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Ronald Parratt, President and CEO of
Renaissance Gold Inc. [REN-TSXV] has
~40 years' experience working in the
mining industry in the Western USA.
Renaissance gold has precious metal explo-
ration projects in Nevada and Utah. Parratt
spoke to Resource World about mining in
Western USA.
Besides being safe and mining friendly,
the American West remains one of the
most prospective mining jurisdictions in
the world, said Parratt. "There is an awful
lot of gold being produced here now. The
discovery potential is still good. The US is
about the third or fourth largest gold pro-
ducing nation on earth and 75 to 80% of
that gold comes from Nevada. We have a
lot of mines, a lot of production and a great
endowment."
Speculating if more companies are
exploring in Western USA now that there
has been a slight recovery in the mar-
kets, Parratt noted that Elon Musk's huge
battery plant being built near Reno has
caused a real boom in lithium exploration
in Nevada. He added, "Many Canadian-
listed companies, like ours, are exploring
for lithium deposits similar to the one that
is down in Clayton Valley."
Parratt said with precious metal prices
"a bit off the floor" there's more funding
available for mining companies. "I think
things are getting better. I won't say they
are anywhere near back to where they
were in 2010/11 but they're definitely bet-
ter. We are seeing an improvement in our
business for sure," he said.
Nevada continues to be the most popu-
lar destination for mining companies in
Exploration
and Mining
in the
and Mining
in the
and Mining
Western USA
Though mining in the USA began in colonial times it was the discovery of gold in the west
that caused mining to become a major industry there. The 1848 California Gold Rush ini-
tiated large scale gold production and a massive westward migration of Americans. The
lure of gold populated the west where today many famous mining districts continue to
produce an extraordinary wealth of gold, copper and silver.
by Kathrine Moore