Investor Insight

Basin Energy offers uranium and rare earth exposure through high conviction exploration projects within tier-1 jurisdictions.

The group’s primary focus is the testing of district scale uranium and rare earth potential at the Sybella Barkly project, located directly west of the prolific mining town of Mount Isa, in northwest Queensland. These projects are deemed prospective for roll-front uranium, shear hosted hard rock uranium, sediment/ionic clay hosted rare earth elements and for hard rock rare earths. Evidence in support of this comes from the direct proximity and geological analogies to both ASX Paladin Energy’s Valhalla uranium deposit and its uranium source, the Sybella Batholith and for rare earth potential adjacent to ASX Red Metal’s Sybella Discovery.

The company also provides strategic exposure to three projects in Canada’s Athabasca Basin, the heartland of uranium exploration, where it is partnered with TSXV CanAlaska uranium and has a strategic early mover position in the emerging energy metals districts of Sweden and Finland ranked 6 and 1, respectively on the Fraser index in 2024.

With a technically driven exploration focus for uranium and rare earth minerals within tier-one jurisdictions, Basin Energy is well-positioned to capitalize on the global push for clean energy.

Overview

District Scale Uranium and Rare Earths Opportunity – Queensland Australia

Basin holds 5,958 sq km of exploration tenure in the Mount Isa district of northwest Queensland. The projects provide compelling walk-up drill targets that can be rapidly and cost-effectively tested using air core and reverse circulation (RC) drilling.

The drill-ready, district scale opportunity includes:

• Paleochannel roll front uranium
• Sediment and ionic clay hosted rare earth elements
• Hard rock, granite hosted rare earth elements

In addition to these three district-scale targets, the project area contains multiple shear-hosted Valhalla-style uranium targets defined for immediate assessment.

Project location map

The primary model is based on mineralisation sourced from the various granites of the Sybella Batholith, a large north-south trending igneous body containing zones enriched in rare earth elements. This includes the Red Metal (ASX:RDM) giant Sybella Discovery. Several granites from the Sybella are also uranium rich, potentially being the source of Paladin Energy’s (ASX:PDN) Valhalla deposits.

The projects cover an extensive portion of the Sybella Batholith, deemed prospective for granite-hosted REEs, as well as a significant landholding west of the Sybella, known as the Barkly Tablelands. The Barkly Tablelands are regarded as prospective for sediment-hosted mineralisation and was surveyed with airborne electromagnetics (AEM) by Summit Resources in February 2007, prior to its acquisition by Paladin Energy. Whilst numerous targets were identified, no drilling was completed at the time. Importantly, past exploration focused mainly on base metals, phosphate and water bores, meaning the uranium and rare earth potential remains virtually untouched.

Prospective target concepts

Paleochannel Roll-Front Uranium Potential – District Scale Target 1

The Summit Resources AEM survey identified an extensive network of paleochannels within the Barkly Tablelands, fed from the uranium-rich Sybella Batholith. This network trends south beyond the limits of existing survey data, suggesting even further potential remains to be identified.

Historical drilling in the area noted geological features typically associated with uranium deposits, such as redox fronts, sandstone channels and impermeable cap rocks. However, no uranium assays were conducted at the time.

Given the Sybella granites are considered the potential source of Paladin’s nearby Valhalla uranium deposits, Basin believes significant uranium will have also been transported into these paleochannels through erosion and chemical leaching processes. Previous work by Summit Resources and Furgo has already prioritised several high-potential targets. Basin plans to complete a first pass aircore drilling program to delineate this potential in Q4 2025.

Ternary radiometrics and AEM conductivity depth slice (paleochannels are projected to surface)

Sediment and Ionic Clay Hosted REE Potential – District Scale Target 2

Surface and auger geochemistry sampling across the Barkly Tablelands has confirmed significant REE enrichment, with multiple results exceeding 600 ppm TREO. The sediments are directly sourced from the Sybella Batholith with the highest of these values located directly down drainage catchments linked to Red Metals Sybella Discovery.

