belt of Southern Peru, and contribute to making Peru the second ranked copper producer in the world.

The ~26,000 hectare land package owned by MPC, and subject to EMX’s royalty interests, includes historical resources based on an extensive drill database that delineates the well-mineralized, leachable manto horizons at Chapi, which are open for potential resource expansion from both open pit and underground exploitation. Porphyritic intrusions, intimately associated with the mineralized mantos, have low-grade copper mineralization in sericitic-altered zones, but also have exploration potential for higher-grade copper mineralization within the porphyry system. Further, although gold assays in the drill database are limited in number, those that are present suggest that gold, not recovered by the historical mining operations, might have wider exploration potential.

Additional, potentially leachable copper-oxide and chalcocite drill-defined mineralization, as well as primary sulphide mineralization, occurs at the Pampa Negra and Candelaria projects, related to porphyritic intrusions and associated supergene manto horizons that are covered by the Property Royalty or by the AOI Royalty. Furthermore, early-stage exploration targets at San Jose (with drilling), and Justicia prospect areas (no drilling) show evidence of porphyry-style mineralization with some evidence for oxidation of primary sulphides. These deposits provide upside potential for processing at the existing Chapi plant subject to further drilling, engineering, and permitting.

Chapi Restart Plans

Quilla’s near-term plan is to restart Chapi Mine operations utilizing the SX-EW process circuit which is designed to produce a nominal 10,000 tonnes per annum of copper cathode, with the option to potentially increase capacity in the future. Initially, the restart plan is contingent on additional drilling and metallurgical test work, updated resource and reserve modelling, rehabilitation of the mining and leach-processing infrastructure, and updated environmental and other permits. Quilla and MPC have raised the necessary capital to complete the Chapi restart program, and anticipate initial production in H1 2026.

Comments on Mines and Districts in the Region. The mines and districts in the region of the Chapi Mine property, which include Cerro Verde and the Cuajone-Quellaveco-Toquepala cluster, provide geological context for EMX’s Chapi royalty property. However, this is not necessarily indicative that the Chapi royalty property hosts similar styles, grades, or tonnages of mineralization.

Comments on Chapi Background, Geology, and Exploration Upside. EMX has not verified the historical information and data from the previous Chapi operators, but believes this information and data to be reliable and relevant. Updated information and data will result from Quilla’s restart program technical work.

Dean D. Turner, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and consultant to the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

About EMX – EMX is a precious and base metals royalty company. EMX’s investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company’s common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “EMX”. Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.

For further information contact:

David M. Cole
President and CEO
Phone: (303) 973-8585
Dave@EMXroyalty.com

Isabel Belger
Investor Relations
Phone: +49 178 4909039
IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain “forward looking statements” that reflect the Company’s current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as “estimate,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will”, “believe”, “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company’s future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company’s MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the “MD&A”), and the most recently filed Annual Information Form (“AIF”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.

Figure 1. EMX’s Chapi royalty property and AOI, southeast Peru.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1508/236195_6341df32242d9a93_002full.jpg


1 Background and production information taken from internal, proprietary reports and documents by historical operators, as well as “Memoria Anual” reports filed with the Peruvian government by historical operator Compañia Minera Milpo S.A.A.

2 Geology and exploration upside taken from EMX’s due diligence field review and review of internal, proprietary reports and documents from historical operators, as well as “Memoria Anual” reports filed with the Peruvian government by historical operator Compañia Minera Milpo S.A.A.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/236195

Categories
Base Metals Blog Energy Junior Mining

Special Report | The Uranium Miners Opportunity

For the latest standardized performance and holdings of Sprott Uranium ETFs, please visit the individual website pages:  URNM and URNJ. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Key Takeaways

  • Uranium Market Consolidation: Thus far in 2024, the uranium spot price has stabilized between $80 to $90 per pound after a significant 88.54% increase in 2023. This phase indicates a healthy correction within a bullish market cycle.
  • Miners’ Catch-Up: Uranium miners have shown improved performance, catching up to gains in the spot price. 
  • Long-Term Contracting Trends: Long-term uranium contract prices point to higher uranium prices as contract ceilings reach $130 per pound.
  • Geopolitical Impacts and Demand: Geopolitical tensions and supply uncertainties persist, influencing uranium supply dynamics. Despite these challenges, global demand remains robust, driven by nuclear reactor restarts and new builds, supporting a sustained bullish outlook for uranium.

