Barrick Mining: The Giant Shows What Is Possible
The global mining industry is undergoing a profound restructuring amid the current turmoil, as money continues to lose value and international supply chains falter. Behind the scenes, a strategic transformation is taking place at the gold and copper giant Barrick Mining. The company is planning to spin off and subsequently partially list its top-tier North American gold projects to separate more stable Western assets from riskier international mines. This spin-off is intended to offer shareholders a clear choice between a defensive gold producer and a growth-oriented unit.
New to the agenda since 2024 are the copper prospects surrounding the Reko Diq project in Pakistan and the resulting ambitions in the field of green industrial metals. Reko Diq is one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits, but it carries significant geopolitical and financial risks. Due to regional security concerns and skyrocketing investment costs, the timeline for the billion-dollar project had to be significantly adjusted and slowed down in 2026.
At the same time, ongoing operational tensions in the US state of Nevada made headlines, where Barrick operates the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture. Partner Newmont criticized years of deteriorating performance there and even accused Barrick of improperly diverting joint venture resources to its own projects. These operational differences led to a formal notice of default from Newmont in the summer of 2026, which temporarily blocked Barrick’s planned spin-off. It was not until a comprehensive agreement was reached in August 2026, consolidating disputed properties, that the dispute was resolved and the path was cleared for the IPO. This dynamic interplay of copper expansion and regional management conflicts illustrates the complex challenges facing industry giants in the current commodities cycle. Analysts on the LSEG Refinitiv platform see 12-month upside potential of 15% based on a price of CAD 66—the latest “dream figures” do not seem to have been factored in yet.
Newmont Corp.: Minor Disputes Play No Role in the Big Picture
Although the resolved Nevada conflict with Barrick caused some temporary unrest in the summer of 2026, an industry giant like Newmont is by no means reliant on skirmishes with the competition. This is because the company has a first-class, globally diversified portfolio that generates enormous organic earnings power independent of regional joint ventures. A central pillar of this self-sufficiency is the consistent optimization of the Newcrest Mining assets acquired in 2023, which are now being fully integrated to generate synergies. Through this merger, Newmont has secured strategically valuable flagship projects in politically stable jurisdictions such as Australia and Canada, which guarantee long-term cash flows. In addition, management is advancing an ambitious divestiture program of non-core businesses to further strengthen the balance sheet and focus exclusively on high-margin “Tier 1” mines. Naturally, the company is investing heavily in the technological modernization and automation of its existing facilities, which sustainably reduces operating costs per ounce. As with Barrick, another strategic strength is the targeted expansion in the copper-gold by-product segment, allowing Newmont to benefit directly from the booming market for critical industrial metals. Thanks to this forward-looking strategy, the company can offer its shareholders one of the most reliable and attractive dividend structures in industry, even during volatile market phases.
Lahontan Gold: Much More Gold Than Initially Expected
From big to small! Canadian mining explorer Lahontan Gold made a real splash in Nevada with the release of its updated resource estimate on August 17, 2026. The latest data confirm a massive leap forward for the flagship Santa Fe project and impressively underscore the property’s geological potential. Across all projects, open-pit resources in the “Indicated” category rose to an outstanding 1,195,000 ounces of gold equivalent. In the “Inferred” category, a further impressive 1,190,000 ounces of gold equivalent have been added. In total, management reports a phenomenal 22% increase in ounces compared to the 2024 estimate.
In particular, near-surface oxide deposits Slab and York stood out in the assessment with a sensational volume increase of over 37%. The core zone of the historic open-pit mine also expanded significantly, exceeding previous figures by more than 26%. CEO Kimberly Ann explained that these strong figures now form the fundamental basis for the upcoming preliminary economic assessment (PEA). Meanwhile, experts based in Reno are already working intensively on the mine design and refining the future processing scheme. The strategic focus is on cost-effective heap leaching in the initial phase, followed by the subsequent development of the deep sulphide deposits.
IIF host Lyndsay Malchuk gets to the bottom of the facts in Nevada and interviews CEO and founder Kimberly Ann.
The company is thus accelerating the important transition from a pure project developer to a full-fledged producer and aims to begin construction in 2027. The latest drill results from the current year in the eastern Calvada East sector demonstrate just how dynamically the project is progressing. Drill hole CAL26-12R intersected a strong 1.26 g/t gold equivalent over 12.2 m, confirming the continuation of mineralization below the previous planning levels. Drill hole CAL26-11R also delivered a geological surprise, intersecting 13.7 m of 1.10 g/t gold equivalent in volcanic rock. This hit along the prominent Summit Fault opens the door to a completely new exploration area, as the gold zone remains open in various directions. The fact that the system extends well beyond the previous boundaries of the model pit lends the stock considerable additional substance. The already developed brownfield site enables bringing newly discovered ounces into production much faster than on undeveloped land. Given a market capitalization of just under CAD 160 million, Lahontan shares offer a first-class opportunity for forward-thinking commodity investors in the current environment. The positive return should become apparent very soon!
Current developments surrounding persistent inflation and the tight interest rate environment make it clear that the gold sector is picking up steam again following the recent consolidation. While the industry giants can move forward with their growth strategies after resolving their Nevada conflict in August 2026, an expanded opportunity in Nevada could lie with junior explorer Lahontan Gold. According to CEO Kimberly Ann, the milestones are within reach in just a few months—and then it is “Fly Baby Fly”! However, striking the right balance between defensive major producers and promising explorers will determine investment success in the medium term.
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