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Laramide Exits Kazakhstan Uranium Project After Government Policy Shifts

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Laramide Resources (TSX:LAM,OTCQX:LMRXF) has pulled out of a greenfield uranium exploration venture in Kazakhstan, citing policy changes that it says have effectively shut the door on economically viable foreign investment in the country’s uranium sector.

The Toronto-based company announced on Tuesday (January 20) it has terminated its option agreement with privately held Aral Resources for the Chu-Sarysu Basin project, ending its involvement in what it had previously described as one of the world’s most prospective under explored uranium regions.

The option agreement, which was signed in September 2024, gave Laramide access to 22 exploration licences covering more than 5,500 square kilometres in the Chu-Sarysu Basin. The region hosts several of Kazatomprom’s largest producing mines and is known for geology suitable for low-cost, in-situ recovery uranium deposits.

Laramide had been funding early-stage exploration work since late 2024 and was preparing a 15,000-metre, multi-rig drill program that was scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025.

That program never got off the ground. Laramide said delays in securing drilling permits from regional authorities meant no drilling took place as planned in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Although the final permits were granted on December 24, the regulatory landscape shifted almost immediately afterward. 2 days later, Kazakhstan’s president signed into law amendments to the Subsoil Use Code that materially alter the economics of uranium exploration for new entrants.

Under the revised framework, Kazatomprom is granted priority rights over prospective uranium areas, stricter minimum ownership thresholds in new production agreements, and enhanced control over extensions, reserve increases, and additional exploration at producing deposits.

Laramide said those changes, combined with higher holding costs following an earlier increase in annual property taxes, undermine the investment rationale for continuing exploration in the country. The company has ceased all funding related to the project with immediate effect.

“Motivated by an effort to address, and ideally reverse, the obvious and severe decline in the resource base of Kazatomprom, their national uranium company, it appears Kazakhstan may have scored a spectacular own goal with their recent de facto nationalisation of future uranium exploration in country,” Marc Henderson, Laramide’s president and chief executive, said in a statement.

“However, in what may be a world’s first, Kazakhstan appears to have moved pre-emptively to ensure national ownership and control of any new uranium discoveries before they are actually even made,” Henderson added.

Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer, has acknowledged the legislative changes and framed them as measures to improve subsoil use in the hydrocarbon and uranium sectors.

In a statement outlining the amendments, the company highlighted new provisions that raise the minimum ownership stake required in new uranium production agreements to more than 75 percent, up from 50 percent previously, and impose additional conditions tied to technology transfer for extensions and reserve increases.

For Laramide, the company said it will now focus entirely on advancing its two development-stage uranium assets: the Churchrock-Crownpoint project in New Mexico and the Westmoreland project in Queensland, Australia.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Peruvian Metals Announces Gold Recoveries of 89% in Sulphides at Palta Dorada

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Peruvian Metals Corp – (TSX: PER) (OTC Pink: DUVNF) (‘Peruvian Metals’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce updated metallurgical results on both oxide and sulphide Au-Ag material on its 100% owned Palta Dorada Gold-Silver property (‘Property’) located in the Ancash department in Northern Peru. New metallurgical work on gold recoveries in both the oxide and sulphide material shows recoveries exceeding 80%. The new metallurgical work was conducted on the main San Juan vein where a rehabilitated historic 53-metre-deep shaft (‘shaft’) provided good exposure to both the sulphides and oxides on this main mineralized structure.

The Property covers an area of approximately 2,250 hectares. It is accessible from Peruvian Metals Aguila Norte processing plant (‘Aguila Norte’ or the ‘Plant’) by approximately 120 kilometres of mainly paved roadway. Sulphide material will be treated at the Plant whereas oxide gold material will be initially sold to local toll mills.

The new updated metallurgical results on the sulphide material taken in the shaft show positive recoveries. The head grade of the new metallurgical sample assayed 8.30 grams Au/mt and 3.39 ounces Ag/mt. Precious metal recoveries on the sulphide material using flotation returned 89% for gold and 61% for silver. The metallurgical sample was taken as a composite over 1 metre located 10 metres below the oxide and sulphide transition. Previously announced assay results on seven chip samples taken at various depths in the shaft from the quartz vein containing sulphides returned a weighted average of 10.51 grams Au/mt, 329 grams Ag/mt and 1.74 per cent Cu. Assay results from these samples range from 3.06 to 24.1 grams Au/mt, 36 to 865 grams Ag/mt and 0.31 per cent Cu to 4.94 per cent Cu over an average width of 0.60 metres. The metallurgical work was performed by Ing. Jose Orlando Moncada Rejas who is the main metallurgist at the Aguila Norte Plant. Assaying was performed by Procesmin Ingenieros SRL located in Caraz Ancash by fire assay for Au-Ag.

The head grade from the oxide material taken in the shaft above the sulphide mineralization returned 35.1 grams Au/mt and 1.51 ounces Ag/mt. The sample taken was a composite over ½ metre width. Agitated cyanide leaching results show recoveries of 82% for gold and 58% for silver over 48 hours. Thirty-one tonnes of gold bearing oxide material assaying 9.74 grams Au/mt was taken from this area in June 2022 and sold to the Chala One toll mill located in Chala Peru. The price of gold used for the sale was $1852 US with gold recoveries of 90%.

