Interview with Nolas Paterson, CEO of Atlas Salt Inc.

Recording date: 8th July 2025

Atlas Salt (TSXV: SALT) presents a compelling value proposition for investors seeking exposure to North America's critical infrastructure mineral supply deficit through a strategically positioned, environmentally sustainable industrial mineral project. Under new CEO Nolan Peterson's leadership, the company is advancing the Great Atlantic Salt project in Newfoundland to address the continent's persistent 10-12 million ton annual deicing salt import dependency.

The investment opportunity centers on Atlas Salt's unique positioning to capture market share in a $1.5-2.5 billion annual market characterized by exceptional stability and predictable demand growth. Unlike volatile commodity markets, deicing salt demonstrates consistent 2% annual price appreciation tracking inflation, with periodic 4-5% increases during severe winters that establish new pricing floors. Municipal customers cannot defer winter road maintenance, creating recession-resistant demand that positions salt as an essential infrastructure commodity rather than a cyclical material.

The Great Atlantic Salt project's competitive advantages stem from superior geological and geographical positioning. The shallow 200-meter deposit depth enables cost-effective drift mining with conveyor systems, contrasting sharply with competing projects requiring expensive shaft mining at 500-600 meter depths. This fundamental advantage positions Atlas Salt at the lower end of the cost curve while foreign competitors face 3-4x longer shipping timeframes and associated logistics costs that erode their competitive positioning.

Project economics demonstrate infrastructure-grade investment characteristics with 34+ years of production generating over $100 million annual free cash flow after tax. The 18.5% after-tax IRR and sub-five-year payback period reflect conservative modeling using bulk deicing salt pricing, providing upside potential through higher-margin retail applications and production optimization initiatives. When contextualized against gold equivalent metrics, the resource represents a 25-35 million ounce deposit, highlighting the project's substantial scale.

Environmental leadership distinguishes Atlas Salt within the mining sector through 100% battery electric operations eliminating diesel usage, chemical processing, water consumption, and tailings generation. The operation will produce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to just four Newfoundland households annually, positioning the company to benefit from increasing ESG investment focus while delivering superior returns through operational efficiency.

Strategic infrastructure positioning provides additional competitive moats. Located 3km from deep-water port facilities on the Trans-Canada Highway, the project enables efficient distribution to major northeastern US and eastern Canadian markets. The proximity advantage becomes particularly pronounced during severe weather periods when import logistics face maximum constraints.

The financing strategy leverages the project's industrial mineral characteristics to access infrastructure-focused debt providers typically unavailable to traditional mining projects. With total capital requirements of $480 million, Atlas Salt is engaging sovereign wealth funds and institutional lenders attracted to long-term, stable cash flow profiles. The phased development approach mitigates near-term financing pressure while enabling progressive project derisking.

Market entry timing provides exceptional opportunity as no new North American salt mines have been constructed in 25-30 years despite growing import dependence. The 2.5 million ton production target represents approximately 25% of current import volumes, positioning Atlas Salt as a meaningful market participant without threatening established supply relationships.

Advanced permitting status further derisks the investment proposition. The project has completed environmental assessment approval, eliminating a primary risk factor in Canadian mining development while benefiting from strong community support that reduces regulatory and social license risks.

Atlas Salt represents a distinctive opportunity to participate in addressing North America's critical infrastructure mineral deficit while capturing stable, long-term cash flows characteristic of essential industrial minerals. The convergence of market necessity, strategic positioning, environmental leadership, and proven economics creates compelling investment dynamics rarely available in commodity markets.

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Interview with Chris Stevens, CEO of Coda Minerals Ltd.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/coda-minerals-asxcod-copper-cobalt-project-demonstrates-robust-economics-7009

Recording date: 8th July 2025

Coda Minerals Limited (ASX:COD) represents a compelling investment opportunity in the rapidly strengthening copper market, positioned at the critical intersection of technical innovation, proven management execution, and exceptional infrastructure advantages. The Perth-based company has achieved a transformational metallurgical breakthrough at its Elizabeth Creek copper-cobalt-silver project in South Australia, fundamentally altering the project's economics and development pathway.

The company's most significant achievement is the successful development of an ammonium chloride whole ore leaching process that delivers recovery rates exceeding 95%, representing a dramatic improvement from the previous 55% recovery rates at the Windabout deposit. CEO Chris Stevens characterizes this advancement as "effectively free money," highlighting the direct revenue enhancement potential over the mine's life. This breakthrough eliminates a major technical risk while opening possibilities for smaller-scale startup operations with reduced capital requirements and earlier cash flow generation.

