VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity-Insider.com News Commentary – The United States is now 100% import-reliant for 16 critical minerals, with over half of 90 tracked commodities sourced predominantly from foreign suppliers, according to the 2026 USGS Mineral Commodities Summary. Global refined copper production of approximately 26.5 million tonnes falls short of demand running at 27.2 million tonnes, a 700,000-tonne deficit before accounting for AI data centre requirements that alone could add 475,000 tonnes this year^[1]. In response, the U.S. State Department convened a Critical Minerals Ministerial in February 2026, hosting representatives from 54 countries and the European Commission. Eleven new bilateral frameworks were signed in a single day, and a $10 billion strategic critical minerals reserve was announced under Project Vault^[2]. Against that backdrop, GoldHaven Resources (CSE: GOH), Scottie Resources (TSXV: SCOT), Goliath Resources (TSXV: GOT), Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV: SMN), and Thesis Gold (TSXV: TAU) are advancing high-grade gold and polymetallic projects across British Columbia.

For junior exploration companies operating in jurisdictions with proven geology and established infrastructure, the policy shift creates a direct tailwind. Junior gold companies are increasingly adopting dual-track strategies that combine exploration with near-term production potential, reducing funding risk in selective capital markets while preserving the upside that drives the largest re-ratings in junior equities^[3].

GoldHaven Resources (CSE: GOH) (OTCQB: GHVNF) has confirmed gold mineralization in bedrock at its Copeçal West Target in Brazil, with the first-ever drilling at the high-priority zone returning 39 meters at 0.11 g/t gold from 58 meters depth in unweathered rock. That interval, from hole COPE-PDH-008, included 3 meters grading 0.30 g/t gold and represents the first confirmation that the broad surface gold anomaly at Copeçal is sourced from a mineralized system in fresh bedrock beneath a thick saprolite layer that had previously masked the geology below. All four holes drilled at the Western Target intersected anomalous gold. Hole COPE-PDH-006 returned 7 meters at 0.46 g/t gold, including 1 meter at 1.21 g/t. Hole COPE-PDH-007 cut 28 meters at 0.14 g/t gold with a 1-meter intercept grading 1.04 g/t. Hole COPE-PDH-005 hit 30 meters at 0.16 g/t gold from surface, including 22 meters at 0.20 g/t. The consistency of anomalous gold across all four holes validates the company’s exploration model and provides a strong foundation for follow-up drilling designed to vector toward higher-grade zones at depth and along strike.

“These latest drill results represent a major milestone for the Copeçal Project,” stated Robert Birmingham, CEO of GoldHaven. “For the first time, we have confirmed gold anomalism in fresh bedrock beneath the thick saprolite profile that previously masked the system. Importantly, these are the first holes ever drilled at the Western Target, and the results provide strong confidence that the robust surface geochemical anomaly is sourced from an underlying mineralized system.”

The Copeçal Gold Project sits within the Alta Floresta Mineral Province, a Paleoproterozoic belt in Brazil’s Juruena Gold Province where GoldHaven Resources holds 3,681 hectares. The region is recognized for hosting multiple gold and copper occurrences, and the company previously completed its inaugural diamond drilling program at Copeçal’s East Target, where nine holes totaling 1,085.7 meters discovered bornite, suggesting potential for a substantial gold-copper system.

Beyond Brazil, GoldHaven Resources has confirmed anomalous tungsten mineralization at its Magno Property in British Columbia, where the 2025 surface program returned bonanza silver grades up to 2,370 grams per tonne and tungsten values reaching 6,550 ppm across multiple skarn zones. The company also confirmed high-grade copper at its Three Guardsmen Project, with surface sampling returning up to 15.85% copper. GoldHaven now controls 133,186 hectares across proven mining jurisdictions, with all projects supported by a comprehensive 43-101 Technical Report.