Previously announced metallurgical work on oxide gold material taken from artisanal workings on a second mineralized structure north of the shaft returned positive results. A sample was collected from the sacks with a head grade of 13.0 grams Au/mt and 2.98 ounces Ag/mt. Agitated cyanide leaching results show recoveries of 92% gold and 65% silver over 36 hours. The sample was a collection of random grabs and should not be considered representative of the mineralization hosted on the property. Previous and new metallurgical work on the oxide material was processed and analyzed by fire assay at Auro Met Labs located in Trujillo. Auro Met Labs is used by many of the miners and toll mills in the area.

The development of the property has been delayed since 2023, due to extensive damage to the access road as a result of El Niño flooding. New access roads to the underground workings have been completed and access to all gold showings are now complete. The camp has been upgraded, and the Company is now in a position to restart the exploration and development work.

The development work by Peruvian Metals at Palta Dorada will concentrate on the main San Juan vein, where surface exposure shows at least an 840-metre strike length. Work to date includes a 160-metre access drift on the lower 895-metre level. The opening of the shaft is estimated to be located on the 945-meter level. Much of the mineral around the opening of the shaft was extracted by the previous owners. The shaft also shows a distinct sharp transition between sulphide and oxide zones at the 920-meter level. The Company plans to drift into the vein where the sulphide mineral is exposed in the shaft.

The Company acquired full ownership of the property by acquiring a 50% interest from Rio Silver Inc. (‘Rio Silver’) in 2024. Peruvian Metals has completed the payments to Rio Silver totaling $250,000 (U.S.) with Rio Silver retaining a 3-per-cent net smelter return capped at $2 million (U.S.).

In December 2025, Peruvian Metals received 3,999,999 shares of Rio Silver Inc. (TSXV: RYO) for the sale of the Minas Maria Property. Rio Silver closed at 67 cents on January 20, 2026. The Company is pleased to be the single largest shareholder of Rio Silver.

‘New metallurgical results in both oxide and sulphide material highlight the gold potential at Palta Dorada. When Peruvian Metals acquired its initial interest in the property, gold was trading at the $1500 US per ounce level. Now that gold is trading near the $4600 US per ounce level, the economic viability has been greatly improved. Our provisional permits allow the Company to extract large bulk samples of both the oxide and sulphide material. In the short term, oxide material will be sold to local mills. We have successfully sold gold oxide material from Palta Dorada in 2022. Sulphide material will be transported to our Aguila Norte mill for processing where we will be able to produce an Au-Ag concentrate for sale. We will continue to review additional gold opportunities in Northern Peru by moving into the Peruvian gold space which is bolstered by the progress at Palta Dorada. The oxide gold material, along with similar oxide mineral at our Aguila Norte site, will be one of many catalysts and sources of material for a potential CIP circuit,’ commented Jeffrey Reeder, C.E.O. of the Company.

Qualified Person
Jeffrey Reeder, P. Geo., is the Qualified Person, as defined in National Instrument 43-101, who has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this release.

About Peruvian Metals Corp.
Peruvian Metals Corp. is a Canadian exploration and mineral processing company. Our business model is to acquire and develop precious and base metal properties in Peru and to provide clients with toll milling services and produce high-grade marketable concentrates from mineral purchases. The Aguila Norte processing plant has an environmental permit (‘IGAC’) from the Peruvian government which provides the Company with the ability to expand operations past the current 100 tonnes per day level.

ON BEHALF OF PERUVIAN METALS
CORP.
(Signed) Jeffrey Reeder

For additional information, contact:
Jeffrey Reeder, CEO
Telephone: (647) 302-3290
Email: Jeffrey.reeder@peruvianmetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains certain ‘Forward-Looking Statements’ within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. We use words such as ‘might’, ‘will’, ‘should’, ‘anticipate’, ‘plan’, ‘expect’, ‘believe’, ‘estimate’, ‘forecast’ and similar terminology to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Such statements and information are based on assumptions, estimates, opinions, and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions and its expectations of future developments as well as other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and information and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such statements and information. Risks and uncertainties are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management’s Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. While the Company believes that the expectations expressed by such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information and the assumptions, estimates, opinions, and analysis underlying such expectations are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be correct. In evaluating forward-looking statements and information, readers should carefully consider the various factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.

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LaFleur Minerals Inc.Stands Out with Rare Combo of Assets, Infrastructure

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This article has been disseminated on behalf of LaFleur Minerals and may include paid advertising. 
Disclosure: This does not represent material news, partnerships or investment advice.

Via MiningNewsWire — LaFleur Minerals Inc. (CSE: LFLR) (OTCQB: LFLRF) (FSE: 3WK0) today announces its placement in an editorial published by MiningNewsWire (‘MNW’), one of 75+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio@IBN (InvestorBrandNetwork), a specialized communications platform with a focus on financial news and content distribution for private and public companies and the investment community.

To view the full publication, ‘From Permits to Pouring Gold: The Power of Being Production-Ready,’ please visit: https://ibn.fm/wGKLA

The most powerful moment to get involved in a mining company’s story is often not at the earliest discovery stage, or even after production is fully established, but at the precise inflection point when a company transitions from explorer to producer. This is the stage where geological risk has been substantially reduced, infrastructure decisions have been made and capital is finally aligned with execution, creating the conditions for outsized valuation re-ratings. Solid funding is essential at this juncture, as it allows management teams to shift from conceptual planning to tangible value creation.

This scenario is now taking shape at LaFleur Minerals Inc., a Québec-based gold company that recently completed an oversubscribed and upsized $7.8 million financing and is now funded to restart production at its Beacon Gold Mill, positioning the company at exactly the point where upside potential historically accelerates. LaFleur stands out in a crowded junior mining landscape because it controls a rare combination of advanced exploration assets and fully permitted, refurbished production infrastructure in one of the world’s most prolific gold regions.

