According to some experts, after the peak is reached, the production rate will slowly decline until it reaches near zero while the price shoots upward. At that point, we will have pretty much mined all the economic ore deposits that are present on the planet.

Any ore grading 32% silver would contain more than 9,000 ounces of silver per ton and be valued at something in the range of $150,000 per ton. Even a few tons of this type of material would be well worth shipping off to a smelter for treatment.

…2017 was just the first year with a small increase after a huge drop off in exploration activity. It may take many years of future increases to get back to where the activity was in 2012, as projected increases in exploration spending are seen to be slow and steady.

Just recently, the miners hit another big pocket, this time with nearly 1,000 ounces of gold. Some of the rich specimens were as big as a fist and others were in the form of smaller pieces.