Artificial Intelligence and the Need for Electricity

Global electricity demand is estimated to increase by 165% by 2050.2 Surging energy consumption in the East is driven by the urbanization and industrialization of developing countries, while the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, electrification and reshoring is driving demand in the West.

Figure 1. 

Figure 1. Data center electricity consumption in the US

Source: Boston Consulting Group, the Impact of Electricity. Data as of 12/31/2023.

Globally, data centers’ electricity demand is forecasted to grow 258% from 2023 to 2030.3 Growing demand from global data centers is expected to increase from 1.2% of global electricity supply to 4.1%.4 AI data centers require much more electricity for computing, cooling and other IT infrastructure compared to traditional data centers because of:

  • Higher computational demands from complex algorithms and large datasets
  • Increased workloads and demand for real-time data from continuous, intense computational workloads running 24/7
  • Densely packed servers requiring significant power for cooling requirements

To support the growth of AI, Silicon Valley is increasingly turning to nuclear energy. Firms like Google, Amazon and Microsoft have signed deals to purchase power from nuclear energy providers.5 The benefits of such arrangements are twofold. First, data centers will have access to the reliable baseload power provided by nuclear energy to run their energy-intensive operations. Second, nuclear energy is one of the cleanest forms of energy, and by going nuclear, tech companies can still progress toward their corporate net zero carbon emissions pledges, even as their energy footprints expand.

Why Uranium Miners?

We believe we are in the early stages of a sustained uranium bull market. An already positive outlook was given an additional boost at the COP28 conference in December 2023, where more than 20 nations agreed to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. The pledge grew to 31 countries after the COP29 conference in November 2024. Uranium miners stand to benefit from the growing acceptance of nuclear energy.

We anticipate that the uranium supply-demand imbalance will continue through at least 2040. Demand for uranium may outstrip supply and reach a cumulative deficit of 1 billion pounds by 2040. The uranium market may see a cumulative deficit of 2.1 billion pounds when factoring in global net zero pledges.

Figure 2. Uranium Supply and Demand Estimates (2008-2040E)

Source: UxC and Cameco Corp. Data as of 9/30/2024.

Higher uranium prices and more investment in uranium miners are needed to reduce the expected supply shortfall and meet current and future demand. Our focus is on uranium miners, which are upstream in the supply chain. Miners may be less susceptible to some geopolitical risks and may benefit as Western governments seek to secure critical supply chains by incentivizing domestic expansion for uranium miners.

In November 2024, Russia imposed restrictions on the export of enriched uranium to the U.S. This development has the potential to meaningfully impact downstream nuclear companies, such as utilities and enriched uranium importers, as Russia controls about 44% of global uranium enrichment capacity.6

Figure 3. Uranium Miners’ Market Capitalizations Have Grown with Increased Investment7 (2020-2024)

Source: Indxx and Bloomberg. Data as of 10/31/24.

2025 May Provide an Attractive Entry Point for Uranium Miners

After years of growth, uranium miners took a healthy pause amidst the broader uranium bull market. Off recent highs, spot uranium prices spent much of 2024 between $80 and $90 per pound before moving lower to $75 to $80 in Q4. Uranium miners tend to offer leverage to the price of uranium (see Figure 4), outperforming in rising markets while underperforming in falling markets. However, as a group, uranium miners showed resiliency in 2024, having outperformed the spot market as of the time of this writing.

Figure 4. Uranium Miners vs. Spot Uranium (2014-2024)

Source: Bloomberg and TradeTech LLC. Data from 9/30/2014 to 9/30/2024. World Uranium Equities measured by URAX Index, which tracks the performance of stocks globally that conduct business with uranium. URAX and Uranium Spot denominated in U.S. dollars.

