CEO.ca - ValOre Metals: The Path to a Platinum & Palladium Mine in Brazil | PDAC 2026
Published March 2026 | Join the discussion on CEO.ca
In this interview recorded at PDAC 2026 in Toronto, ValOre Metals CEO Nick Smart outlines the company's strategy for advancing the Pedra Branca PGE project in northeastern Brazil - a 100%-owned, district-scale platinum group elements asset hosting an NI 43-101 inferred resource of 2.198 million ounces of palladium, platinum, and gold* across seven distinct deposit areas.
Smart discusses the milestones driving ValOre's momentum into 2026, including the completion of Phase I metallurgical testwork with the University of Cape Town, the launch of an expanded Phase II program exploring modern bioleaching and heap leaching approaches, and the appointment of Lycopodium as lead process engineering consultant - all in support of a Preliminary Economic Assessment targeted for completion by year-end. He also addresses the divestiture of the Hatchet Lake uranium property to Future Fuels Inc., a strategic move to sharpen ValOre's focus on Brazilian precious metals.
The conversation explores the structural supply constraints facing global PGE markets, Pedra Branca's near-surface mineralization advantages compared to deep-shaft South African operations, and ValOre's position within the Discovery Group ecosystem. Smart highlights the project's favorable Brazilian operating environment and the team's vision for building an integrated precious metals company.
*Independent Technical Report - Mineral Resource Update on the Pedra Branca PGE Project, Ceará State, Brazil (Effective date: March 8, 2022)