Sediment-hosted REEs and target zones

Previous AEM surveys also revealed a broad conductive layer within the Barkly Tablelands sediments, approximately 12 metres thick at shallow depths between 20-32 metres, and covering a footprint of over 1,000 sq km. This layer is interpreted to represent a clay-rich unit capable of hosting ionic clay REE deposits.

AEM outlining laterally extensive conductive sediment target

Granite Hosted REE Potential – District Scale Target 3

The various granites that make up the Sybella contain zones of enriched REEs, including the Red Metal (ASX:RDM) owned Sybella Discovery.

Basin’s ground includes several prospects (Newsmans Bore, Eight Mile and Threeways) where a shallow proof of concept auger drilling program returned highly encouraging results in 2023.

The most encouraging results from the auger drilling at Newmans Bore reported at over 0.5 m at >1000 ppm TREO, including:

• SYAH23-020 – 5.0 m @ 1,951 ppm TREO with 578 ppm Nd+Pr oxide combined (including 3 m @ 705 ppm) from 4 m to end of hole
• SYAH23-006 – 2.5 m @ 1,343 ppm TREO with 248 ppm Nd+Pr oxide combined from 5 m to end of hole
• SYAH23-018 – 0.5 m @ 1,996 ppm TREO with 465 ppm Nd+Pr oxide combined from 2 m to end of hole
• SYAH23-131 – 2.6 m @ 1,535 ppm TREO with 329 ppm Nd+Pr oxide combined from 3 m to end of hole

These results are very significant, as mineralisation continued to the end of hole and closely mirrors the geochemical patterns seen by Red Metal prior to their Sybella discovery.

Auger drilling completed by NeoDys, with highlights from Newmans Bore

Red Metals Discovery REE anomaly

Red Metal utilised RC drilling beneath this anomaly and identified broad zones of rare earth anomalism, which led to the Sybella discovery. NeoDys’ auger drilling across Basin’s project has outlined similar levels and scale of rare earth anomalism, demonstrating strong potential for comparable discoveries. See figure below.

Stylised section of NeoDys Newmans Bore auger drilling

The next phase for Basin will be to conduct deeper RC drilling to test potential continuity of these anomalies. Drilling is proposed for Q4 2025.

Hard Rock Shear-Hosted Uranium Valhalla Style Targets

In addition to the three district scale targets, Basin also sees strong potential for Valhalla-style shear zone uranium mineralisation within the North section of the license. Airborne radiometric data highlights several anomalies crossing both the Sybella granite and the Cromwell metabasalt, features consistent with the alternation patterns seen at other uranium deposits in the region. The scale and geological setting of these radiometric anomalies draws comparison to Paladin Energy’s Mount Isa (Valhalla) project, which contains 148.4 Mlbs of U3O8 at 728 ppm, and a combined 116 Mlbs within the Valhalla, Odin and Skal resources located just 7 km east of Basin’s license

Filtered airborne radiometric data (isolating high-U, low-K rocks) highlighting several potential Valhalla-style shear zone targets in the Cromwell Metabasalt and the adjacent Sybella Batholith

Company Highlights

• Strategic exposure to district-scale opportunities with the potential to transform into world-class discoveries, delivering exceptional leverage on exploration success
• Drill-ready Queensland projects positioned for rapid advancement, leveraging low-cost exploration techniques to deliver high-impact results.
• Pure uranium exposure to the Athabasca Basin through partnership with CanAlaska Uranium, fresh off discovery success at West McArthur.
• Early mover position in the Nordics ready to capitalise as Sweden reverses its uranium mining moratorium (effective Jan 1, 2026), unlocking access to Europe’s largest uranium endowment and elevating Nordic exploration upside.
• Exposure to uranium (supply shortfall + nuclear demand growth) and rare earths (critical to EVs and renewables, with limited global supply), both sectors positioned for sustained upside.
• Exploration leverage in globally ranked, mining-friendly jurisdictions Finland, Saskatchewan, Sweden, and Queensland minimizing geopolitical risk while maximizing discovery upside.
• Experienced Team: Leadership includes veterans of uranium discovery and development, with direct experience in Athabasca Basin and international uranium markets.

