Video News/PDAC 2026

U.S. GoldMining Inc. (NASDAQ: USGO) has released a preliminary economic assessment for its Whistler gold-copper project in Alaska, outlining average production of approximately 250,000 gold equivalent ounces per year over a 15-year mine life, including roughly 345,000 ounces annually in the first three years. Speaking with Kitco Mining at PDAC 2026, CEO Tim Smith said the study generated a 33% after-tax internal rate of return using base case assumptions of $3,200 gold and $4.50 copper. Whistler hosts more than 1 billion pounds of copper and nearly 20 million ounces of silver, with approximately 75% of project value derived from gold. “We are on state of Alaska mining claims, so we're just dealing with a single regulator,” Smith said, highlighting permitting advantages. Metallurgical testing achieved gold recoveries of up to 89%, and Smith noted that at higher metal prices, “We go from 33 to 62%, after tax,” as the company advances toward pre-feasibility and plans additional district-scale drilling in 2026.