Other Mining Subsectors

glass, gemstone 其他矿产子行业

Investing In Other Mining Subsectors

Besides the precious metals, electric metals and base metals, there are numerous other subsectors of mining materials.  From valuable minerals like diamonds, jade and other gemstones, to commodities like coal, potash and oil sands, there are public companies that focus on these economically important minerals.

Companies that mine the following minerals are valued somewhat differently than any materials and have their own quirks based on specific differences based on their usages, demand and geopolitical dynamics.

Diamonds

Used in both luxury jewelery and industrial usages, diamond mining projects can be found in Canada, South Africa, Russia and many other locations.  Since there are not centralized spot prices or futures markets for diamonds, pricing of each diamond does not exist the way that it does for other metals commodities.  While this is true, investors should be aware that diamond demand is increasing globally despite the emergence of lab grown diamonds, possibly due to the growing middle classes of many developing countries, including China.

Jade

Long considered to be a artisanal form of mining done by small miners, there is now a growth of jade mining companies with projects in North America, particularly Canada. Modern mining techniques and large jade bodies have allowed these companies to extract larger pieces of jade, allowing for other usages besides jewelery, such as home decor and art. The growth of China’s consumer economy is providing the fuel for public companies to develop in this sector.

Potash

Potassium rich salts that are primarily used for fertilizer, potash is an increasingly important resource in the global economy.  Formed from dried sea and lake beds, potash can be found in the Canadian prairies, Brazil, Belarus, and Germany.  Potash, as a commodity, has had major fluctuations over the past 10 years, with prices moving up to $875 per tonne in February 2009 down to $245 per tonne in March 2020. Potash mining projects are typically large, requiring significant capital investments, but have long mine life and consistent revenues.

Oil Sands

Typically considered as part of the oil and gas sector, oil sands projects also share a lot of similarities to the mining sector.  For one, the exploration of oil sands projects follows similar paths as mining for base metals projects and valuations are based on how much oil is in the ground. Secondly, extracting oil sands can sometimes seem similar to the processing of base metals, where inputs such as energy, equipment, and chemicals must be used to extract the final product.  While the oil sands projects in Canada have faced continued challenges due to low oil prices, for a long time, these projects have provided predictable revenues and growth for investors.

Learn about companies in other mining subsectors that we think can be worth a look for your portfolio:

Company Name

Minerals

Category

Project Location

Stock Info

Jade

Exploration

WA, USA