About LaFleur Minerals Inc.

LaFleur Minerals is focused on the development of district-scale gold projects in the Abitibi Gold Belt near Val-d’Or, Québec. The Company’s mission is to advance mining projects with a laser focus on our resource-stage Swanson Gold Project and the Beacon Gold Mill, which have significant potential to deliver long-term value. The Swanson Gold Project is approximately 18,304 hectares (183 km(2)) in size and includes several prospects rich in gold and critical metals previously held by Monarch Mining, Abcourt Mines, and Globex Mining. LaFleur has recently consolidated a large land package along a major structural break that hosts the Swanson, Bartec and Jolin gold deposits and several other showings which make up the Swanson Gold Project. The Swanson Gold Project is easily accessible by road allowing direct access to several nearby gold mills, further enhancing its development potential. LaFleur Minerals’ fully permitted and refurbished Beacon Gold Mill is capable of processing over 750 tonnes per day and is being considered for processing mineralized material from Swanson and for custom milling operations for other nearby gold projects.

Qualified Person Statement – All scientific and technical information contained in the LaFleur Minerals Market Awareness Profile (MAP) has been reviewed and approved by Louis Martin, P.Geo. (OGQ), Exploration Manager and Technical Advisor of the company and considered a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to LFLR are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/LFLRF

About MiningNewsWire

MiningNewsWire (‘MNW’) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on developments and opportunities in the Global Mining and Resources sectors. It is one of 75+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, MNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, MNW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness.
MNW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.

To receive SMS alerts from MiningNewsWire, text ‘BigHole’ to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.MiningNewsWire.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the MiningNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by MNW, wherever published or republished: https://www.MiningNewsWire.com/Disclaimer

MiningNewsWire
Los Angeles, CA
www.MiningNewsWire.com
310.299.1717 Office
Editor@MiningNewsWire.com

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Fortune Minerals Completes Cobalt Sulphate Test Work

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Results demonstrate higher metal recoveries from a simplified metallurgical flow sheet

Fortune Minerals Limited (TSX: FT,OTC:FTMDF) (OTCQB: FTMDF) (‘ Fortune ‘ or the ‘ Company ‘) ( www.fortuneminerals.com ) is pleased to announce that it has successfully concluded the validation test work for an optimized hydrometallurgical flowsheet to produce battery grade cobalt sulphate heptahydrate for the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper project (‘ NICO Project ‘) in Canada. The results verified that a high-quality cobalt sulphate heptahydrate product can be generated with very good metal recoveries from a simplified process flow sheet to help mitigate capital and operating costs escalation for the NICO Project. The test work was supported by contribution funding from Natural Resources Canada (‘ NRCan ‘)’s Global Partnerships Initiative (‘ GPI ‘) program, a U.S. Defense Production Act Title III award and contributions from Alberta Innovates’ Clean Resource Intake program.

The NICO Project is an advanced development asset comprised of a planned open pit and underground mine and concentrator in the Northwest Territories (‘ NWT ‘) and a dedicated hydrometallurgical facility in Alberta (‘ Alberta Refinery ‘) where concentrates from the mine, and other feed sources, will be processed to value-added critical mineral products. The NICO Project will provide a reliable North American supply of battery grade cobalt sulphate, bismuth ingots (12% of global reserves), and copper cement – with more than one million ounces of in-situ gold as a highly liquid and countercyclical co-product.

�Our new government is working with Canada’s world-class minerals industry to build resilient, secure, sustainable and most importantly, made-in-Canada critical mineral supply chains. This milestone from Fortune Minerals is not only an important step forward, but a perfect example of how Canada can deliver the world-class products, from batteries to magnets and beyond, that our domestic and international manufacturers and partners need. As demand grows, we are stepping up to meet that demand in a way that promotes Canada, attracts investment, and creates local jobs,’ said The Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

Like our news? Click-to-post on X.

The objective of the recent test work was to validate improvements to the hydrometallurgical process Fortune will use to produce a high-purity cobalt sulphate heptahydrate product for the lithium-ion rechargeable battery industry. The work was carried out at SGS Canada Inc. (‘ SGS ‘) at its world class Lakefield, Ontario metallurgical facilities. Fortune previously announced partial results for this work confirming the pressure oxidation conditions for autoclave processing NICO Project cobalt concentrate that had previously been determined in a 2008 pilot plant. The current work verified process optimizations at two different concentrate grades and achieved extractions of 97% for cobalt and 74% for copper at the design feed grade versus 95% for cobalt and 70% for copper in the 2008 pilot plant. Extractions using an off-specification low-grade cobalt feed were 95% for cobalt and 79% for copper, confirming the earlier pilot plant metal recoveries (see July 7, 2025, news release). The recent tests also confirmed these recoveries after blending the cobalt concentrate with residues from the bismuth leach circuit prior to autoclave processing in order to capture all of the recoverable gold in one process stream, while also recovering additional cobalt and copper that had deported to the bismuth circuit. Gold recoveries in the recent tests were between 97% and 98% compared to 95% in the earlier 2008 pilot plant work.

