Investing in mining and metals requires a good grasp of complex processes and jargon. Here is a collection of my posts breaking down a few for mining investors.
If you love learning, you will enjoy them:
When investing in mining, grade is a highly nuanced, yet a fundamental concept to, not only grasp but master. Say, you're reviewing a new company or an announcement and they very cheerfully discuss a 0.55% Cu intercept. Is this good? Is it high grade? The response is... it depends. Many times a result could look … Continue reading Mining grades cheat sheets
Subscribe for tools and educational materials for mining investors, such as grades per deposit cheat sheets, research sources and more
Subscribe for tools and educational materials for mining investors, such as grades per deposit cheat sheets, research sources and more
Here's a compilation of typical questions investors have, with some magnificent answers from the community: As a new investor, I'm still unsure whether I prefer technical or fundamental analysis. How do you suggest I figure this out? As a new investor, experiencing my first bear market is a bit scary to me. What can I … Continue reading FAQ (insights from fellow mining investors and industry insiders)
Subscribe for tools and educational materials for mining investors, such as grades per deposit cheat sheets, research sources and more
Exploration is how we find metals and minerals. We discover the mines of tomorrow by investing in exploration. Investors need an understanding of the tools and techniques used, as these insights will help conduct due diligence and research. Today, let's talk about geophysical methods: Global exploration budgets rose 16% and a nine-year high of $13.01 … Continue reading Exploration methods: Geophysics 101
Mining properties are at the core of value creation in the sector. Both in a legal sense and within the mining lifecycle, the underlying properties are unique entities with specific rules and jargon. A bit of a puzzle! Let’s start with the concept of mining property, claim, licence or tenement (terms used interchangeably by miners): … Continue reading From prospects to mines: mining tenements explained
You don't need to be a geologist to invest in mining. There, I said it. I'm not a geo. And I'm glad as this gives me a different perspective. Here's how I did it (and you can too): 1. I took several short courses: Mineral Exploration and Mining Essentials by Rob Stevens Mineral Economics by … Continue reading Invest in mining stocks like a pro (without getting a geology degree)
Mining investors know that grade is crucial, yet not simple. Because what's high for copper porphyry may be low for vein systems and so on. Hence, here is your primer on grades by mineralisation/deposit type and its associated widths/thickness. First, types of deposits* can be classified as: Hydrothermal: Porphyry, VMS, SEDEX, meso & epithermal, etc … Continue reading Grades by mineral deposit types
Every successful investor excels at spotting potential risks fast. Whether by instinct or training, it's a crucial skill. Here are 8 red flags you don't want to find while researching your next mining investment: Red flags are nothing more than *potential* dangers in the fundamentals of a company. I'll list them from minor to serious … Continue reading Here are 8 red flags you don’t want to find while researching your next mining investment
Once an exploration project is advanced enough, economic studies are conducted to assess its viability in both current and near-future market conditions. It allows comparison with other projects. And the key unknowns become known. Here are the 12 main outputs from these studies to help you research any project for your portfolio Here we go: … Continue reading Main outputs from economic studies
Mining is a multi-year endeavour. At times, decades can go by. Understanding the process may help define your holding timeframe. Here is the full mining life cycle: Think of phases as links in a chain. You need all working in harmony: Exploration Consultations, permitting and finance Construction Mining Mineral processing Smelting & refining Closure & … Continue reading The full mining life cycle made simple
Copper is crucial for decarbonisation, yet we've been underinvesting for over a decade. To be copper-ready we must step up. Here's the skinny on porphyry deposits to help you take advantage of this lifetime opportunity. Today I'll cover some copper porphyry basics including: characteristics location grades tonnage must & nice to haves mining methods size … Continue reading Copper porphyries explained
Here are 'Mineral deposit types 101' (plus why you, as an investor, should care): Let's define mineral deposit: A body of rock that hosts a 'HIGH concentration'* of valuable minerals that may be extracted at a profit, given current technology and reasonable metal prices. *aka grade, is a moving target. We'll get back to that … Continue reading Deposit types explained, from porphyries to sedimentary
Drilling is the most significant exploration method in mining. But all drilling is not created equal. Here's your quick guide to drilling, to help you understand reports and news releases: Let's start with definitions. Drilling is simultaneously a geological and a geochemical exploration tool, where rock is recovered from beneath the surface for examination and … Continue reading Exploration methods: Drilling 101
Are you holding a 'lifestyle company' in your junior explorers' stock portfolio? Or considering one that might be? 5 questions to find out FAST, and reduce your risk: As a small cap investor, you do research on stocks in hopes of finding gems before they blow up. Recognizing risks as early on as possible is … Continue reading This lifestyle company checklist will help you avoid explorers not ‘in it for the right reasons’
Knowing the difference between the variety of economic studies used in mining and metals is crucial to any investor. Here's my 'Economic Studies 101', to help you predict how these could impact your investments: Let's get classification out of the way. There are 4 buckets: Scoping, preliminary economic assessment or PEA Preliminary feasibility or Pre-feasibility … Continue reading Economic Studies and how they can guide your stock selection
Understanding the difference between mineral resources & reserves is key to investing in mining and metals. Here's your 'Resources vs Reserves 101' to help you interpret news releases and reports: Let's get some definitions in first. Both are basically estimates of the grade and tonnage of economically interesting mineralisation existing in a deposit. While tonnage … Continue reading Resources vs Reserves: an easy guide for mining investors
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