Critical Minerals Push Drives High-Grade Exploration in BC's Golden Triangle

Core Insights - The United States is now fully reliant on imports for 16 critical minerals, with over half of 90 tracked commodities sourced from foreign suppliers, highlighting a significant supply chain vulnerability [1] - Global refined copper production is approximately 26.5 million tonnes, falling short of the demand of 27.2 million tonnes, resulting in a 700,000-tonne deficit, which could increase due to AI data center requirements [1] - The U.S. State Department held a Critical Minerals Ministerial in February 2026, resulting in the signing of eleven new bilateral frameworks and the announcement of a $10 billion strategic critical minerals reserve under Project Vault [1] Company Developments - GoldHaven Resources confirmed gold mineralization at its Copeçal West Target in Brazil, with the first drilling returning 39 meters at 0.11 g/t gold, indicating a mineralized system beneath a thick saprolite layer [3][4] - The Copeçal Gold Project is located in Brazil's Alta Floresta Mineral Province, where GoldHaven holds 3,681 hectares, and previous drilling at the East Target discovered bornite, suggesting potential for a substantial gold-copper system [4] - GoldHaven also confirmed high-grade tungsten mineralization at its Magno Property in British Columbia, with surface samples showing silver grades up to 2,370 grams per tonne and tungsten values reaching 6,550 ppm [5] Industry Trends - Junior exploration companies are adopting dual-track strategies that combine exploration with near-term production potential, which helps reduce funding risk while maintaining upside potential [2] - Scottie Resources reported high-grade gold intercepts from its Blueberry Contact Zone, with drill hole SR25-420 returning 34.3 g/t gold over 3.30 meters [6][7] - Goliath Resources reported high-grade drill results from its Golddigger property, with highlights including 19.13 g/t gold over 6.10 meters, indicating strong continuity of mineralization [8][9] - Sun Summit Minerals confirmed high-grade gold and silver potential at the Finn Zone within its JD Project, with drill hole FZ-25-002 returning 46.0 meters of 1.03 g/t gold and 44.9 g/t silver [10][11] - Thesis Gold appointed Coille van Alphen to its Board of Directors as it transitions from exploration to project development at its Lawyers-Ranch gold project, which has a Prefeasibility Study showing an after-tax IRR of 54.4% [13][14]