The recent test work also indicates that a direct pre-neutralization sequence of the autoclave discharge would be beneficial at bench scale, removing about 99% of the contained arsenic without oxygenation or heating, and without incurring any cobalt losses. This improvement to the process flowsheet indicates the equipment sizes can likely be reduced to lower the capital and operating costs for the Alberta Refinery. The recently completed test work also focused on verification of the downstream solution purification – consisting of manganese removal, solvent extraction purification, and evaporation and crystallization of a battery grade cobalt sulphate heptahydrate product. The purity of the cobalt sulphate met the 99.99% (20.959% cobalt in sulphate) specification received from lithium-ion battery manufacturers and the heavy metal impurities also met the specified limits.

NICO Project Cobalt Specifications

Element

Assay

Battery Grade Cobalt Sulphate Specifications

NICO Project Cobalt Sulphate Product Specification

unit

Ni

g/t

<10–50

<6

Fe

g/t

<5–20

<1

Cu

g/t

<5–10

1

Mn

g/t

<10–50

25

*Zn

g/t

<5–10

<7

Ca

g/t

<10–20

4

*Mg

g/t

<5–10

n/a

Na

g/t

<20–50

<10

K

g/t

<10–20

<10

As

g/t

<5 (in heavy metals)

<1

Cd

g/t

<5 (in heavy metals)

<1

Pb

g/t

<5–10 (in heavy metals)

<1

As+Cd+Pb

g/t

<5–10

<3

*SO₄ (excess)

g/t

<100

53

Si

g/t

<5–10

<5

*Insol’s

% wt.

<0.01

<0.01

*Co

% wt.

>20.958

20.959

CoSO4•7H2O

% wt.

>99.990

99.995

*Mg – engineering optimization work in progress.

Fortune is now conducting tests at SGS to validate the production of a cobalt mixed hydroxide product (CoMHP) as a lower capital and operating cost start-up option for the Alberta Refinery. Preliminary tests were successful in producing CoMHP with attractive cobalt, nickel and copper contents and additional tests are being carried out at SGS to support an economic sensitivity analysis for the NICO Project Feasibility Study currently in progress by Worley Canada Services Ltd. Currently, cobalt hydroxide prices compare favourably to cobalt sulphate and metal products due to the shortage of hydroxide from export restrictions by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Making a CoMHP product would be a lower cost alternative that might support a compelling economic alternative at start-up.

For more detailed information about the NICO Mineral Reserves and certain technical information in this news release, please refer to the Technical Report on the NICO Project, entitled ‘Technical Report on the Feasibility Study for the NICO-Gold-Cobalt-Bismuth-Copper Project, Northwest Territories, Canada’, dated April 2, 2014 and prepared by Micon International Limited which has been filed on SEDAR and is available under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca .

The disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this news release have been approved by Robin Goad, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and Chief Executive Officer of Fortune and Alex Mezei, M.Sc., P.Eng. Fortune’s Chief Metallurgist, who are ‘Qualified Persons’ under National Instrument 43-101.

About Fortune Minerals

Fortune is a Canadian mining company focused on developing the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper project in the Northwest Territories and Alberta. Fortune also owns the satellite Sue-Dianne copper-silver-gold deposit located 25 km north of the NICO deposit and is a potential future source of incremental feed to extend the life of the NICO concentrator.

Follow Fortune Minerals:

Click here to subscribe to Fortune’s email list.

Click here to follow Fortune on LinkedIn.

@FortuneMineral on X.

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. This forward-looking information includes statements with respect to, among other things, the construction of the proposed mine and concentrator in the Northwest Territories and the hydrometallurgical facility in Alberta, and the Company’s plans to develop the NICO Project. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management as well as certain assumptions at the date the information is given (including, in respect of the forward-looking information contained in this press release, assumptions regarding: the Company’s ability to complete construction of a NICO Project hydrometallurgical facility; the Company’s ability to arrange the necessary financing to continue operations and develop the NICO Project; the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals for the construction and operation of the NICO Project and the related hydrometallurgical facility and the timing thereof; the time required to construct the NICO Project; and the economic environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold, cobalt, bismuth and other by-product metals, anticipated costs and the volumes of metals to be produced at the NICO Project). However, such forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. These factors include the risks related to the new Mineral Reserves, Mine Plan and production schedule for the NICO Project, the Company may not be able to finance and develop NICO on favourable terms or at all, uncertainties with respect to the receipt or timing of required permits, approvals and agreements for the development of the NICO Project, including the related hydrometallurgical facility, the construction of the NICO Project may take longer than anticipated, the Company may not be able to secure offtake agreements for the metals to be produced at the NICO Project, the Sue-Dianne Property may not be developed to the point where it can provide mill feed to the NICO Project, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties and in the mining industry in general, the market for products that use cobalt or bismuth may not grow to the extent anticipated, the future supply of cobalt and bismuth may not be as limited as anticipated, the risk of decreases in the market prices of cobalt, bismuth and other metals to be produced by the NICO Project, discrepancies between actual and estimated Mineral Resources or between actual and estimated metallurgical recoveries, uncertainties associated with estimating Mineral Resources and Reserves and the risk that even if such Mineral Resources prove accurate the risk that such Mineral Resources may not be converted into Mineral Reserves once economic conditions are applied, the Company’s production of cobalt, bismuth and other metals may be less than anticipated and other operational and development risks, market risks and regulatory risks, cobalt sulphate specifications may not be achieved, the simplified flow sheet may not mitigate capital and operating costs . Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information because it is possible that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forms of forward-looking information will not be achieved by the Company. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise it to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121192459/en/

For further information please contact:
Fortune Minerals Limited
Troy Nazarewicz
Investor Relations Manager
info@fortuneminerals.com
Tel: (519) 858-8188
www.fortuneminerals.com

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LAURION Strengthens its Technical Leadership at Ishkoday with Appointment of Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng., as Qualified Person

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(TheNewswire)

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.