Key Projects

Strategic Global Uranium Exposure

Basin holds interests in three projects, in partnership with TSX-V CanAlaska within the heartland of the world class Athabasca Basin uranium district. The company’s primary focus here is on the Geikie project where early drilling has identified a significant alteration system with analogies to major basement hosted uranium deposits of the district such as Nexgen energy’s prolific Arrow discovery. The company is actively seeking partnerships for the Marshall and North Millennium projects, which are prospective for unconformity style mineralisation with walk up drill ready targets.

Canada – Athabasca Basin

Geikie Project

The Geikie Project spans 351 sq km on the eastern margin of the Athabasca Basin and benefits from excellent access, with Highway 905 just 10 km to the east.

This underexplored region is considered highly prospective for shallow, basement-hosted uranium mineralisation. Historically overlooked in past exploration campaigns, the area has seen renewed interest following recent basement-style uranium discoveries elsewhere in the district.

Project Highlights:

• Drilling Results & Exploration Potential
  • Uranium intersected in 6 of 16 holes including 0.27 percent U₃O₈ over 0.5 m at Aero Lake and 263 ppm U₃O₈ over 9 m at Preston Creek
  • Pathfinder elements (notably lead isotope anomalies) were identified in 10 of 16 holes
• Structural & Geological Highlights
  • Large-scale structural corridors identified—capable of transporting and hosting high-grade uranium
  • Extensive hydrothermal alteration confirms a robust, active fluid system
  • Uranium assays validate the mineralised system
• Targeting & Exploration Potential: Multiple near-surface drill targets defined using geological data from 2023–2024 drilling and integrated airborne and ground geophysical datasets.
• High-resolution airborne gravity surveys have successfully mapped basement-hosted alteration systems, identified intense gravity lows aligned with structural corridors and enhanced targeting confidence on the outer edge of the Athabasca Basin.

In 2025, Basin Energy addedtwo new claims to the Geikie uranium project, consisting of 22.3 sq km, bringing the total project area to 373.1 sq km. Mineral claims MC00022218 and MC00022219 are contiguous to the Preston Creek prospect, where 2024 drilling outlined a large-scale hydrothermal system within a complex structural corridor with uranium anomalism.

Scandinavia – Sweden and Finland

Basin has secured 100 percent ownership of multiple reservations and licences across Sweden and Finland, prospective for uranium and critical green energy metals. This portfolio targets shear-hosted and intrusive-related mineralisation and consists of five exploration licenses within Sweden and five reservations in Finland. In 2025, Basin Energy announced theapproval for the Trollberget project application located in Northern Sweden, between the Björkberget and Rävaberget projects within the Arvidsjaur-Arjeplog uranium district. The project added 116 sq km of exploration land, increasing Basin Energy’s total holding to 219 sq km within this highly prospective uranium and green energy metals district.

Exploration Updates: Virka & Björkberget

• Structural Relogging Completed
  • Detailed relogging of 48 historical drillholes completed across the Virka and Björkberget projects.
  • Björkberget: Structural data now available for 28 priority holes; 137 samples submitted for multi-element analysis, with an additional 71 samples prepared for shipment.
  • Virka: All historical core relogged; samples are awaiting shipment for lab preparation.
  • Key mineralising structural trends identified in core, with associated alteration and mineral assemblages (pending results) to inform future drill targeting.

• High-Grade Surface Results Confirmed
  Pulp re-analysis by fusion XRF of two surface samples initially above detection limits (>2.95 percent U₃O₈) confirmed exceptionally high uranium grades:
  • BJK004: >5.9 percent U₃O₈ from a granite boulder with visible yellow oxide staining at the base of an outcrop
  • BJK008: 5.4 percent U₃O₈ from a rhyolitic/fine-grained granite boulder with visible mineralisation and yellow oxide staining

These results reinforce the high-grade uranium potential of Basin’s Scandinavian portfolio and will directly guide the next phase of drill targeting.

