Decades of underinvestment trigger copper shortfall
The guest argued that a multi-decade structural underinvestment in copper mining has created an inevitable supply shortfall that will take up to 20 years to resolve.
The argument
Rule noted that major global mines are past their prime, and bringing a new grassroots discovery to production takes roughly 18 years due to exploration, drilling, permitting, and construction timelines. Meanwhile, demand is driven not just by EVs and AI, but by a billion people gaining access to primary electricity.
The thesis, stress-tested
✓ What validates it
- ✓M&A activity increases with majors buying development-stage projects at high multiples
- ✓Copper spot prices rise to levels that force demand rationing
▸ Risks discussed
- ▸Permitting delays can trap capital for decades
- ▸Global economic slowdown could temporarily suppress industrial demand
Hear it yourself
"A person who is able to call companies CEOs because he or she has known them for three decades. That's important. I don't mind if the person's young, but I don't want some behind the wet behind the ears pup. I want somebody with long experience, successful experience in the industry at hand. That's important. As you know, Grant, every single public company exhibitor at that conference has been vetted. At every other conference I know, the qualification to be an exhibitor is a check that cashes, not a stout test. In our conference, the shares need to be owned by the conference sponsors."
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