Why the Best Mining Projects Still Can’t Get Financed

Watch on YouTube Video not loading? Open it on YouTube.

Gold prices remain historically strong, copper demand continues to build, and governments are racing to secure critical mineral supply chains—but mining equities still haven’t fully reflected the opportunity.

In this episode of Mining Stock Daily, Ian Wagner sits down with Scott North, co-founder of Kamoa Capital, for a wide-ranging conversation on where capital is flowing across the mining sector and what investors should really be paying attention to.

They discuss why analysts remain divided on gold despite record margins, the growing shortage of financeable copper projects, and why AI, electrification, and defense spending are creating long-term demand that the mining industry may struggle to meet. The conversation also explores rare earths, processing bottlenecks, government policy, and what separates projects that actually get built from those that never leave the drawing board.

Whether you’re investing in gold producers, copper developers, or critical minerals, this discussion offers valuable perspective on the challenges—and opportunities—facing the resource sector over the next decade.

Timestamps

00:00– Introduction
01:42– Meet Scott North and Kamoa Capital
03:11– The Fed, interest rates, and the divided outlook for gold
06:25– Can gold move higher from here?
08:26– Gold margins, rising costs, and producer performance
12:11– Why some mining projects get built—and others don’t
15:32– The growing copper supply challenge
18:34– AI, data centers, and the future demand for copper
21:11– Government policy and critical mineral investment
22:57– Why exploration spending matters more than ever
24:58– Rare earths, processing, and China’s advantage
30:46– Can Western rare earth projects compete?
34:45– Capital markets, mining finance, and investor appetite
46:36– Australia’s uranium opportunity
49:21– What’s missing from North American mining?
52:37– Building supply chains that actually last
53:56– Final thoughts