Mining
Iron Road (ASX:IRD)
Iron Road (ASX: IRD) has a vision to become a trusted and reliable supplier of premium iron concentrates to the Asian marketplace.
The flagship project in achieving this vision is the Central Eyre Iron Project (or CEIP) in South Australia. CEIP is a large scale development expected to produce 20Mtpa of iron concentrate. CEIP will require an industry partner to finance and develop associated rail and port infrastructure. Iron Road is in the final stage of Definitive Feasibility Study for the CEIP. Mineral Resources already top 2.5 billion tonnes, providing for 30+ years of production.
Alongside the CEIP, Iron Road is progressing a scoping study on the smaller scale Gawler Iron Project (Gawler). Gawler has the potential for 1-2 Mtpa development that can provide early sustaining cash flows. Gawler is close to established rail infrastructure with port access and can potentially provide product to gain early market acceptance for concentrates similar in specification to the larger expected CEIP output.
Iron Road’s development pathway will recognise market constraints and seek to utilise the common product specifications of CEIP and Gawler to enable a flexible development strategy.
Mining
Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining
This infographic highlights the need for new gold mining projects and shows the next generation of America’s gold deposits.
Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining
Between 2011 and 2020, the number of major gold discoveries fell by 70% relative to 2001-2010.
The lack of discoveries, alongside stagnating gold production, has cast a shadow of doubt on the future of gold supply.
This infographic sponsored by NOVAGOLD highlights the need for new gold mining projects with a focus on the company’s Donlin Gold project in Alaska.
The Current State of Gold Production
Between 2010 and 2019, gold production increased steadily, though this growth has stagnated over the past few years.
| Year | Gold Production, tonnes | YoY % Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2,560 | - |
| 2011 | 2,660 | 3.9% |
| 2012 | 2,690 | 1.1% |
| 2013 | 2,800 | 4.1% |
| 2014 | 2,990 | 6.8% |
| 2015 | 3,100 | 3.7% |
| 2016 | 3,110 | 0.3% |
| 2017 | 3,230 | 3.9% |
| 2018 | 3,300 | 2.2% |
| 2019 | 3,300 | 0.0% |
| 2020 | 3,030 | -8.2% |
| 2021 | 3,090 | 2.0% |
| 2022 | 3,100 | 0.3% |
Along with a small decrease in gold production in 2020, there were no new major gold discoveries in 2021.
The fall in production and long-term lack of gold discoveries point towards a possible imbalance in gold supply and demand. This calls for the introduction of new gold development projects that can fill the supply-demand gap in the future.
Sustaining Supply: Gold for the Future
Jurisdictions play an important role when looking for projects that could sustain gold production well into the future.
From political stability to trustworthy legal systems, the characteristics of a jurisdiction can make or break mining projects. Amid ongoing market uncertainty, political turmoil, and resource nationalism, projects in safe jurisdictions offer a better investment opportunity for investors and mining companies.
Today, 10 of the top 15 mining jurisdictions for investment are located in North America, according to the Fraser Institute report published in 2023.
A Golden Opportunity
Located in Alaska, one of the world’s safest mining jurisdictions, NOVAGOLD’s 50% owned Donlin Gold project has the highest average grade of gold among major development projects in the Americas. For every tonne of ore, Donlin Gold offers 2.24 grams of gold, which is more than twice the global average grade of 1.04g/t.
Additionally, Donlin Gold is the second-largest gold-focused development project in the Americas, with over 39 million ounces of gold in M&I resources inclusive of reserves.
NOVAGOLD is focused on the Donlin Gold project in equal partnership with Barrick Gold.
Learn more about Donlin Gold .
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