Management Team

Blake Steele – Non-executive Chairman

Blake Steele is an experienced metals and mining industry executive and director with extensive knowledge across public companies and capital markets. He was formerly president and chief executive officer of Azarga Uranium (Azarga), a US-focused integrated uranium exploration and development company. He led Azarga into an advanced stage multi- asset business, which was ultimately acquired by enCore Energy (TSXV:EU) for C$200 million in February 2022.

Pete Moorhouse – Managing Director

Pete Moorhouse has 18 years of mining and exploration geology experience with extensive experience in the junior uranium sector, having spent over 10 years with ASX-listed uranium explorer and developer Alligator Energy (ASX:AGE). He holds significant competencies in evaluating, exploring, resource drilling and feasibility studies across many global uranium and resource projects.

Cory Belyk – Non-executive Director

Cory Belyk holds 30 years’ experience in exploration and mining operations, project evaluation, business development and extensive global uranium experience most recently employed by Cameco in the Athabasca Basin. He was a member of the exploration management team that discovered Fox Lake & West McArthur uranium deposits. Currently CEO/VP of Canadian Athabasca uranium explorer and project generator, CanAlaska (TSXV:CVV).

Matthew O’Kane – Non-Executive Director

Matgthew O’Kane is an experienced executive and company director with over 25 years’ experience in the mining and mineral exploration, commodities, and automotive sectors. He has held senior leadership roles in Australia, Asia and North America, in both developed and emerging markets, from start-up companies through to multinational corporations. He has served on the Board of mining and mineral exploration companies in Canada, Hong Kong and Australia. He was a member of the Board of Azarga Uranium from 2013 until its sale to Encore Energy in February of 2022. He is currently a director of two ASX listed exploration and development companies.

Ben Donovan – Company Secretary

Ben Donovan has over 22 years of experience in the provision of corporate advisory and company secretary services. He holds extensive experience in ASX listing rules compliance and corporate governance and has served as a Senior Adviser to the ASX for nearly 3 years Currently CoSec to several ASX listed resource companies including M3 Mining (ASX:M3M), Magnetic Resources (ASX:MAU) and Legacy Iron Ore (ASX:LCY).

Odile Maufrais – Exploration Manager

Odile Maufrais is an exploration geologist with over 14 years of experience and has an extensive understanding of the uranium exploration and mining industry, having worked at ORANO, one of the largest global uranium producers, for 12 years on various assignments in Canada, Niger, and France. Maufrais has significant Athabasca Basin-specific experience, being involved in over 15 greenfield and brownfield uranium exploration projects located throughout the Basin. Her most recent roles for ORANO comprised leading various uranium exploration campaigns and being an active member of the ORANO research and development team, which involved working on trialing and implementing cost-effective and streamlined drilling techniques within the Athabasca Basin. She also played a key role in the update of the National Instrument 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate for the Midwest Main and Midwest A deposits. Maufrais holds a Master of Science from Montpellier II University, France.

Bitcoin and Ethereum price update

Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$108,292, a 3.2 percent decrease in 24 hours. It opened at its highest valuation of the day, US$110,473. Its lowest valuation today was US$108,107.

Bitcoin price performance, August 29, 2025.

Chart via TradingView.

Bitcoin’s slip below the US$110,000 threshold stoked fears of a broader crypto market correction on Friday as liquidations doubled, the US Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge showed persistent price pressures, and Bitcoin flashed a potential risk pattern. Analysts warned the token could be edging toward bear market territory.

According to analyst Rekt Capital, BTC needs to regain US$114,000 as support to prevent an extended correction period.

Adding to volatility, a long-dormant Bitcoin whale that resurfaced this month — after buying US$2.5 billion in Ethereum — shifted another US$1.1 billion on Friday.

Ether (ETH) was priced at US$4,345.17, down by 2.3 percent over the past 24 hours. Its highest valuation today was US$4,389.08, and its lowest was US$4,279.96.

Altcoin price update

• Solana (SOL) was priced at US$203.21, down by 3.5 percent over 24 hours. Its lowest valuation on Friday was US$201.61, and its highest valuation was US$211.02.

• XRP was trading for US$2.82, down by 4.4 percent in the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$2.80, and its highest was US$2.87.