Toronto, Ontario January 21, 2026 TheNewswire – Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: LME | OTCQB: LMEFF | FSE: 5YD) (‘LAURION’ or the ‘Company’) announces the appointment of Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng., as the Company’s new Qualified Person, effective immediately.

Pierre-Jean is a highly experienced geological engineer and consultant who has authored numerous National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (‘NI 43-101’) technical reports for gold and mineral resource projects, including Duparquet (Québec), Balabag (Philippines) and Lac Lamêlée (iron ore, Québec), demonstrating deep expertise in gold, base metals, and international resource evaluation. He specializes in property evaluation, mineral resource estimation and various aspects of exploration and mining project management.

‘Pierre-Jean brings exactly the combination of geological insight, Qualified Person leadership, and technical discipline that aligns with our execution priorities,‘ said Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin, President and CEO of LAURION. ‘His experience strengthens our ability to advance Ishkōday through disciplined interpretation, integrated modelling, and technically grounded decision-making as the project continues to evolve.’

The Company also extends its sincerest thanks to Jean-Philippe Paiement, P.Geo., for his contributions and efforts during his tenure as the Company’s Qualified Person. LAURION wishes him continued success in his future endeavours.

Strengthened Technical Team to Advance Ishkōday

LAURION has strategically strengthened its technical leadership to support disciplined advancement at the Ishkōday Gold-Polymetallic Project. Pierre-Jean Lafleur and Ali Ben Ayad (Structural-Geophysicist) will lead the integration and synthesis of LAURION’s geological, geophysical, and drilling datasets to refine the A-Zone geological envelope, develop robust 3D wireframes, and establish the technical foundation required for future resource-definition work under NI 43-101.

In parallel, Rogerio Monteiro of Vektore will contribute advanced structural interpretation and grade-vectoring analysis to support the prioritization of step-out targets with potential to extend known mineralization, with initial emphasis on the Sturgeon River Mine area and broader Ishkōday corridor. Vektore’s proprietary spatial-analytic framework transforms grade information into directionally weighted vector fields, supporting early-stage identification of structural trends and high-probability concentration zones.

 

This work will be closely coordinated with Ronacher McKenzie Geoscience (RMG) and LAURION’s internal exploration team to ensure disciplined execution, continuity of interpretation, and alignment across technical workstreams.

Guidance on Timing of NI 43-101 Technical Reports

 

While LAURION is working toward the technical foundation required to support an eventual NI 43-101 compliant technical report expressing a mineral resource estimate (‘MRE’), potentially followed by a subsequent technical report disclosing a preliminary economic assessment (‘PEA’), the Company is not providing guidance on timing of either of these technical objectives. Progress toward an MRE and PEA will depend on multiple factors, including ongoing refinement of geological and structural models, the definition of mineralized continuity through further work and drilling where required, and access to financing to execute the necessary programs. Accordingly, references to NI 43-101 technical reports should be regarded as an ongoing technical objective of the Company, not an indication that the completion dates for an MRE and PEA can be accurately predicted at this stage.

 

LAURION believes the appointment of Pierre-Jean as its new Qualified Person further strengthens the Company’s technical leadership as it continues developing Ishkōday.

 

Qualified Person

The technical contents of this release were reviewed and approved by Pierre-Jean Lafleur, P.Eng, a consultant to LAURION and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

 

About LAURION Mineral Exploration Inc.

 

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc. is a mid-stage junior mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol LME and on the OTC Pink market under the symbol LMEFF. The Company currently has 278,716,413 common shares outstanding, with approximately 73.6% held by insiders and long-term ‘Friends and Family’ investors, reflecting strong alignment between management, the Board, and shareholders.

 

LAURION’s primary focus is the 100%-owned, district-scale Ishkōday Project, a 57 km² land package hosting gold-rich polymetallic mineralization. The Company is advancing Ishkōday through a disciplined, milestone-driven exploration strategy focused on strengthening geological confidence, defining structural continuity.

 

LAURION’s strategy is centered on deliberate value creation. The Company is prioritizing systematic technical advancement, integrated geological and structural modeling, and the evaluation of optional, non-dilutive pathways, including historical surface stockpile processing, that may support flexibility in LAURION’s exploration plans without diverting the Company’s focus from its core exploration objectives.

 

The Company’s overarching objective is to build project value before monetization, ensuring that any future strategic outcomes are supported by technical clarity, reduced execution risk, and demonstrated scale. While the Board remains attentive to strategic interest that may arise, LAURION is not driven by transaction timing. Instead, the Company is focused on advancing the Ishkōday Project in a manner that strengthens long-term shareholder value.

 

LAURION will continue to communicate updates through timely disclosure and will issue press releases in accordance with applicable securities laws should any material information arise.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

 

Laurion Mineral Exploration Inc.

