Mining & Mineral Exploration Drilling

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The situation is exacerbated by the fact that there is currently no National Park Service Director—or even a nominee—serving in the administration.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have signed two high-profile agreements on energy cooperation and critical minerals, coinciding with President Trump’s announcement of a $600 billion Saudi investment pledge.

In 2023, nearly 99% of uranium concentrate used in the U.S. came from abroad, with key sources including Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Vanadium, meanwhile, is almost entirely mined in countries like China, Russia, and South Africa. 

With a dynamic blend of cultural, economic, and technological drivers, the precious metals industry is set to play a pivotal role in the global economy over the next decade.

The decision focuses on the Battle Springs Formation—a deep aquifer in the Great Divide Basin—and clears the way for Lost Creek ISR, LLC, to boost its underground mining efforts.

For drillers, this long-term outlook may support strategic expansion, especially in jurisdictions with favorable regulatory and logistical conditions. It also reinforces copper’s status as a cornerstone of the green energy transition—and a commodity in increasingly high demand.

If completed, the facility would play a pivotal role in strengthening the domestic supply chain for lithium, a material critical to electric vehicles, energy storage, defense technologies, and emerging AI systems.

President Donald Trump has also directed a review of potential tariffs on critical mineral imports, further signaling a policy shift toward bolstering domestic mining as a matter of national economic and security strategy.

Nations Royalty and the Nisga'a Nation released a new documentary highlighting the Nisga'a Nation's long-standing leadership in economic self-determination and its efforts to build lasting prosperity for its people.

Some warn that streamlining development too aggressively could create economic instability in rural areas if mining booms aren’t matched by long-term infrastructure or diversification planning.