• SUI (Sui) was trading for US$3.26, down by 4.8 percent in the past 24 hours. Its lowest valuation of the day was US$3.22, and its highest level of the day was US$3.35.

• Cardano (ADA) was priced at US$0.8204, down by 3.1 percent. Its lowest valuation for Friday was US$0.8131, and its highest valuation was US$0.8314.

Today’s crypto news to know

Stablecoins cross US$283 billion threshold record

The stablecoin market reached a new milestone on Friday as total supply climbing to $282.8 billion, according to data from DefiLlama. That marks a 128 percent increase since January, driven by stronger demand for dollar-pegged tokens and fresh regulatory clarity in the US. The surge also follows passage of the GENIUS Act, which sets out federal guidelines for stablecoin issuers and has been billed as a growth catalyst within the sector.

Analysts say stablecoins now serve as a “distribution channel” for US dollars, powering cross-border payments and on-chain settlement systems.

Trump-linked miner American Bitcoin targets September Nasdaq listing

American Bitcoin, a mining company backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., is preparing to list on Nasdaq in September following its merger with Gryphon Digital Mining, Reuters reported.

The firm is majority owned by Hut 8 Mining (TSX:HUT,NASAQ:HUT), which controls 80 percent of the business, while the Trump brothers are expected to collectively hold about 19 percent. The company has already raised $220 million to expand its operations and accumulate Bitcoin, adding 215 BTC to its balance sheet as of June.

With Bitcoin trading near US$112,000 this week, that stash is valued at roughly US$24 million.

CEO Asher Genoot said American Bitcoin aims to become one of the largest US mining firms, with backing from high-profile investors including Gemini founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.

Hut 8’s own share price has rallied 29 percent this year. If listed today, American Bitcoin would rank among the top 30 public companies holding Bitcoin in the US.

Eric Trump hails US-China leadership in Bitcoin

Speaking at the BTC Asia conference in Hong Kong, Eric Trump praised China’s influence on the digital asset industry and said the US and Beijing were “leading the way” in shaping Bitcoin’s future.

He credited the Middle East as another fast-moving hub for crypto adoption, while stressing Bitcoin’s ability to unite people across borders and cultures.

The younger Trump also added that his father’s administration had accelerated digital asset policy faster in seven months than the prior decade managed. He described America as “winning the digital revolution” with support from Wall Street institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and retirement investors.

Asked whether Bitcoin would be on the agenda in an upcoming US-China trade meeting, he suggested broader topics would dominate but said he “would certainly love to talk about bitcoin.”

21Shares files for SEI-tracking ETF

Crypto asset manager 21Shares has submitted an S-1 registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that would track the price of SEI.

The proposed ETF would utilize CF Benchmarks, a crypto price index provider, to track SEI’s price using data from multiple crypto exchanges. Coinbase Custody Trust Company is slated to act as the SEI custodian.

SEI is the native token of the SEI network, a layer-1 blockchain launched in 2023. The network specializes in trading infrastructure for decentralized exchanges and marketplaces, using the SEI token for network gas fees and governance participation. 21Shares is also exploring the possibility of staking SEI to generate additional returns, though the firm noted in its filing that it is still investigating potential ‘undue legal, regulatory or tax risk’ associated with this practice.

In an X post, 21Shares said the ETF filing is a “key milestone in our vision to expand exchange-traded access to the SEI Network.” US digital asset investment firm Canary Capital also applied for an SEI ETF in April.

Bloomberg’s James Seyffart has listed all 92 crypto ETPs filings and applications awaiting SEC decisions.

US Department of Commerce to publish economic data onchain

The US Department of Commerce (DOC) announced on Wednesday (August 27) that it will begin publishing official economic data on at least nine public blockchains.

Its stated goal is to make vital information immutable and tamper-proof.

In a significant move for the industry that further underscores the potential of decentralized technology to improve governmental operations, the department is collaborating with blockchain data providers Chainlink and Pyth Network to serve as a bridge across various networks, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Avalanche.

Chainlink will supply data feeds from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, while Pyth will publish GDP data. The DOC will also publish the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index and Real Final Sales to Private Domestic Purchasers.

