Strategic Minerals Surge: Defense Spending Fuels Critical Metals Race

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Equity Insider News Commentary — Federal priorities are expanding beyond rare earths to include tungsten and antimony as Washington sharpens its focus on critical minerals for national security, with these materials representing some of America's most vulnerable supply chains^[1]. Government investment in 2026 will shift decisively toward processing capacity for defense-critical metals, breaking from century-old extraction methods as record silver prices approaching $58 per ounce accelerate polymetallic project development^[2]. This urgent mandate to secure dual-use assets drives the investment thesis for GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE:GOH) (OTCQB:GHVNF), Perpetua Resources Corp. (NASDAQ:PPTA) (TSX:PPTA), Emerita Resources Corp. (TSXV:EMO) (OTCQB:EMOTF), Banyan Gold Corp. (TSXV:BYN) (OTCQB:BYAGF), and McEwen Inc. (NYSE:MUX) (TSX:MUX).

Federal investment is targeting high-risk minerals like tungsten and antimony where China controls the majority of global supply, with antimony used in munitions and tungsten essential for armor-piercing applications and advanced machining tools^[1]. Companies demonstrating cost-effective processing technologies and polymetallic deposits are positioned to capture federal funding as Washington builds resilient supply chains independent of geopolitical adversaries^[2].

GoldHaven Resources Corp. (CSE:GOH) (OTCQB:GHVNF) has announced preliminary assays from its Magno Project in northwestern British Columbia, confirming high-grade silver, tungsten, and indium mineralization across 36,973.294 hectares in the region including its recent acquisitions. The program successfully verified historical showings while expanding the geological understanding of this district-scale polymetallic system adjacent to the historic Cassiar mining district.

Results from 357 samples revealed bonanza silver grades up to 2,370 g/t silver with lead values exceeding 20% and zinc reaching 3.8% at the Magno and D-Zone carbonate replacement occurrences. Property-wide, 45 samples returned over 100 grams per tonne silver, demonstrating widespread precious metal potential across multiple target zones. The discovery of indium, a strategic mineral used in electronics and renewable energy technologies, adds another dimension to the project with values up to 334 parts per million alongside zinc grades exceeding 16%. This marks the first time indium has been systematically identified on the claims, with initial results indicating anomalous values warranting further exploration.

Tungsten mineralization at the Kuhn and Dead Goat showings returned consistent values between 500 and 5,000 parts per million, with 32 samples across the property exceeding 1,000 parts per million tungsten. The highest grade reached 6,550 parts per million at the Vines Lake occurrence, a newly defined showing requiring follow-up work. This analysis successfully defined new tungsten zones across the property, identifying high-priority targets for upcoming drilling.

The team has now verified and defined historical grades both laterally and across significant elevation changes, with the Magno and D-Zones representing parts of a larger hydrothermal system currently defined over 350 meters vertically and 1.5 kilometers along strike. Geochemical zoning patterns suggest similarities to Coeur Mining's high-grade Silvertip deposit, while elevated gold-bismuth-tellurium associations indicate potential for intrusive-related mineralization requiring additional sampling and mapping to refine exploration models.

Beyond British Columbia, GoldHaven has completed its inaugural diamond drilling program at the Copeçal Gold Project in Brazil, where nine holes totaling 1,085.7 meters tested priority targets and discovered bornite, a copper-rich mineral suggesting potential for a substantial gold-copper system. The company also confirmed high-grade copper mineralization at its Three Guardsmen Project, with surface sampling returning grades up to 15.85% copper.

GoldHaven now controls 133,186.16 hectares across proven mining jurisdictions in Canada and Brazil, with multiple projects advancing simultaneously and assay results pending from Copeçal, all supported by a comprehensive 43-101 Technical Report.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for GoldHaven Resources at:  

https://equity-insider.com/2025/10/02/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-historic-gold-district-exploration-2/

In other industry developments and happenings in the market include:

Perpetua Resources Corp. (NASDAQ:PPTA) (TSX:PPTA) has selected Hatch Ltd. as EPCM contractor for the Stibnite Gold Project following a highly competitive review process, with Hatch also making a $4 million equity investment in the company. The appointment marks a major milestone in Perpetua's transition from planning to development ahead of a final investment decision expected in spring 2026, with Hatch's internationally recognized expertise in pressure oxidation technology and metallurgical processing facilities supporting ongoing financing due diligence with the U.S. Export-Import Bank.

"Hatch brings the depth, discipline, and proven execution capability required to responsibly deliver the Stibnite Gold Project," said Jon Cherry, President and CEO of Perpetua Resources. "Their experience with sophisticated mining and metallurgical facilities in the United States will play a critical role in advancing Stibnite to the next phase of development. Today's decision reflects our commitment to a robust construction strategy that combines top-tier engineering and project management while serving our national interest."

Under the EPCM model, Hatch will be responsible for comprehensive process plant and site infrastructure engineering, procurement management for all major site equipment, construction management across the full process facility scope, and integrated project controls and performance management. Stibnite remains the only known domestic reserve of antimony capable of meeting U.S. defense requirements for munitions, positioning the project as a strategic asset for national supply chain resilience.

Emerita Resources Corp. (TSXV:EMO) (OTCQB:EMOTF) has secured TSXV approval for the upsizing of its credit facility with Nebari Natural Resources Credit Fund II, LP, providing a fourth tranche of USD$35 million as standby financing for the wholly-owned Iberian Belt West Project in Spain. The upsized loan, which brings total facility capacity to USD$50 million, provides flexible financial support with drawdowns at the company's discretion.

"Nebari continues to believe in the potential of the IBW Project and is pleased to provide additional financing capacity of now up to USD$50 million to the Emerita team," said Steven Bowles, Nebari's Managing Director. "We are excited to be advancing the IBW project through permitting and prefeasibility and driving diligently towards a production decision," said David Gower, CEO of Emerita.

The company intends to use proceeds for exploration drilling, advancement of engineering studies, environmental permitting, deposits on long lead time items, and general administrative costs. The IBW Project is well-positioned with growing resources, modest expected capital costs, and established local infrastructure in a supportive mining jurisdiction.

Banyan Gold Corp. (TSXV:BYN) (OTCQB:BYAGF) has completed the strategic acquisition of 229 claims covering 46 square kilometers between its AurMac Project and Nitra Project properties from Mayo Lake Minerals Inc., creating a contiguous 720 square kilometer land package in Yukon's Mayo district. The company paid $1 million cash plus a 2% net smelter royalty, which can be reduced to 1% for an additional $1 million.

"With today's acquisition of the Minto Claims, the AurMac and Nitra properties have now grown to a contiguous 720 sq km land package covering the AurMac deposit and an extensive prospective and underexplored land package," said Tara Christie, President and CEO of Banyan. "Banyan has identified geophysical and surface geochemical trends which continue toward the Trail-Minto claims and Nitra claim block, indicating the potential for reduced intrusion-related gold mineralization."

The AurMac Project hosts an indicated mineral resource of 2.274 million ounces of gold and an inferred mineral resource of 5.453 million ounces. The company welcomed Prime Minister Carney's announcement referring the Yukon-B.C. Grid Connect to the Major Projects Office, which could unlock up to C$7.6 billion in annual clean economic growth and enable responsible development of projects like AurMac.

McEwen Inc. (NYSE:MUX) (TSX:MUX) has secured a key Environmental Impact Assessment extension from the Mexican government for the El Gallo Mine, enabling Phase 1 mill construction to begin mid-2026 with first gold pour targeted for mid-2027. Phase 1 is expected to produce approximately 20,000 gold equivalent ounces annually from reprocessing material from the historical leach pad, with remaining capital costs estimated at $25 million.

The company has purchased the ball mill, which is onsite at the mine, and has started work on Phase 2, which will involve production from the project's in-situ silver deposits extending the life of El Gallo well beyond the initial 10 years contemplated under Phase 1. Historical silver resources total 53.1 million ounces in the measured and indicated categories and 31 million ounces in the inferred category for areas not currently mined.

Since the material to be processed was previously mined, no significant development or exploration costs are anticipated, enhancing free cash flow. The company will be updating resource estimates for El Gallo in 2026 based on currently known resource areas.

Article Sources:

https://equity-insider.com/2025/10/02/the-goldhaven-story-two-continents-one-strategy-systematic-historic-gold-district-exploration-2/ and https://equity-insider.com/goh-profile

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SOURCES CITED:

1. https://www.mining.com/how-2026-will-reshape-the-us-critical-mineral-resilience/
2. https://www.fastmarkets.com/insights/what-will-2026-bring-for-base-metals-prices/