Elizabeth Creek's robust project economics align closely with recently acquired Australian copper companies, delivering an $802 million NPV post-tax with a 35% IRR based on over one million tons of contained copper equivalent in JORC indicated resources. Critically, 93% of resources are classified as indicated, providing exceptional geological confidence rarely seen at this development stage. These economics become particularly compelling when viewed against recent takeover activity, with Rex Minerals acquired for $393 million, New World Resources subject to competing bids exceeding $230 million, and Xanadu Mines accepting a $160 million offer.

Stevens emphasizes the validation from peer transactions: "There is now empirical evidence that companies that are able to do that with credible solid projects with comparable MPVs, comparable IRRs, comparable capexes are being valued over $200 million." This peer group comparison suggests significant value realization potential as Coda advances through its 12-month Pre-Feasibility Study timeline.

The company's management team brings proven execution capability, having previously developed 17 projects and transformed Elizabeth Creek from two open pits to five times the original resource base. Stevens notes: "This is a team that has taken, frankly, a bit of a busted project with two open pits, turned it into five times the resources." The team's disciplined approach to capital allocation and project advancement provides confidence in their ability to deliver on development milestones.

Elizabeth Creek benefits from exceptional infrastructure advantages that distinguish it from typical remote Australian developments. Located adjacent to BHP's established haulage road with contractual usage rights, the project sits one hour from Roxby Downs and maintains access to power infrastructure and established supply chains. South Australia's streamlined regulatory environment offers additional advantages through its unique iterative approval process.

The investment opportunity is enhanced by favorable copper market timing, with prices advancing from $8,000 to over $10,000 per ton while financing availability improves and capital costs reduce. Stevens observes the strategic timing: "I personally think doing that is maybe leaving a party just as it starts to get exciting with the way that copper's moving."

Coda maintains strong financial positioning with over $4 million cash and low corporate costs, providing runway to advance critical path items without immediate dilution pressure. The company's critical minerals classification through cobalt credits enhances strategic value while multiple development pathways provide flexibility in capital structure approaches.

For investors seeking exposure to the copper supply shortage driven by electrification trends, Coda offers a de-risked entry point with established resources, proven economics, exceptional infrastructure, and experienced management positioned to deliver significant value appreciation through the critical feasibility phase.

View Coda Minerals' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/coda-minerals-ltd

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Interview with Paul Lock, Managing Director of Flagship Minerals

Recording date: 8th July 2025

Flagship Minerals (ASX:FLG) presents a compelling investment opportunity following its strategic pivot from lithium to gold and copper assets in Chile's established mining jurisdiction. Under Managing Director Paul Lock's leadership, the company has transformed from an exploration entity to a near-development opportunity with the advanced Pantanillo Gold Project as its cornerstone asset.

The Pantanillo Gold Project represents exceptional value with 1.05 million ounces of gold resources, featuring 80% measured classification that provides high geological confidence. The project's oxide and mixed mineralization profile makes it ideally suited for heap leach processing, creating favorable development economics. Supported by 20,500 meters of drilling, including substantial diamond drilling, the resource offers immediate expansion potential to 1.75-2 million ounces without additional drilling expenditure through pit shell optimization and cutoff grade adjustments utilizing current gold pricing.

Management's strategic positioning leverages proximity to established operations for benchmarking and infrastructure advantages. Rio2's Fenix project, located 35 kilometers north, provides current market validation with proven economics, while Pantanillo offers superior grade characteristics at 0.69 grams per ton—representing 40% higher grade than Rio2's proven and probable reserves. This grade advantage suggests competitive operating cost potential in a proven metallurgical environment.

The development timeline targets JORC resource conversion by October-November 2025, followed by pre-feasibility study (PFS) completion by end of 2026. This aggressive but achievable schedule leverages existing geological data and regional project benchmarks to accelerate progression toward production decisions. The target production profile of 100,000 ounces annually over 10 years provides sufficient scale to attract major royalty and streaming companies, addressing management's strategic approach to alternative financing pathways.

Lock emphasized the financing strategy: "If we have a pathway to alternate financing and that would be one of the royalty streamers then we beat the Lassonde curve, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to look at traditional equity and so on." This approach positions the company to avoid dilutive equity raises during construction phases while maintaining development control.

