Research & Resources
Articles and resources covering U.S. mineral-rights fundamentals, technical disclosure standards, tungsten and scheelite evaluation, and the methodology behind historic mine redevelopment.
What an unpatented mining claim is, how it differs from fee-simple ownership, how claims are verified, and what rights a claim does and does not convey.
An unpatented claim is a possessory mineral interest on federal land, not ownership of the underlying fee estate. Understanding what rights transfer and what stays with the surface is fundamental to evaluating any mineral property.
Claims are verified through BLM MLRS records, county recordings, and title-counsel review. Verification status, maintenance history, and known title exceptions should be disclosed for every serial.
BLM guidance recognizes an unpatented claim interest as transferable real property while still treating it as a possessory interest in federal land. This distinction matters for corporate structure, financing, and disclosure.
Understanding S-K 1300, the difference between historical estimates and current resources, and how assay data should be presented.
An assay is a single measurement. A mineral resource is a concentration with reasonable prospects for economic extraction. A reserve is the economically mineable part of a resource. These terms are not interchangeable.
Historical grades, tonnages, and production figures are evidence supporting further work — not substitutes for modern representative sampling, surveying, metallurgy, and Qualified Person review.
Multiplying estimated metal quantity by spot price produces a gross metal value — not cash flow, NPV, or fair market value. Costs, recovery, and technical risk must all be accounted for.
S-K 1300 is the SEC's mining property disclosure regime for covered registrants. Using its terminology does not make a private company compliant — but understanding it helps counterparties evaluate technical claims.
What scheelite is, how tungsten properties are evaluated, and the current state of U.S. tungsten supply.
Scheelite is calcium tungstate (CaWO₄). Its presence establishes tungsten mineralization, not commercial grade. Grade, width, continuity, liberation, concentrate quality, and deleterious elements must all be independently tested.
The 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals contains 60 commodities developed through USGS. The U.S. has had no commercial primary tungsten mine production since 2015. Domestic recycling and conversion capability exists, but mine supply remains structural.
Why old mines deserve re-examination, how historic workings reduce and create risk, and the methodology for evaluating legacy properties.
A property with recorded claims, existing underground development, archival production or exploration records, government geological context, and physical access has a materially different risk profile than a greenfield prospect.
Existing adits, drifts, and stopes reduce capital requirements and provide direct geological information. But they also introduce safety hazards, water management problems, unknown ground conditions, and legacy environmental liability.
DMEA maps, Bureau of Mines appraisals, state geological bulletins, and operator records can be assembled into a working mine model — but every source must be graded for provenance, age, and reliability before it supports a modern decision.
The most recent federal list identifies 60 commodities as critical to U.S. economic and national security. Several are present or indicated within the Sovereign portfolio across Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada.