Greetings Contrarian,

This is The Next Big Rush, your daily drop of mining/energy investing news. Where we come together and try to dodge the next stupid politician. 

Here are the highlights:

🤦🏻‍♂️   Chile Nationalizes Lithium - But How?

🤟🏼 Uranium Price Up!

 🥸 Regency Hits Gold  

🤦🏻‍♂️ Chile To Nationalize Lithium - But How?

The Chilean government has announced a new lithium-development policy, which has put the country's largest lithium producer, SQM, in a tough spot.

SQM currently operates the planet's most profitable brine operation in Chile's northern desert, and its contract is set to expire in 2030. Under the new policy, SQM has two choices: keep full control of the operation until the contract expires and risk losing it, or let the state take a majority stake in the operation with the understanding that it could operate for longer.

The key word being COULD.

Chile will have two changes of government before the contract ends, and a new government will likely be less drunk on power and bring a new lithium policy.

Industry consultant Joe Lowry believes SQM will need to strike an agreement fairly quickly. Albemarle Corp., the only other lithium producer in Chile, is also facing similar choices, but has about 20 years left on its contract and is less reliant than SQM on a single salt flat.

SQM is currently analyzing the government's plan, but there are still many uncertainties, such as:

How is the state going to finance its share of operations and investments?

What role would it play in decision-making?

Would SQM be compensated if it is forced to walk away after 2030?

SQM's shares were already trading as if the contract wouldn't be renewed, but the stock tumbled a record 19% on Friday, wiping out $3.7 billion in market value.

Ouch.

💪🏼 Spot Uranium Moves Up

After what seemed to be like an eternity, the spot price of uranium has moved up, according to Numerco. The resource data company has most recently published the following bid/ask.

Some say it's due to the Swiss-based Zuri-invest AG "Uranium Actively Managed Certificate" coming to the market. 

   🚨 Regency Hits Gold

Regency Silver Corp. (TSXV: RSMX) (OTCQB: RSMXF) announced assays for 2 holes in the Dios Padre project in Sonora, Mexico.

Highlights

35.9m of 5.51 g/t Au including 29.4m of 6.32 g/t Au ~25m

128.35m of 0.84 g/t Au including 57.95m of 1.49 g/t Au and 32.5m of 2.23 g/t Au

The holes are down-dip from hole REG-22-01 (35.8 metres of 6.84 g/t gold, 0.88% copper and 21.82 g/t silver).

Not malo. 

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Happy Speculating!

The Editor

DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.