Chile's mining-friendly regulatory environment provides additional advantages with recent legislation reducing permitting timelines by 30-70%. The jurisdiction's established infrastructure, including three high-quality road access points and proximity to existing power transmission lines, reduces development risks and capital requirements compared to greenfield locations.

The company's enterprise value of approximately $12 per ounce represents a significant discount to peer group averages of $90-100 per ounce for companies with similar resource profiles. This 87% valuation discount reflects limited market awareness of the strategic transformation and gold project acquisition, creating substantial revaluation potential as development milestones are achieved.

Management's commodity trading and project finance background, combined with established Chilean operational experience, provides execution capability often lacking in junior mining companies. The strategic focus on proven metals markets offers diversified offtake opportunities compared to specialized battery metals facing structural oversupply conditions.

Flagship Minerals offers investors exposure to a rare combination of proven resources, near-term development catalysts, infrastructure advantages, and significant valuation disconnect. The company's strategic positioning in Chile's established mining jurisdiction, combined with superior grade characteristics and alternative financing pathways, creates compelling risk-adjusted returns potential for gold-focused investors seeking exposure to advanced development opportunities.

Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.com/compamies/flagship-minerals

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Interview with Andre Liebenberg, Executive Director & CEO of Yellow Cake PLC

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/slow-supply-fast-demand-uraniums-new-investment-reality-7136

Recording date: 7th July 2025

Yellow Cake presents a compelling pure-play uranium investment opportunity positioned to capitalize on structural supply-demand imbalances in the global uranium market. The London-listed company holds approximately 22 million pounds of physical uranium stored primarily in Canada and France, providing direct exposure to uranium price appreciation without operational mining risks.

The investment thesis centers on a fundamental supply deficit that is expected to persist for 3-5 years. Current global uranium production delivers approximately 165 million pounds annually against demand of 180 million pounds and rising, creating an immediate gap of 15 million pounds that is projected to widen as nuclear capacity expansion accelerates globally. China alone is constructing 26-28 reactors simultaneously, while technology companies increasingly turn to nuclear power for reliable, clean electricity to power data centers and artificial intelligence operations.

Technology sector involvement represents a transformative catalyst for uranium demand. Amazon's $20 billion commitment to data center complexes alone represents half the market capitalization of the entire uranium sector, highlighting the scale of capital these companies are willing to deploy for energy security. As CEO Andre Liebenberg notes, "If a tech company had to put 20 billion dollars into the mining space, you could build a pretty big project for that." This suggests technology companies possess sufficient resources to directly address supply constraints through upstream investments if fuel security becomes a constraint to their operations.

Supply-side constraints appear particularly acute given the limited number of producing jurisdictions. Five countries produce 90% of global uranium, with Kazakhstan accounting for approximately half of world production. Much of this flows to China and Russia, creating a "bifurcated market" where Western utilities face increasing competition for uranium supplies. As Liebenberg explains, "Kazakhstan, half their material goes to China. If you include Russia, it's probably closer to 2/3. Namibia, the two operating mines in Namibia are both owned by the Chinese that goes to China."

Critical inventory depletion adds urgency to the supply situation. US utilities now hold approximately two years or less of uranium reserves against an 18-24 month fuel cycle, representing what Liebenberg characterizes as "the low point of their infantry." This follows nearly a decade of utilities contracting below consumption levels, a practice that cannot continue indefinitely. The eventual resumption of utility contracting represents a key catalyst for uranium price appreciation.

Yellow Cake's strategic positioning provides multiple competitive advantages. The company's agreement with Kazatomprom allows $100 million annual uranium acquisitions at spot prices through 2027, providing assured access to supply in an increasingly thin market. As Liebenberg observes, "With the spot market today, you saw Sprott raise $200 million and the spot market popped $7 without them spending a penny. It's a very thin and liquid market. So $100 million volume will move the price."

The company's track record demonstrates strategy effectiveness. Yellow Cake raised $200 million at IPO when uranium traded at $21 per pound and has grown to over $1.5 billion in market capitalization with uranium at $76 per pound. Liebenberg expresses confidence in continued appreciation: "I'm still of the belief that we could see a doubling in the uranium price. We're sort of partway through that journey."

