<smaller mines coming on line.>
The economics of copper, and nickel mining doesn't favor pick and shovel methods. It's a massive capital (and energy) intensive, big rock moving operation, with big frigging machinery, transportation challenges, and incredible locations.
There are a few, like RNO's Aquablanca (Ni, and some Cu), but it's spit in the ocean stuff. There is real potential in Northern Mexico to create a whole string of mines Carlin Trend style, but that's largely gold and silver, and copper and zinc, etc as byproducts. Some of these districts have huge potential, but there's lots of work to do, and they will not be a factor for several more years. There are enormous high grade deposits in Africa, including facilities, but right smack in the middle of lawlessness and civil war. In fact build a modern mine there, and you can guarantee a war will start up right around you, as local thugs try and take it. There's Tambogrande in northern Peru, which could very well be the richest deposit in the world, another big district. But, one of the porphyries is right underneath a city. I've been in the stock off and on (fortunately out last Sept, as it's collapsed) of the company (Manhattan Minerals: MAN.to) that owns this, and is been a tough and difficult odyssey for them: government inconsistency,
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opposition from the locals, sabotage
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, NGOs showing up. In fact, they now appear to be licked:
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I've tracked this sector closely over the last five years, I don't see much for awhile. There are even major obstacles to maintaining existing production, let alone expanding it:
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Maybe others who follow the sector closely like Claude Cormier, Loantech (Tom), Howie Sinclair, Elizabeth or Brent McCalla could chime in on this supply issue? |