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In other industry developments and happenings in the market include:

Scottie Resources (TSXV: SCOT) has reported multiple high-grade gold intercepts from its Blueberry Contact Zone in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. Drill hole SR25-420 returned 34.3 g/t gold over 3.30 metres, including 90.8 g/t gold over 1.0 metre within the Lemoffe vein zone. A second hole, SR25-424, intersected 9.97 g/t gold over 9.70 metres, including 21.1 g/t gold over 2.45 metres.

“These results reinforce the strength and continuity of high-grade gold mineralization at Blueberry,” said Dr. Thomas Mumford, President of Scottie Resources. “With 27,000 meters drilled in 2025 we are well positioned to continue expanding this high-grade predictable system.”

The company drilled 27,000 metres in 2025, with approximately 16,000 metres of results reported to date and additional assays pending. Scottie Resources recently released a PEA outlining an after-tax NPV5% of $215.8 million CAD with a 60.3% IRR under a direct shipping ore scenario. The company is fully funded for 2026 drilling.

Goliath Resources (TSXV: GOT) has reported high-grade drill results from its Golddigger property at the Surebet discovery in British Columbia’s Golden Triangle. Highlights from the 2025 program include 19.13 g/t gold over 6.10 metres in the Golden Gate Zone, with 76% of drill holes encountering visible gold. The property hosts five mineralized zones containing 46 identified lodes, all of which remain open for expansion.

“The Surebet high-grade gold discovery continues to grow during every new season of drilling,” said Roger Rosmus, Founder & CEO of Goliath Resources. “We have yet to find the limits of the stacked veins and RIRG dykes, which all remain open, or the source of where they come from, but we are excited about using them to vector into the Motherlode source.”

A total of 110 holes from the 2025 campaign remain pending assay results for gold-equivalent values. The company drilled 64,364 metres in 2025 and is fully funded for a similar program in 2026, with drilling focused on expanding the five main mineralized zones and testing the causative intrusive source of the high-grade system.

Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV: SMN) has confirmed high-grade gold and silver potential at the Finn Zone within its JD Project in British Columbia. Drill hole FZ-25-002 returned 46.0 metres of 1.03 g/t gold with 44.9 g/t silver from 38.0 metres downhole, including a high-grade interval of 6.0 metres grading 5.30 g/t gold with 157.9 g/t silver. An exceptional one-metre interval returned 784.0 g/t silver.

“Results from our late-season, modest, four drill hole program at the Finn Zone in 2025 have exceeded expectations and firmly establish the zone as a high-priority target for significant drilling in 2026,” said Niel Marotta, CEO of Sun Summit Minerals.

The company is fully funded for a minimum 10,000-metre drill program in 2026 following completion of an oversubscribed $11.5 million private placement. Both high-grade and near-surface bulk-tonnage style gold-silver mineralization with strong continuity have been identified at the Finn Zone.

Thesis Gold (TSXV: TAU) has appointed Coille van Alphen to its Board of Directors as the company transitions from advanced exploration into project development at its Lawyers-Ranch gold project in British Columbia. Van Alphen serves as Mining & Metals Portfolio Manager at Equinox Partners, the company’s largest institutional shareholder, and brings over 15 years of experience across public equities, capital markets, and strategic investing.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coille to the Thesis Board of Directors,” said Dr. Ewan Webster, President & CEO of Thesis Gold. “Her disciplined long-term investment approach and deep capital markets expertise will be invaluable as we move Lawyers-Ranch through feasibility, permitting, and into development.”

The appointment follows the release of a Prefeasibility Study outlining an after-tax IRR of 54.4% and after-tax NPV5% of C$2.37 billion at US$2,900 per ounce gold and US$35 per ounce silver.

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SOURCES:

1. https://skillings.net/weekly-mining-watch-5-global-trends-set-to-define-the-market-week-of-february-9-2026/

2. https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/02/2026-critical-minerals-ministerial/

3. https://investingnews.com/how-near-term-production-is-changing-the-junior-gold-exploration-model/