Government policy support for nuclear expansion, including the World Bank's decision to resume nuclear project funding and support from 14 major banks for tripling nuclear capacity, creates favorable regulatory tailwinds. Small modular reactor development adds another demand catalyst, with commercial operation possible by the end of the decade.

Yellow Cake PLC offers investors direct uranium exposure through a transparent, risk-controlled business model positioned to benefit from structural supply-demand imbalances and technology sector-driven demand growth over the next 3-5 years.

View Yellow Cake's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/yellow-cake-plc

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Recording date: 8th July 2025

Olive Resource Capital's impressive 33% first-half return demonstrates the potential for focused mining investment strategies. The fund's success with three key holdings—Omai Gold Mines, Troilus Gold, and Sailfish Royalties—each delivering over 100% returns, validates the selective positioning approach within the mining sector. Troilus Gold's appreciation from the $30-39 range to $60-70 exemplifies the re-rating potential when mining companies execute development plans or benefit from improved market conditions.

Recent transactions, particularly Royal Gold's acquisition of Sandstorm Gold and Horizon Copper, provide concrete valuation frameworks that reveal substantial upside in undervalued royalty companies. The Royal Gold-Sandstorm transaction establishes a concrete methodology for valuing royalty companies at approximately 88% of attributable gold ounces at current spot prices. This approach, focusing on deliverable resources with reasonable certainty, provides more reliable metrics than complex net present value calculations. Historical precedent supports this framework, with similar transactions ranging from 60% to 100% of spot gold value.

The 88% valuation metric to Sailfish Royalties reveals approximately 150% upside potential. Based on estimated deliverable resources from San Albino and Spring Valley projects, the company's fair value approaches $350 million, while currently trading at just under $150 million enterprise value. The presence of tier-one development assets may command premium valuations, as royalty companies particularly value growth opportunities on the path to production.

Understanding why more M&A doesn't occur reveals both challenges and opportunities. The complex process involves multiple failure points: unrealistic valuations, excessive management compensation demands, structural complexity, and hidden liabilities discovered during due diligence. These challenges protect against hostile takeovers but also create opportunities for investors who can identify logical consolidation candidates before market recognition.

The consolidation imperative creates specific investment opportunities: targeting royalty companies with tier-one development assets trading below M&A comparables, identifying management teams with proven M&A experience, and focusing on logical consolidation candidates in established mining districts. Failed transactions often create attractive re-entry opportunities, as companies trade down despite unchanged fundamentals.

The sector's fragmentation necessitates fewer, stronger companies rather than the current proliferation of small, poorly capitalized entities. Companies with experienced management teams capable of executing transactions may command premium valuations, while potential targets trading below fair value based on M&A comparables represent attractive opportunities.

The mathematical framework demonstrated by recent royalty M&A transactions provides investors with concrete tools for identifying undervalued assets and understanding catalysts that drive substantial returns. While M&A complexity creates execution risk, it also ensures that successful transactions often command significant premiums, benefiting investors who understand these dynamics and position appropriately.

Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.com

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Interview with Hayden Locke, CEO and President, Marimaca Copper

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/marimaca-copper-tsxmari-big-discovery-adds-high-grade-scale-7123

Recording date: 3rd July, 2025

Marimaca Copper Corp has announced a potentially transformational discovery at its Pampa Medina project in Chile's Atacama Desert, with drilling results intersecting some of the highest-grade copper mineralization reported in recent Chilean exploration. The Vancouver-based company's breakthrough drilling campaign has revealed exceptional high-grade copper intersections that represent a rare geological occurrence in Chile.

The standout result from hole SMRD-13 delivered 6 meters of 12.0% copper from 594 meters downhole within a broader 26 meters of 4.1% copper, with mineralization consisting primarily of bornite and chalcopyrite hosted in sedimentary units. President and CEO Hayden Locke emphasized the pure copper nature of the discovery, noting "that's all copper. There's no byproducts. There's no gold. There's no silver included in that."

What makes this discovery particularly significant is its geological classification as a sediment-hosted manto system, which is exceptionally rare in Chile. VP Exploration Sergio Rivera, with four decades of Chilean copper exploration experience, compared the deposit to world-class systems: "Sergio says he's never seen a deposit like this other than in very small areas in Chile. So his view is that it's much more analogous to the Kupfershiefer in Poland and Germany and then the African sedimentary copper basin."