Cynthia Le Sueur-Aquin – President and CEO

Tel: 1-705-788-9186 Fax: 1-705-805-9256

 

Douglas Vass – Investor Relations Consultant

Email: info@laurion.ca

Website: http://www.LAURION.ca

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Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events including with respect to LAURION’s business, operations and condition, management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions, the Company’s ability to advance the Ishkōday Project, the nature, focus, timing and potential results of the Company’s exploration, drilling and prospecting activities in 2026 and beyond, the timing of, and the Company’s ability to complete, any technical reports or milestones regarding the Ishkōday Project, and the statements regarding the Company’s exploration or consideration of any possible strategic alternatives and transactional opportunities, as well as the potential outcome(s) of this process, the possible impact of any potential transactions referenced herein on the Company or any of its stakeholders, and the ability of the Company to identify and complete any potential acquisitions, mergers, financings or other transactions referenced herein, and the timing of any such transactions. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events and future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements could differ materially from those projected herein including as a result of a change in the trading price of the common shares of LAURION, the TSX Venture Exchange or any other applicable regulator not providing its approval for any strategic alternatives or transactional opportunities, the interpretation and actual results of current exploration activities, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future prices of gold and/or other metals, possible variations in grade or recovery rates, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, the failure of contracted parties to perform, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company’s publicly filed documents. Investors should consult the Company’s ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Company’s public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Subject to applicable law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. All sample values are from grab samples and channel samples, which by their nature, are not necessarily representative of overall grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in this press release.

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The High Minimum Wage Blues

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If all goes as supporters intend, a measure to raise the minimum wage in the nation’s capital to $25 per hour by 2029 will appear on city ballots next November. It’s not an isolated occurrence. From New York City to Honolulu, proposals for a spike in the minimum wage have become ubiquitous among progressives.  

Saru Jayaraman, the president of One Fair Wage, cited as justification the affordability crisis. “We’re going to…demand what we really need,” she told The Washington Post, “which is a living wage, a minimum wage that meets the cost of living.” 

Simplistic though it is, I’m sympathetic to the reasoning. As a freelance writer, I’m far from a member of “The 1%” myself. Meanwhile, some celebrities, athletes, and executives rake in over $50,000 per hour. 

Money isn’t everything, but it is something. And this gap between wealth and poverty, or in my case modesty, has diverged for decades. Technology has created an environment for extreme outperformers in a variety of fields to leverage success in ways that did not exist before. Even so, both my life experience and my economics education ring alarm bells in my head whenever I hear plans to raise the minimum wage. 

In 2018, a health crisis prevented me from working for much of the year. I had to slowly ease myself back into work mode. This included a part-time job at a department store. I monitored security cameras from a room while communicating with a security team and store employees about theft or suspicious activity. 

I intended to stay a few months but remained almost three years. The job had a big fringe benefit. Most of the time, it required only my eyes. My mind was free to plan writing projects, listen to podcasts or practice Spanish, all while earning some $13.50 per hour to start. If a proposal for a $25 per hour minimum wage had come up at the time, I would have been a hard no, viewing it as a threat to my position. 

Running a business is a kaleidoscope of financial decisions and trade-offs. The goal of owners is to earn a profit, which is their wage. They do it by hiring workers who contribute more to the bottom line than they extract in cost. In practical terms, it means that I was hired to watch cameras because my doing so held the promise of more than $13.50 per hour added to the store’s bottom line (principally through theft prevention).  

Economists call this the value of the marginal product of labor (VMPL). Sitting in the camera room, I sometimes wondered how my VMPL compared to my earnings. It was impossible to say. But if the chain had not thought camera monitors were worth their hire, they could have left the room empty and had managers come in as needed to monitor activity or download footage for police. Many stores operate this way. 

Would my position have survived a $25 per hour minimum wage? I highly doubt it. Barring an increase in the price of the store’s merchandise, which might have driven off customers, I don’t think the VMPL of screen watching could have justified that figure.  

But surely this was a quirk of the position, one might argue. A store can do without screen watchers. But other low-wage jobs, such as cleaning staff, are mission-critical. A store must have them in order to exist. 

This is true, but only narrowly. A store doesn’t have to exist. As part of the free market, if labor costs rise, it may downsize or go out of business, outcompeted by online retailers or by brick-and-mortar stores that substitute labor-saving technology such as robotic floor cleaners. 

Progressives imagine that such businesses are too miserly to pay workers what they ought to. The more common reality is that businesses are trying to operate efficiently in an environment in which they must compete for both workers and customers. Some low-level positions simply don’t justify high wages. Yet there are many reasons someone might want such a job. In my case, it was health-related. In others, someone might be looking to gain a foothold in the workforce from which to climb higher. 

At the same time, there remain policy options for addressing a diverging income gap, ones that leverage rather than distort the proven strength of free markets.  

In the long run, our education system should do a better job teaching young people how the capitalist economy works, and the life possibilities it offers them through activities such as entrepreneurship. 

In the short run, expanded wage subsidies are a better alternative than a minimum wage. They allow low-level workers to earn more without endangering anyone’s employability. Subsidies can be paid directly to workers through a program such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, or to employers through hiring credits. Coining the term “negative income tax,” no less a free-market partisan than Milton Friedman advocated for these as a means of alleviating poverty. 

So why all the focus on the minimum wage, when clearly superior tools exist? One reason is that it’s a cheap and simplistic virtue signal. Politically, the minimum wage sells. But like much of life, its simplicity is deceptive. Beneath the surface is a tangle of hidden costs and cascading consequences, often borne by the people least expected, even those it proposes to help. 

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Comer dares Democrats to advance Clinton contempt of Congress resolutions or ‘be exposed as hypocrites’

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is calling for bipartisanship on a key vote that could lead to former President Bill Clinton and ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton facing criminal charges.

