What caught readers' attention on Mining Journal this year

Look beyond market approach to project valuations: van Zyl

Leadership

Mahenge the Cinderella of the graphite space?

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black rock mining

Sky is the limit for BSK at Amarillo Grande

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blue sky uranium

New Energy brings experience to new dawn

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new energy minerals

Among the top five, "Commodity price optimism and the curious case of uranium" caught readers' eyes.
Anarcho Capital senior analyst Jayant Bhandari argued that investing in mining should be for only one reason: "for upside inherent in the company based on the lower of the spot and future prices".
  
Meanwhile, a prediction that copper would "fade in 2018" back in January attracted plenty of interest.

Look beyond market approach to project valuations: van Zyl

Leadership

Mahenge the Cinderella of the graphite space?

SPONSORED

black rock mining

Sky is the limit for BSK at Amarillo Grande

SPONSORED

blue sky uranium

New Energy brings experience to new dawn

SPONSORED

new energy minerals

 At the time, Barclays analyst Dane Davis said the bank raised its 2018 forecast for the LME average cash price of copper to $6,619/t, noting they expected it to incorporate a high degree of volatility. At the time, copper was worth more than $7,000/t on the LME. It closed at $6,127.75/t on Friday, down 0.5% on the previous close. Turning to another commodity, a March survey of prices that found the discount of lab-created, gem-quality diamonds relative to natural diamonds had nearly doubled in 12 months.
  
Independent diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky said lab-created diamonds were becoming less expensive, relative to their natural equivalents, as investment in lab-diamond production had rapidly improved production economics over the past few years. The article preceded De Beers' May announcement that it would dive into the lab-made diamond jewellery sector with its new company Lightbox. The second edition of the Mining Journal World Risk Report 2018 (feat. MineHutte ratings) was also in the top five. Readers were keen to see the annual review of mining risk, including a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction ratings system and an assessment of general business and operating risks and trends. Finally, Commodity Discovery Fund founder Willem Middelkoop's opinion on comparisons between the Pilbara conglomerate gold hopes and South Africa's Witwatersrand Basin also grabbed attention. Middelkoop, who spoke at the inaugural ResourceStocks Sydney 2018 conference, told Mining Journal he dared to say the Pilbara system could be compared to the Wits. "If it looks like a duck, talks like a duck and walks like a duck, it probably is a duck," he said.

Gold stocks rise but lag broader equity gains

Wesdome, Seabridge and Skeena report outstanding drill results

Smaller juniors still financed even in more cautious market

Gold stocks shrug off equity market decline on metal gain

Geopolitical risk outlook unclear after US election