The drilling campaign has successfully defined high-grade mineralization across a 600-meter east-west by 1,000-meter north-south area, with further drilling indicating potential extensions to 1.4 kilometers by 1.2 kilometers. The company achieved a remarkable hit rate, with five out of seven drill holes intersecting high-grade mineralized zones across broad step-out spacing.

Despite this exceptional discovery, Marimaca maintains disciplined capital allocation, prioritizing advancement of its Marimaca Oxide Deposit to production while allocating increased exploration budget to define Pampa Medina's full potential. The project benefits from exceptional infrastructure positioning, with proximity to existing mines, powerlines, water pipelines, and minimal permitting risks in Chile's established mining region.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/marimaca-copper

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Recording date: 2nd July 2025

The conventional wisdom about summer doldrums in mining and resource investing deserves significant reconsideration, according to recent analysis by Derek Mcpherson and Sam Pelaez of Olive Resource Capital. Their examination of historical performance data reveals a market environment far more dynamic and opportunity-rich than traditional seasonal assumptions suggest.

Historical data from major mining indices contradicts expectations of quiet summer markets. The GDXJ (VanEck Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF) experienced substantial two-month moves ranging from -8% in 2021 to +12% in 2024 during July-August periods. The TSX Venture Materials Index showed similarly significant volatility, with moves far exceeding typical expectations for supposedly dormant seasonal periods. These figures represent meaningful portfolio impacts when considered against annual return expectations.

The summer period's defining characteristic—reduced trading volume—creates unique market dynamics that sophisticated investors can exploit. With fewer market participants active and reduced institutional presence, temporary liquidity gaps can generate attractive entry points for patient investors. Individual selling decisions can create disproportionate price movements, offering opportunities to acquire quality positions at dislocated prices.

Despite reduced market attention, corporate activity continues throughout summer months. Companies still release material information including drill results and corporate developments, but with fewer investors paying attention, good news may not receive immediate market recognition. This creates opportunities for prepared investors to position themselves before broader market awareness occurs.

The slower pace provides optimal conditions for conducting thorough research and due diligence. Enhanced access to management teams and reduced daily market noise allow for comprehensive analysis of potential investments and portfolio repositioning. However, investors must remain vigilant, as summer periods also represent common timing for companies to release negative developments when market attention is minimal.

Rather than a dormant season, summer represents an actively strategic period requiring balanced approach of relaxation, research, and vigilant monitoring for both opportunities and risks.

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Interview with Troy Boisjoli, CEO of ATHA Energy Corp.

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/atha-energy-tsxvsask-district-scale-uranium-discovery-potential-in-untested-basin-7260

Recording date: 27th June 2025

ATHA Energy Corp. (TSXV: SASK) has delivered significant exploration results from its Angilak Uranium Project in Nunavut, Canada, marking a pivotal breakthrough for the uranium exploration company. The results from the first two drill holes of their 2025 exploration program demonstrate both new discovery potential and continued expansion of their established resource base.

The company's maiden drill hole at the KU Discovery Target successfully intersected uranium mineralization within the previously undrilled Angikuni Basin, validating years of systematic geological work. The hole intersected 7.1 meters of composite mineralization, including 0.7 meters of high-grade uranium with radioactivity readings reaching 18,490 counts per second. CEO Troy Boisjoli emphasized the significance: "First hole along a 31 km long trend across a basin with no drilling in it and we hit mineralization in the first hole."

Concurrent with the new discovery, ATHA successfully extended mineralization at their flagship Lac 50 deposit, which hosts a historic resource of 43 million pounds of uranium at 0.69% grade. The drilling extended mineralization approximately 100 meters down-dip, demonstrating the deposit remains open and unconstrained.

The geological features encountered bear striking similarities to the world-class Athabasca Basin, home to some of the highest-grade uranium deposits globally. The drill hole intersected a 23-meter-wide graphitic fault zone with approximately 90 meters of structural offset, conditions historically associated with significant uranium deposits.

ATHA's management team brings proven uranium development experience from Cameco and NexGen operations, providing execution capability for advancing projects through development stages. The exploration success occurs against strengthening uranium market fundamentals, with CEO Boisjoli noting: "The absolute reality is that we do not have enough pounds at a significant scale to meet demand."

The 2025 exploration program comprises approximately 10,000 meters of diamond drilling, focusing on expanding the Lac 50 footprint while systematically testing regional targets along the 31-kilometer trend.

View ATHA Energy's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/atha-energy

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