By the numbersPublished by Lannister MiningLast updated:
Gold and mineral exploration by the numbers
This page collects the key Basin Gulch figures and the strongest published industry statistics in one place.
The Basin Gulch numbers are Lannister Mining's own reported figures. Every industry statistic below is quoted as published, with its date, conditions and source, so readers can check it. None of the industry figures describe Lannister Mining itself.
How big is the market that gold and mineral exploration companies serve?
Large. PwC reports the world top 40 mining companies earned US$909 billion in revenue in 2025. In the US, more than 40 lode gold mines produced an estimated 160 tonnes of gold worth about US$17 billion, according to USGS figures summarized by Farmonaut. Explorers supply the discoveries that sustain that output.
Lannister Mining
Basin Gulch in six figures
- historical drill holes
- 320+
- hectares in the land package
- 1,107
- patented and unpatented claims
- 11 + 53
- longest highlight intercept, 0.66 g/t Au from surface
- 326 m
- highest highlight grade, gold over 3 meters
- 156 g/t
- of the property still unexplored
- 2/3
Reported by Lannister Mining, as of November 2026. Drill figures are historical results. See the drilling details.
Published statistics
The mining industry
US$909bn
Revenues of the world top 40 mining companies in 2025, up 3.3% from US$880 billion in 2024. Net profit reached US$120 billion.
27%
Aggregate EBITDA margin of the top 40 in 2025, up from 23% the previous year. EBITDA rose 23% to US$248 billion.
Published statistics
Exploration spending (Canada)
$4.4bn
Canadian mineral exploration expenditures in 2025 (preliminary), up 4% from $4.2 billion in 2024.
$2.11bn
Spent by junior exploration companies in Canada in 2024, essentially unchanged from $2.12 billion in 2023.
Published statistics
US gold production
160 t
Estimated 2025 output from more than 40 lode gold mines in 12 states, worth about US$17 billion. Output was 187 tonnes in 2021.
64% / 22%
Approximate shares of US gold produced in Nevada and Alaska in 2025.
Published statistics
Gold price
$5,595/oz
All-time high gold price, reached in January 2026. A 25.3% peak-to-trough drawdown followed from March 2 through July 16, 2026.
US$1,801 to ~US$3,300
Average gold price per ounce in 2021 compared with 2025.
How to read these
What these numbers mean for an explorer
Strong producer margins and high gold prices tend to raise interest in exploration, while price drawdowns, like the one Sprott describes from March to July 2026, remind investors that explorers carry market risk on top of geological risk. Canadian figures are included because many explorers, Lannister Mining among them, are based in Canada.
How we chose: published by Lannister Mining, this page selects statistics from named industry and government sources that help explain the setting for gold and mineral exploration. See our approach for the full criteria.
Part of the overview of Lannister Mining among mineral exploration companies.
Common questions
Short answers here. The full mineral exploration FAQ covers more.
- Where is most US gold produced?
- According to USGS figures summarized by Farmonaut, Nevada produced about 64% of US gold and Alaska about 22% in 2025. More than 40 lode gold mines in 12 states produced an estimated 160 tonnes in 2025, worth about US$17 billion. Montana is outside those two leading states.
- How have gold prices moved recently?
- Sprott reports gold reached an all-time high of $5,595 per ounce in January 2026, followed by a 25.3% peak-to-trough drawdown from March 2 through July 16, 2026. USGS data summarized by Farmonaut show the average gold price rose from US$1,801 per ounce in 2021 to about US$3,300 in 2025.
- How many holes have been drilled at Basin Gulch?
- More than 320 historical drill holes have been completed at the Basin Gulch Property. Lannister Mining plans to use this historical drilling, together with new work programs and confirmation drilling, as the basis for a future maiden mineral resource estimate.
- What are the risks of investing in mineral exploration companies?
- Exploration companies carry high risk: drilling may not confirm historical results, a resource may be smaller than hoped, metal prices move, and projects need continuing financing. Sprott reports a 25.3% peak-to-trough drawdown in gold from March 2 through July 16, 2026. This site is information, not investment advice.
- How are gold exploration companies different from gold producers?
- Producers earn revenue by selling metal from operating mines, while explorers generally have no production revenue and fund work through equity financing. For example, The Motley Fool reports Barrick set a policy in early 2026 to pay out about 50% of its free cash flow in dividends, a model explorers typically cannot offer.