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Company InterviewsAn insight into junior mining and opportunities to invest. Author: Crux Investor
An insight into junior mining and opportunities to invest. Company Interviews, a Crux Investor show, exists to cut through the jargon, bias and bluster. Matthew Gordon, and guest host Merlin Marr-Johnson hone in on the important factors that indicate a company's strong footing for growth and success. Language: en-gb Genres: Business, Business News, Investing, News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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ValOre Metals (TSXV:VO) - PGE Developer With Novel Process, Exclusive IP, Clear Path to PEA
Friday, 6 March, 2026
Interview with Nick Smart, Director & CEO of ValOre MetalsOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/valore-metals-tsxvvo-platinum-palladium-project-advances-to-economic-study-9203Recording date: 4th March 2026ValOre Metals is at a defining moment in its evolution from exploration company to project developer. The company's flagship asset, the Pedra Branca PGE project in Ceará state, Brazil, hosts a 2.2 million ounce inferred resource at 1.08 grams per tonne, a resource of genuine scale in a metal category that faces structural supply constraints and growing strategic demand. For the first time, ValOre is now putting the economic framework around that resource through a comprehensive PEA programme targeted for publication by year-end 2025.The project's most distinctive feature is its development approach to the shallow, weathered upper ore body. Rather than applying conventional flotation which performs poorly on oxidised material, ValOre is developing a bioleaching process in partnership with the University of Cape Town's Department of Chemical Engineering. This technique, in which microorganisms are used to extract metals from ore, is industrially proven in copper and increasingly used in refractory gold, but has not previously been applied to a PGE deposit. Phase 1 lab-scale trials have delivered metal recoveries consistently in the high 70s percentage range, and the company has secured exclusive global rights to the jointly developed intellectual property.The implications are significant. The weathered zone accounts for roughly one-third of the total resource ounce count and sits at surface, meaning it can be mined simply and cheaply. A low-cost processing route applied to near-surface material creates the possibility of a viable early-stage operation that generates revenue and validates the process without requiring the capital commitment of a full-scale mine build. Under Brazilian mining law, a trial mining permit enables exactly this kind of phased approach, allowing the company to construct a demonstration plant targeting 10,000 to 15,000 ounces of platinum and palladium per year as a precursor to industrial-scale production of 150,000 to 200,000 ounces annually.The PEA, with a budget of approximately $4 million, is the bridge between the current exploration narrative and an investment-grade development story. It will address mining method, processing economics, capital and operating costs, and route to market for both the weathered and fresh sulphide ore bodies. Engineering consultancy Lycopodium is leading the technical work. Until the PEA is published, investors have lacked a valuation framework for Pedra Branca. Publication changes that and represents a credible re-rating catalyst.Management has taken additional steps to sharpen the investment case. The divestiture of legacy Hatchet uranium properties to Future Fuels removes a non-core distraction and concentrates the company entirely on PGE development. CEO Nick Smart brings direct in-country experience, having spent approximately six years building the Barro Alto nickel mine in Brazil for Anglo American. Brazil itself is actively positioning as a destination for critical minerals investment, with strong government and industry representation at PDAC 2026 underscoring the macro tailwind.The near-term catalysts are clear: bioleaching column test results, PEA publication, and trial mining permit application progress. For investors willing to engage with early-stage development risk, ValOre offers a large resource, proprietary technology, and a credible pathway to production in a jurisdiction that is increasingly attractive to Western capital.View ValOre Metals' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/valore-metalsSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com