Comer will ask Democrats to join Republicans in teeing up House-wide votes on holding the Clintons in contempt of Congress on Wednesday, after both defied subpoenas to appear for his committee’s probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

‘The Committee does not take this action lightly. But subpoenas are not mere suggestions; they carry the force of law and require compliance,’ Comer will say, according to an excerpt obtained by Fox News Digital. ‘Former President Clinton and Secretary Clinton were legally required to appear for depositions before this Committee. They refused.’

Comer’s statement will also argue the committee ‘acted in good faith’ in trying to schedule the depositions but that ‘actions have consequences.’

‘We’ve offered flexibility on scheduling. The response we received was not cooperation, but defiance, marked by repeated delays, excuses, and obstruction,’ Comer will say. ‘Today, the Clintons must be held accountable for their actions. And Democrats must support these measures, or they will be exposed as hypocrites.’

The committee is meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday to mark up a pair of reports on holding the Clintons in contempt. 

If they pass — which they are expected to do, largely along party lines — it will pave the way for the full House to vote on whether to refer the Clintons to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for prosecution.

‘We must do what is necessary to uphold Congress’s investigative authority, which is imperative to the legislative process,’ Comer will say. ‘And we are doing so to demonstrate to the American people that justice is applied equally to everyone, regardless of position, pedigree, or prestige.’

A contempt of Congress conviction is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to one year in jail.

Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, associates of President Donald Trump, were each found guilty of the charge after defying subpoenas sent by the now-defunct House select committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The Clintons were two of 10 people Comer subpoenaed over the summer as part of the Oversight Committee’s probe into Epstein. But despite the initial bipartisan push, the investigation has fallen into partisan infighting as both sides accuse the other of politicizing the probe at the expense of Epstein’s victims.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee, accused Comer of hypocrisy in trying to hold the Clintons accountable while not pushing harder to enforce the subpoena aimed at forcing the DOJ to release all of its Epstein files, which it has not yet done.

‘I think it’s incredibly hypocritical for James Comer to go out and try to hold in contempt his political enemies while [Attorney General Pam Bondi] is actively breaking the law, and he refuses to hold her in contempt,’ Garcia told MS NOW last week.

Comer also issued a statement on Tuesday stating that he rejected an offer from Bill Clinton’s lawyer for himself and Garcia to sit down with the former president in New York, for an interview without an ‘official transcript.’

‘The House Oversight Committee rejects the Clintons’ unreasonable demands and will move forward with contempt resolutions on Wednesday due to their continued defiance of lawful subpoenas,’ Comer said.


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Former Rep. MTG dumps cold water on Trump’s Greenland acquisition ambitions: ‘We’ve heard that one before’

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Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — a Republican who left office earlier this year after a falling out with President Donald Trump last year — poured cold water on the president’s ambitions to add Greenland to the U.S.

‘We are approaching $40 Trillion in debt and Social Security is going to be insolvent by 2033. Is anyone even talking about how much it’s going to cost the American people to take over Greenland?’ Greene asked in a Tuesday post on X.

‘Saying it’s ‘for your safety’ is not sufficient. We’ve heard that one before and it didn’t turn out so well,’ she added.

The U.S. national debt is more than $38.46 trillion, according to fiscaldata.treasury.gov.

Trump has said the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland as a matter of national security.

‘The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building,’ he asserted in part of a Truth Social post last week.

‘China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it,’ he declared in part of another Truth Social post last week. 

‘Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake,’ he asserted. ‘Now, because of The Golden Dome, and Modern Day Weapons Systems, both Offensive and Defensive, the need to ACQUIRE is especially important.’


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Davos braces for Trump amid tensions over NATO, Greenland and global defense

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President Donald Trump has Europe on edge as he prepares to meet with foreign leaders in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday and Thursday at the World Economic Forum.

The World Economic Forum is a Switzerland-based organization that convenes global political leaders, business executives, academics and activists each year in Davos to discuss major economic, political and social issues, with the U.S. and Trump expected to take center stage this year. Leaders from Germany to France to Norway and beyond are expected to attend. 

Calls for the U.S. to acquire Greenland and tariff threats loom over the event as Trump puts European allies on notice to reach a deal on the island by Feb. 1 or face the consequences. Goods from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom will face a 10% tariff if no deal is reached by February, with the taxes increasing to 25% by June 1 if there is no deal. 

Top European leaders have balked over Trump’s demands to make a deal on Greenland, citing that NATO allies can work together to ensure the Arctic is secure. Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory nestled between North America and Europe in the Arctic Circle. 

Trump wants to acquire the island — the largest island in the world –—from a national security standpoint, noting Russia’s and China’s growing presence in the Arctic. Greenland as a pivotal outpost during the Cold War because it was along the shortest routes between North America and the Soviet Union, allowing for speedy missile detection. 

The World Economic Forum kicked off Monday, with some European leaders questioning their relationship with the U.S. as tariff threats loom. The threats follow the U.S. and EU reaching a comprehensive trade framework in 2025 that fixed a 15% tariff level on most EU exports. 

‘The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July,’ European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said from Davos on Monday, according to The Associated Press. ‘And in politics as in business — a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.’

‘We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape,’ she added.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said from a press conference in Nuuk ahead of the forum that there needs to be respect for ‘territorial integrity.’ 

‘International law, it’s not a game,’ he said. ‘We have been a close and loyal ally to the United States, to NATO, through many, many, many years. We can do lots more in that framework. We are willing to cooperate much more, but of course in mutual respect, and if we cannot see that, it will be very difficult to have a good and reliable partnership.’