Reports also indicate that exchanges like Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN), Gemini and Kraken helped facilitate the process by assisting with the transactions required to publish the data on-chain.

Aave protocol’s total value locked surges past US$40 billion

While the DOC’s announcement is a major positive for the entire crypto space, the Aave protocol has seen a remarkable surge in its total value locked, exceeding US$40 billion. This comes after the lending platform launched the Horizon RWA Market on Tuesday (August 26), the first real-world application of its ongoing V4 upgrade strategy.

Crypto intelligence platform Nansen also noted the surge in transaction volume on Avalanche this week, with over 11.9 million transactions recorded across over 181,300 active addresses, an increase of 66 percent.

Nasdaq Composite, NVIDIA and Dell Technologies performance, August 26 to 29, 2025.

Chart via Google Finance.

However, it wasn’t enough to reassure the public, and NVIDIA’s share price fell over 4 percent between Wednesday (August 27) and Friday (August 29). As investors analyzed new inflation data that indicates tariffs are impacting prices, other AI-related stocks saw losses too, pulling the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) from its recent record highs.

With that, here’s a look at some of the other drivers that shaped the tech sector this week.

1. Intel warns of adverse reactions to government equity stake

In a US Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K filing dated August 22, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) warns that the federal government’s 10 percent stake in its business could cause “adverse reactions,” including litigation from investors, employees, customers, suppliers, partners and foreign governments.

The company also discloses a clause in the agreement that would raise the government’s stake to 15 percent if the company fails to meet set manufacturing thresholds.

Moreover, the filing states that, if this agreement prompts other government bodies to seek similar stakes, the varied agendas could diminish the voting power of other shareholders.

The comments come after the White House announced last week that it would take a 10 percent stake in the company in a deal worth around US$8.9 billion. On Monday, (August 25), President Donald Trump suggested he might pursue similar agreements with other American companies, posting on Truth Social:

“I will also help those companies that make such lucrative deals with the United States. I love seeing their stock price go up, making the USA RICHER, AND RICHER.”

Meanwhile, White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett told CNBC that the deal is part of a broader strategy to create a sovereign wealth fund that may include additional companies.

Later, during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Tuesday, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said Pentagon officials are considering acquiring equity stakes in leading defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT).

2. Apple sets date to reveal fall product lineup

On Tuesday, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) invited media members and analysts to its next launch event, which is scheduled for September 9 at 10:00 a.m. PST.

The event, which will be live streamed from the iPhone maker’s campus, is expected to be the venue for the introduction of the new iPhone 17 lineup and updated Apple Watch models.

The new iPhone series is rumored to include four models:

• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• A new iPhone 17 Air that will reportedly replace the iPhone 16 Plus. This new model is rumored to be exceptionally thin, potentially as slim as 5.5 millimeters, a major new design direction for Apple.

The new iPhones are also expected to feature a new ‘Liquid Glass’-based interface as part of iOS 26.

According to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who has a reputation for being one of the most accurate and prolific sources of leaks about Apple’s future products, the company is planning three years of major iPhone redesigns, starting with the September release. Apple’s first foldable iPhone, code-named V68, is slated to arrive in 2026, according to Gurman. Apple’s 2027 ‘iPhone 20’ will feature curved glass edges to complement the upcoming Liquid Glass-based interface for iOS and other operating systems.

3. IBM, AMD to partner on quantum supercomputer

IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NASDAQ:AMD) said on Tuesday that they plan to collaborate to develop quantum-centric supercomputing.

The two companies, which have each fundamentally advanced the frontiers of quantum hardware and software, AI accelerators, CPUs and GPUs, said they will work together to “develop scalable, open-source platforms that could redefine the future of computing” by combining their strengths in quantum and high-performance computing.

“Quantum computing will simulate the natural world and represent information in an entirely new way,” said Arvind Krishna, chairman and CEO of IBM, adding that the firms’ collaborative efforts will “build a powerful hybrid model that pushes past the limits of traditional computing.”

“We see tremendous opportunities to accelerate discovery and innovation,” said Dr. Lisa Su, chair and CEO of AMD.