Despite the bull market pause, the underlying fundamentals for uranium improved with positive support from technology companies, accelerating supply and demand constraints, and continued advancement on the political front. Among market developments in 2024 were:

  • The ban of importing Russian-enriched uranium by the United States by no later than 2027. This action was met with a preemptive Russian ban on exporting enriched uranium to the United States.
  • The announcement of plans to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan8 and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.9 
  • Talen Energy’s announcement of its sale of a nuclear-powered data center to Amazon.10
  • Meta’s requests for proposals to identify nuclear energy developers to help the company meet its AI innovation and sustainability objectives.11

We believe 2025 may represent an attractive buying opportunity for investors amid increasingly positive fundamentals.

Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (Ticker: URNM)

URNM provides focused pure-play12 exposure to uranium mining equities. Pure-play companies devote at least 50% of their assets to the uranium mining industry, including mining, exploration, development and production of uranium, holding physical uranium, owning uranium royalties or engaging in other non-mining activities supporting the uranium mining industry.

  • Only13 U.S.-listed ETF to provide targeted pure-play exposure to senior and junior uranium miners and physical uranium
    • Aggregate weight of 82.5% of the index is assigned to uranium miners, explorers, developers and producers
    • An aggregate weight of 17.5% of the index is allocated to entities that hold physical uranium, uranium royalties or other non-mining assets
  • Traditional market portfolios may provide very little, if any, exposure to uranium miners. Investors may consider adding URNM to existing portfolios to:
    • Diversify energy exposure traditionally allocated to the oil and gas sector
    • Provide growth potential as part of a thematic or growth allocation

URNM Is Part of the Sprott Critical Materials Suite of ETFs

Sprott Critical Materials ETFs

Footnotes

1Source: Boston Consulting Group, the Impact of Electricity.
2Source: IEA World Energy Outlook 2023 Net Zero Emissions Scenario.
3Source: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2023.
4Source: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2023.
5Source: Reuters, Microsoft deal propels Three Mile Island restart, with key permits still needed.
6Source: Reuters, Russia restricts enriched uranium exports to the United States.
7Source: Indxx and Bloomberg, as of 10/31/24.
8Source: The New York Times, U.S. Approves Billions in Aid to Restart Michigan Nuclear Plant.
9Source: Reuters, US nuclear regulator kicks off review on Three Mile Island restart.
10Source: NuclearNewswire, Amazon buys nuclear-powered data center from Talen.
11Source: Meta, Accelerating the Next Wave of Nuclear to Power AI Innovation.
12The term “pure-play” relates directly to the exposure that the Fund has to the total universe of investable, publicly listed securities in the investment strategy.
13Based on Morningstar’s universe of Natural Resources Sector Equity ETFs as of 9/30/2024.
Categories
Base Metals Blog Energy Junior Mining Precious Metals

US budget deficit climbs to $367 billion in November on calendar payment shifts

The U.S Treasury building in Washington. · Reuters

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government posted a $367 billion budget deficit for November, up 17% from a year earlier, as calendar adjustments for benefit payments boosted outlays by some $80 billion compared to the same month in 2023, the Treasury Department said on Wednesday.

The Treasury Department said that without the acceleration of December payments for the Medicare and Social Security programs into November, the deficit last month would have been about $29 billion, or 9% lower than last year.

The health care and pension programs for seniors are two of the government’s largest expenditure items.

But as reported, the November deficit was a record high for that month. Receipts and outlays also were record highs for the month of November, with receipts up 10% to $302 billion, and outlays up 14% to $669 billion.

The deficit for the first two months of the 2025 fiscal year also was a record high for that period – higher than the deficits of the COVID-19 era – reaching $624 billion, up $244 billion, or 64%, from the same period a year earlier. The government’s fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.

Those deficits were also inflated by calendar-related benefit shifts as well as higher receipts in October and November of 2023 due to the expiration of tax payment deferrals tied to California wildfires and other weather-related disasters that year.

Year-to-date receipts as reported were down 7% from a year earlier to $629 billion, while year-to-date outlays were up 18% to $1.253 trillion.

The outlays for the first two months of the fiscal year included a $4 billion, or 30%, increase in Department of Homeland Security spending to $19 billion, largely reflecting Federal Emergency Management Agency spending related to recent hurricanes.

