Part of the technical program of PDAC 2026 will explore critical minerals, uranium, and potash, three categories of products that all center on supply security and strategic significance.
- The tech and defense sectors are dependent on critical minerals, but China remains the dominant supplier.
- The future of Uranium and nuclear energy is debatable, although there is growing interest in clean, emission-free electricity generation.
- Potash is a necessity in food production, yet it falls victim to trade disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
These sessions will examine how businesses and governments are addressing supply challenges, market trends, and geopolitics to secure future supplies.
Critical Minerals: Recovery from Existing Operations
Critical minerals include gallium, germanium, indium, tellurium, scandium, and selenium, which are critical to defense, semiconductors, and clean tech.
When base metals are processed, they are already in the mix, but most of them still end up in the tailings. The trick is to find a way of extracting them in a manner that will be profitable, and at the same time, keep pace with the changing geopolitics.
On Tuesday, March 3, between 2 pm and 4 pm, the session titled “Hiding in Plain Site: Critical Minerals Recovery of Base Metals” will discuss how Canada can enhance supply security by recovering these strategic elements out of existing operations.
- Jack Lifton will discuss the geopolitics of critical metals, highlighting how the dynamics of supply chains influence recovery priorities.
- Another discussion will explore the geology and geometallurgy of gallium, germanium, indium, selenium, and tellurium, and how they are distributed in base-metal deposits and how that geology influences their recoverability.
- The real process paths of extracting value out of these by-product streams will also be discussed, considering both technical and economic considerations.
- The approach to by-product recovery at Rio Tinto will serve as a case study, demonstrating a large producer that already operates critical mineral mining.
Critical minerals are also discussed in the commodities session on Sunday, March 1, from 2 pm to 4:20 pm. From 3:20 pm to 4 pm, Daan Struyven of Goldman Sachs will lead a critical-mineral panel, which will examine market fundamentals and demand trends of these strategic elements.
Uranium: Reclaiming a Role in Energy Transition
Uranium is attempting to establish itself as the heart of energy-transition strategies, fueled by increasing electricity demand, climate commitments, and the increasing popularity of nuclear energy as a reliable baseload.
Sessions will address the entire uranium lifecycle, including mining, processing, the role of small modular reactors, and long-term waste-management challenges.
The Tuesday, March 3, 10 am to 12 pm, session, “Reviving the Uranium Life Cycle”, discusses how the uranium industry is shifting to satisfy future energy needs.
- Grant Isaac of Cameco Corp will map out the nuclear fuel cycle to show how uranium moves from the mine to the reactor and what infrastructure is required to sustain nuclear power.
- Nicolas Carter of UxC, LLC will discuss the global resurgence of uranium, discussing the market fundamentals and the strategic-risk environment as countries reconsider the role of nuclear energy in energy security.
- Jim Sarvinis of Hatch Ltd will discuss Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), their energy-security advantages, cost realities, and the implications for uranium mining. SMRs are being promoted as more adaptable than large nuclear facilities, yet their financial feasibility and implementation schedule remain uncertain.
- The other discussion will address uranium deficits and nuclear-waste storage issues, examining long-term obstacles the industry needs to overcome to maintain popular and political support for nuclear growth.
The Sunday commodities session (between 3 pm and 3:20 pm) will feature a discussion of the uranium market and demand trends by Treva Klingbiel of TradeTech, LLC, discussing the current market conditions and the forces that are influencing the price of uranium.
Potash: Agricultural Productivity and Food Security
By 2034, potash demand is expected to reach $97.5 billion due to population growth and the need to use fertilizers to increase yields. Potash mining is not like other minerals. It has its own technical challenges, market structures, and geopolitical issues, such as tariffs and global trade dynamics.
On Tuesday, March 3, 10 am to 11:55 am, the session titled “Potash: Civilization Critical Mineral?” will explore potash issues, opportunities, and challenges around the world.
- Humphrey Knight of CRU International Ltd will discuss the dynamics of potash supply in the face of geopolitical upheavals. Supply is relatively abundant even in the face of recent changes in trade patterns.
- Brigette Martini of Anglo American will talk about a polyhalite ore sensing study at Anglo American’s sensor fusion loop. Polyhalite, a multi-nutrient fertilizer mineral, represents a different approach to potash production with distinct technical and market considerations.
- Kristl Tipton of Nutrien will discuss geological insights and verification strategies when evaluating potash exploration data. Nutrien, being one of the largest potash producers in the world, offers operational perspectives on the exploration and resource evaluation challenges.
On Wednesday, the “New Discoveries” session (10 am to 11.30 am) will have Jason Wilkinson of Millennial Potash Corp discussing the Banio project development in Africa. This project is an attempt to establish new potash production beyond the traditional regions such as Canada and Russia.
Supply Security and Market Realities.
The three commodity groups have common themes around supply security and strategic importance. Critical minerals are essential to tech and defense, but do not have strong supply chains beyond China. Uranium is challenged by the role of nuclear power, but the increasing interest in emissions-free electricity generation as the base load. Potash is fundamental to food production but subject to trade disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
The sessions provide insight into how companies and governments are addressing supply challenges through byproduct recovery, new mine development, technological innovation, and market repositioning. The technical presentations offer practical examples of exploration strategies, processing innovations, and market analysis across these strategic commodity sectors.
For more information about the sessions, please visit: PDAC 2026 – Technical Program
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