1911 Gold Corporation (TSXV: AUMB; OTCQX: AUMBF)
1911 Gold is Manitoba’s Gold Standard - Ready, Permitted and High-Grade 1911 Gold is an Emerging Gold Producer, with Significant Cash Flow Generation and District-Scale Growth Potential
TMC The Metals Company (TMC), which focuses on mining deep-sea polymetallic nodules, recently reached a regulatory milestone. On March 9, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) formally confirmed that the exploration license and commercial mining combined application submitted by the company’s subsidiary, TMC USA, under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, has substantially met the requirements of the Act and its implementing regulations. This marks the first time a company has completed compliance review of application materials under this legal framework, signifying a breakthrough in the global deep-sea mining commercialization process.
As the world’s first enterprise to receive this type of qualification recognition, TMC avoided the typically lengthy process involving multiple rounds of supplementary material submissions. The company claims it is “unlocking the world’s largest undeveloped metal resources,” targeting minerals such as nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese, which are widely considered critical raw materials for the energy transition, defense industry, and infrastructure construction. With countries placing increasing importance on supply chain security, the demand for strategic minerals sourced from politically and economically stable regions continues to rise, presenting a unique market opportunity for deep-sea mining projects.
Although the regulatory green light is appearing on the horizon, the real challenges of deep-sea mining are just beginning. Compared to traditional land-based mining, operating in an environment thousands of meters underwater increases the difficulty exponentially. Historical experience shows that early explorers in this field have encountered failures, highlighting a substantial risk that project execution could far exceed a company’s capabilities. Currently, TMC is still in its early development stage, having not yet generated any revenue. Furthermore, due to the continuous huge capital investments required for mine construction, the company is expected to remain in a loss-making position through 2026, with a long road ahead before achieving sustainable profitability.
From an investment perspective, TMC is currently suitable only for the most risk-tolerant, aggressive investors. While the long-term demand for strategic metals provides room for the project’s potential, the company still needs to overcome multiple hurdles: it must complete subsequent regulatory approval processes, verify the commercial viability of deep-sea mining technology, and ultimately achieve profitable operations. Until all these key milestones are reached, the risk-reward ratio is clearly tilted towards the risk side.
For existing shareholders, if they endorse the company’s long-term business logic, holding might be an option, but they must be psychologically prepared for continued sharp share price volatility. The stock has historically shown high volatility, a characteristic likely to persist until the mine is actually operational. Tax considerations might prompt some investors to adjust their holdings, but a more rational choice might be to wait on the sidelines until clearer progress is made in the development process.
In summary, while deep-sea mining represents a future direction for resource development, TMC is currently still in the initial phase where the dream is just beginning to turn into reality. Until management proves, with actual operational data, its ability to construct and profitably operate an undersea mine, most investors would be better suited keeping this pioneer on their watch list rather than taking the risk.