Trump is set to hold a signing ceremony for the Gaza Board of Peace in Davos, Fox News confirmed Tuesday, which is styled as a new oversight body tied to the next phase of the Gaza peace plan. ‘Dozens’ of countries have been invited to join the board, Fox News confirmed. 

Some invited countries, however, have raised concerns about the terms of the proposed Gaza peace board, as participation would come with a substantial financial commitment, adding to the heightened tensions at the forum, Bloomberg reported. 

French President Emmanuel Macron, for example, has increasingly become a target for Trump’s criticisms and denied membership on the board. 

Macron’s office said the Board of Peace proposal ‘goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question,’ according to Politico. 

Trump threatened additional tariffs on France when asked about Macron’s refusal to join the board. 

‘I’ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and Champagnes and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,’ Trump told reporters on Monday. 

Trump is expected to kick off his first day in Davos at about 8 a.m. EST for a day of events and meetings, before returning to the U.S. Thursday. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report. 


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When Production Isn’t Production and Prices Aren’t Prices

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Many debates on economic topics hinge on a set of familiar words: production, prices, costs, value. These terms appear constantly in political speeches, news articles, and policy discussions. Yet they are rarely used with much precision (at least where academic economists are concerned). As a result, people often talk past one another while believing they are in agreement — or disagreement — about the same thing.

Confusing colloquial meanings with technical definitions can lead to deeply flawed conclusions about how markets work and what governments can realistically accomplish. When it is asserted, for example, that governments “produce” value or that sellers “set” prices, these statements seem plausible, but precisely because the words involved are doing too much work. Clarifying what economists actually mean by these terms goes a long way toward dissolving common economic myths.

Two simple examples — one involving production and the other involving prices — illustrate how careless language leads to poor economic reasoning and, ultimately, misguided policy.

Colloquial Language Versus Economic Concepts

Many words carry different meanings depending on context, and often this causes no issue. 

Economist Walter Block illustrates this with the word work. If you hold two heavy jugs of milk with your arms extended, we would say you are doing a great deal of work. In physics, however, no work is being done unless an object moves through space. This discrepancy seldom causes confusion because most people understand that different disciplines use words differently. Economics appears to be more susceptible to confusion, with many making claims about how the economy works while actually relying on, at best, loose metaphors.

This is especially true when discussing production.

When Production Isn’t Production

Suppose that after a rainstorm, you make a literal mud pie. You have produced something in the everyday sense of the word: a tangible object that did not previously exist. But have you engaged in production in the economic sense?

Economic production is not solely defined by effort, creativity, or physical output. It requires the creation of value as demonstrated through voluntary exchange. If no one is willing to purchase your mud pie, then no economic production has taken place. What you engaged in instead was a form of consumption — you enjoyed the activity for its own sake. Either that, or it was merely a failed attempt at production. Any value created was internal to your experience, not reflected in the allocation of scarce resources across society.

This distinction becomes far more important when we move beyond childish examples. Governments are routinely described as producers of goods and services, including roads, schools, healthcare, and national defense. In a colloquial sense, this is understandable. Physical infrastructure is built, employees are hired, and services are rendered.

Economically speaking, however, production cannot be separated from profit and loss accounting. Market production requires prices for inputs and outputs that emerge from voluntary exchange. These prices enable producers to assess whether they are utilizing resources in ways that consumers value more highly than alternative uses.

Government activity is funded through taxation, not voluntary exchange. This means that tax revenue does not accurately reflect the demand for specific services by consumers. Instead, it merely reflects the government’s power to compel payment. Since the state, then, sets its own revenue amount through taxation, it lacks genuine market prices for many of its inputs and outputs. Accordingly, it cannot calculate profit and loss in any economically meaningful sense.

Without profit-and-loss feedback, there is no way to know whether a project creates value or destroys it. From an economic perspective, government provision is therefore better understood as consumption by state agents rather than production — regardless of the intentions behind it or the visible outputs it generates.

When Prices Aren’t Prices

The same linguistic confusion arises with prices. Let us return to the mud pie. Suppose you list it online for $1 million. No one buys it. What is its price?

The answer is not one million dollars. In fact, the mud pie has no price at all.

A price, in the economic sense, exists only when an exchange takes place. Until then, what we observe are merely offers. The sticker price on a shelf is not yet a price; it is a proposal that buyers are free to accept or reject. If no transaction occurs, no price has emerged.

This distinction matters because it undermines the common belief that sellers determine prices. Sellers can propose prices, sure, but they cannot unilaterally create them. If consumers refuse to purchase a good at a given price, sellers must either lower the price, alter the product, or leave the market altogether.

This also helps clarify the relationship between prices and costs. While production costs may influence the prices sellers hope to receive, they do not determine market prices. Prices are governed by consumers’ subjective valuations — by how much value buyers believe they can derive from a good relative to other options.

This is why cost-of-production theories of price fail to explain real-world markets. They ignore the central role of consumer judgment and treat prices as if they were deliberately determined, rather than emerging from exchange.

Why Precision Matters

Confusing offers with prices leads to the mistaken belief that firms exploit consumers by arbitrarily raising prices. Confusing government spending with production leads to the belief that public projects can be evaluated independently of market feedback. In both cases, the underlying error is conceptual rather than empirical.

Economic reasoning depends on disciplined language. When we use economic terms loosely, we smuggle in assumptions that the theory itself does not support. The result is not merely academic confusion but policy proposals built on faulty foundations.

If we want better economic debates — and better economic policies — we must begin by taking economic concepts seriously. Without such precision, sound analysis is impossible.

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