But the Treasury’s interest cost on public debt for the fiscal year’s first two months was flat at $169 billion, despite a $7 billion increase for November.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Paul Simao)

Original Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/buy-dogecoin-while-under-1-092700666.html

Categories
Base Metals Emx Royalty Energy Junior Mining Oil & Gas Precious Metals Project Generators

Trump Chooses Oil Fracking Boss Wright as Energy Secretary

Trump Chooses Oil Fracking Boss Wright as Energy Secretary

(Bloomberg) — President-elect Donald Trump nominated Chris Wright, who runs a Colorado-based oil and natural gas fracking services company, to lead the Energy Department.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Wright, the chief executive officer of Liberty Energy Inc., has no previous Washington experience. He’s made a name for himself as a vocal proponent of oil and gas, saying fossil fuels are crucial for spreading prosperity and lifting people from poverty. The threat of global warming, he has said, is exaggerated.

“Chris has been a leading technologist and entrepreneur in Energy,” Trump said in a statement Saturday. “He has worked in Nuclear, Solar, Geothermal, and Oil and Gas. Most significantly, Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics.”

Trump said Wright, if confirmed, would also sit on the newly formed Council of National Energy that will be chaired by Doug Burgum, Trump’s nominee to lead the Interior Department.

The Energy Department has a disparate mission that includes helping to maintain the nation’s nuclear warheads, studying supercomputers and maintaining the US’s several hundred million-barrel stockpile of crude oil.

It also plays a key role in approving projects to export liquefied natural gas, something that was paused during Biden’s administration. Trump has vowed to undo the pause.

While the department has little authority over oil and gas development, Wright will play a leading role in helping Trump carry out his energy priorities.

Trump’s selection of Wright, whose company is among the largest providers of fracking services globally, is a show of support for the hot-button oil and gas extraction method that Trump frequently touted during the campaign to attack his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.

Harris said she’d consider banning the technique during her 2020 primary run and reversed course in her 2024 campaign.

‘No Climate Crisis’

Wright’s company published a 180-page paper this year that concluded climate change “is far from the world’s greatest threat to human life,” and that “hydrocarbons are essential to improving the wealth, health, and life opportunities for the less energized.”

“There is no climate crisis. And we are not in the midst of an energy transition either,” Wright said in a video posted on his LinkedIn page. “Humans, and all complex life on earth, is simply impossible without carbon dioxide — hence the term carbon pollution is outrageous.”

Wright holds engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley. He describes himself on his Denver-based company’s website as a “tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian.”

While Wright has warned that subsidies for wind and solar drive up power prices and increase grid instability, he does support alternative energy. He serves on the board of small modular reactor developer Oklo Inc., and his company is an investor in geothermal energy and sodium-ion battery technology.

“I’m not here to protect market share for oil gas,” he said during a 2022 interview with Bloomberg Television. “We should do credible things, mostly driven by market forces. But shoveling subsidies at wind and solar, which are 3% of global energy, that’s not meaningfully going to change greenhouse gas emissions. But it is going to drive electricity prices up.”

Wright is also on the board EMX Royalty Corp., a global mining royalties firm, according to his company bio.

Trump named Wright with backing from Continental Resources Chairman Harold Hamm, a Trump energy adviser and donor. Hamm said in an interview with the Houston-based trade publication Hart Energy that Wright was his choice for the job.

If confirmed by Congress, Wright would play a leading role in Trump carrying out his campaign pledge to declare a national emergency on energy. Trump has cast such a declaration as helping increase domestic energy production — including for electricity — which he says is needed to help meet booming power needs for artificial intelligence.

Under the first Trump administration, the Energy Department played a critical role in the president-elect’s efforts to revive US coal power, an initiative he’s hinted he may attempt again.

Wright would also oversee Trump’s promise to refill the nation’s emergency cache of crude oil. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has a capacity of more than 700 million barrels, reached lows not seen since the 1980s following the Biden administration’s unprecedented drawdown of a record 180 million barrels in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trump’s first energy secretary, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, called for eliminating the agency entirely during a run for president in the 2012 cycle. He later apologized and vowed to defend the agency “after being briefed on so many of the vital functions” it plays.

–With assistance from David Wethe.

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-chooses-oil-fracking-boss-214648842.html