Video News/Digging Deep

Neil Adshead, Consultant Analyst at the Commodity Discovery Fund, says tightening copper supply is becoming harder to ignore as major producers struggle with aging mines, falling grades and production disruptions. Speaking with Kitco Mining’s Digging Deep on May 13, 2026, Adshead said Freeport-McMoRan’s revised Grasberg timeline adds pressure to an already tight market. “It is difficult out there for these major miners to keep up,” he said. Adshead also discussed Equinox Gold’s planned all-stock acquisition of Orla Mining, saying the deal reflects a broader push for scale among mid-tier gold producers seeking larger investors and stronger index demand. The conversation also covered First Quantum’s La Granja copper project in Peru, Hudbay’s Arizona copper strategy, Lumina Metals’ copper-silver IPO, Barrick Mining’s Reko Diq delay in Pakistan, speculation around Nevada Gold Mines, and San Lorenzo Gold’s Chile drill discovery.