Glencore, Laurion Mineral, Endeavour Mining – Demand explodes

Glencore – Expansion driven by surge in demand

One of the leading companies in the field of commodity trading and mining plans to massively expand its copper production in the long term, thereby positioning itself aggressively in the global race for the red metal. Although the group has once again set a lower production target for 2026, management is aiming for around 1.6 million tons per year by 2035. CEO Gary Nagle emphasized to investors that the base copper business would exceed the 1 million ton mark by 2028 at the latest.

Despite the optimistic long-term outlook, Glencore has to digest short-term setbacks. The group lowered its forecast for 2026 to 810,000 to 870,000 tons after operational problems arose at the Collahuasi mine in Chile. The Swiss responded with an operational review, the elimination of 1,000 jobs, and savings targets of around USD 1 billion by the end of 2025.

The strategic focus will now be clearly on new projects in South America. The Alumbrera mine in Argentina is scheduled to restart operations in 2026 and deliver significant annual volumes of copper, gold, and molybdenum from 2028 onwards. Nagle spoke of high capital efficiency and is actively seeking partners to share financial risks.

Glencore is also pursuing an aggressive course in Chile and plans to secure its influence in the event of a merger between Collahuasi and Teck's Quebrada Blanca. "We will not be a junior partner," Nagle said.

Laurion Mineral – Strong results in the investor spotlight

Compared to the price of gold, the exploration company's share price performance has been disappointing. However, the operational development is positive, so that the current level of CAD 0.29 could offer an attractive entry opportunity. Valued at around CAD 80 million, Laurion Mineral is providing more and more arguments for long-term investors with its outstanding drilling results. The Canadians are focusing on their only, but extensive, asset: the 57 sq km Ishkōday gold and base metal project in Ontario's Beardmore-Geraldton Greenstone belt. The local geology is known for high-grade gold, silver, zinc, and copper deposits along structured corridors.

The results reported have been providing evidence of a contiguous mineralized system for months. Previous drilling has returned, among other things, 12.8 m at 3.3 g/t gold and 2.6 m at 12 g/t gold. The latest results confirm the trend. In drill holes LME25-63 to 66, gold grades between 0.95 g/t and 2.67 g/t were repeatedly encountered over intervals of 0.5 m to 1.8 m. The most recent four drill holes again returned 0.50 m to 3.00 m with gold grades of 1.04 g/t to 7.30 g/t. A total of 470 drill holes over 99,834 m have been completed at Ishkōday to date.

The 2025 results mark the completion of a 7,586 m drill program that confirmed high grades, strong continuity, and a multi-vein system in the Marge–Allard corridor. CEO Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin sees the project clearly on track to establish itself as a district with potential for gold and base metals.

Laurion is well funded through the end of 2026, allowing for further exploration without dilution pressure. According to the board, the Company is also exploring strategic options, including a potential acquisition if new resources significantly increase the project's value. Particularly noteworthy is the exceptionally high level of insider ownership. Around 73.6% of the current 274,097,283 shares are held by insiders in the "friends and family" category. For this reason alone, the concept of shareholder value is likely to be upheld.

Endeavour Mining – Significant expansion

The London-based gold producer and one of the largest gold mine operators in West Africa also plans to invest heavily in exploration over the next five years. Between 2026 and 2030, around 12 to 15 million ounces of new resources are to be discovered at an estimated cost of less than USD 40 per ounce. Overall, the group is planning an exploration budget of around USD 540 million, an increase of 57% over the average annual expenditure of the past decade. Analysts consider these ambitions to be high but achievable, as Endeavour controls attractive target areas in its core regions of West Africa.

The Company points to a solid track record. Between 2016 and 2025, 20.7 million ounces of measured and indicated resources were identified at a discovery cost of less than USD 25. CEO Ian Cockerill emphasized that Endeavour has replaced more than twice as many ounces as it has mined since 2016. Higher-grade discoveries have also extended the life of existing mines and strengthened the asset base.

Endeavour expects the largest production contributions in the future to come from Houndé in Burkina Faso and Sabodala-Massawa in Senegal, each of which is expected to deliver 1.5 to 2 million ounces. Around 50 targets covering 7,000 sq km are to be tested, with a focus on brownfield projects near existing mines. This is intended to replace mined resources, secure high grades, and accelerate the development of new projects.

Glencore plans to expand its copper activities. Endeavour Mining also intends to massively expand its production in the coming years. Laurion Mineral once again impressed with strong drilling results.