In an interview with Axios, Jay Gambetta, IBM’s quantum vice president, said he aims to get fault-tolerant quantum computers, a set of techniques and architectural designs that ensure a computation can proceed accurately even in the presence of errors, “by the end of this decade.”

4. Cost of Meta data center to exceed original estimate

During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Meta Platforms’ (NASDAQ:META) Louisiana data center will cost the company around US$50 billion to build.

That’s over 70 percent of the company’s projected CAPEX spending in its latest quarterly report.

“When they said US$50 billion for a plant, I said, ‘What the hell kind of plant is that?’” said Trump, revealing a photo of the proposed data center, Hyperion, superimposed over the island of Manhattan.

“When you look at this, you understand why it’s US$50 billion,” he added.

When the data center was announced, officials in Louisiana estimated the project would cost around US$10 billion. Meta has not confirmed this new estimate and declined to comment on Trump’s remarks.

5. Fusion developer raises US$863 million for energy development

On Thursday (August 28), Commonwealth Fusion Systems, a leading nuclear fusion developer in the US, announced it has secured US$863 million in an oversubscribed Series B2 funding round.

Investors including Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) and NVIDIA contributed to this capital raise, which will facilitate the completion of Commonwealth’s Spac fusion demonstration machine, as well as the commencement of construction on a new ARC power plant in Virginia.

“Investors recognize that CFS is making fusion power a reality. They see that we are executing and delivering on our objectives,” said the company’s CEO and co-founder, Bob Mumgaard. “This funding recognizes CFS’ leadership role in developing a new technology that promises to be a reliable source of clean, almost limitless energy — and will enable investors to have the opportunity to capitalize on the birth of a new global industry.”

Bullet briefing — US drafts new critical minerals list, uranium miners make cuts

US drafts new critical minerals list

The US Department of the Interior has released a new draft critical minerals list, and the recommended additions include silver, as well as potash, silicon, copper, rhenium and lead.

Silver’s potential inclusion is turning heads in the mining community as market participants assess the potential impact for the metal. The critical minerals list is designed to guide federal strategy, investment and permitting deals as the US works to lock down supply of key commodities, meaning that silver-focused companies could see benefits such as tax breaks and faster timelines.

In total, the draft list has 54 minerals, with 50 included based on results from an economic effects assessment. Three were selected on the back of a qualitative evaluation, and zirconium is there because of the potential for a single point of failure in the US supply chain.

The list was set up after a 2017 executive order from Trump and is updated every three years.

It’s worth noting that silver and the other recommended additions aren’t officially critical minerals yet — the draft critical minerals list was posted for public comment on Tuesday (August 26), and feedback will be accepted for 30 days. It’s also worth noting that two commodities may be stripped of their critical mineral status — arsenic and tellurium have been recommended for removal.

Critical minerals lists vary from country to country based on individual needs, although in many cases they have similarities. In January 2024, a group of silver industry participants, including many major miners, sent a letter to Canada’s energy and natural resources minister proposing that silver be included in the nation’s critical minerals list; to date, it has not been added.

Uranium miners cut production guidance

Sweden’s government has proposed the removal of the country’s ban on uranium mining as it looks to reduce its reliance on imports of the energy fuel.

Uranium mining has been banned in Sweden since 2018, but the country has six operating reactors and generates around one-third of its power from nuclear energy.

The ban is set to be removed on January 1, 2026, and comes as nations increasingly look to nuclear power to fill their energy needs. It also comes amid supply questions — although demand is rising and prices are out of a years-long slump, miners have been slow to ramp back up post-Fukushima.

Just last week, Kazatomprom said it was lowering its 2026 production target compared to earlier estimates, cutting about 8 million pounds. Although the company sees stability in long-term uranium prices and strong sector fundamentals, it isn’t prepared to return to 100 percent levels.

Cameco (TSX:CCO,NYSE:CCJ) made a similar statement this week, saying its 2025 output will be impacted by delays in transitioning the Saskatchewan-based McArthur River mine to new mining areas. Production will be 4 million to 5 million pounds lower, although there is a chance for Cigar Lake to partially offset that loss.