# Supply Chain Safety: Western Powers Race for Domestic Mineral Sovereignty

Canonical Atlas analysis: https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/supply-chain-safety-western-powers-race-for-domestic-mineral-sovereignty--287f9be6-5ed0-4c52-9386-349de18883f8

Original source: https://money.tmx.com/en/quote/BIG/news/5799800323535945/supply-chain-safety-western-powers-race-for-domestic-mineral-sovereignty

Publisher: tmx

Original announcement: 2026-02-06T14:02:11.000Z

Analysis by Minestarters Atlas

Atlas analysis published: Unknown date

Atlas analysis updated: Unknown date

- Company: Hercules Metals

- Ticker: BIG

- Exchange: TSX

- Region: Idaho

- Primary commodity: Copper

- Secondary commodities: Silver, Molybdenum

- Document categories: Drill results, Resource update

- Extracted: 2026-08-21 02:35:36 UTC

Narrative sentiment: 0.60 · Bullish

## Minestarters Atlas summary

Hercules Metals reported significant copper mineralization at its Leviathan porphyry system in Idaho, including a 420m intercept at 0.60% Cu and 6 g/t Ag. The drill results showed increasing grades at depth and are linked to a newly identified magnetotelluric anomaly.

Reasoning: Significant copper-silver intercept reported with increasing grades at depth, supporting expansion potential.

- Positive factor: increasing grades at depth

- Positive factor: linked to MT anomaly

- Positive factor: expansion potential

Facts used in scoring: 4

## Classification and evidence

**Step-Out Extension**

Polarity: positive

Definition: Mineralization extended beyond the previously known limit.

Why it applies: Drill holes terminated in increasing grades at depth linked to a new MT anomaly, suggesting expansion.

Evidence · text

> The northern cluster of drill holes terminated in increasing grades at depth, linked to a newly identified magnetotelluric anomaly that represents a potential northeast expansion target.

## Extracted facts

Stored fact records: 4. Some facts used in scoring do not have a stored record.

## Drill Results (4)

### HER-25-17

[Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/supply-chain-safety-western-powers-race-for-domestic-mineral-sovereignty--287f9be6-5ed0-4c52-9386-349de18883f8#fact-drill-facts-0)

Leviathan · copper

#### Identity

- Hole ID: HER-25-17
- Project: Leviathan
- Commodity: copper
- Region: usa\_id
- Reported Region: Idaho
- Ticker: BIG

#### Geometry

- Grade: 0.6
- Grade Unit: %
- Intercept: 420 m

#### Classification

- Sample Type: drill
- Group ID: HER-25-17:0-420

#### Review

- Needs Review: No
- Interp. Status: scored
- Historical: No

#### Dates

- Event date: 2026-02-06T00:00:00.000Z

Reasoning: 420m intercept at 0.6% Cu is a substantial continuous interval.

- Positive factor: significant mineralization

- Positive factor: increasing grades at depth

### HER-25-17

[Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/supply-chain-safety-western-powers-race-for-domestic-mineral-sovereignty--287f9be6-5ed0-4c52-9386-349de18883f8#fact-drill-facts-1)

Leviathan · silver

#### Identity

- Hole ID: HER-25-17
- Project: Leviathan
- Commodity: silver
- Region: usa\_id
- Reported Region: Idaho
- Ticker: BIG

#### Geometry

- Grade: 6
- Grade Unit: g/t
- Intercept: 420 m

#### Classification

- Sample Type: drill
- Group ID: HER-25-17:0-420

#### Review

- Needs Review: No
- Interp. Status: scored
- Historical: No

#### Dates

- Event date: 2026-02-06T00:00:00.000Z

Reasoning: Silver is reported as a byproduct to the copper intercept.

- Positive factor: accompanying copper

### HER-25-17

[Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/supply-chain-safety-western-powers-race-for-domestic-mineral-sovereignty--287f9be6-5ed0-4c52-9386-349de18883f8#fact-drill-facts-2)

Leviathan · copper

#### Identity

- Hole ID: HER-25-17
- Project: Leviathan
- Commodity: copper
- Region: usa\_id
- Reported Region: Idaho
- Ticker: BIG

#### Geometry

- Grade: 1.38
- Grade Unit: %
- Intercept: 113 m

#### Classification

- Sample Type: drill
- Group ID: HER-25-17:sub-113

#### Review

- Needs Review: No
- Interp. Status: scored
- Historical: No

#### Dates

- Event date: 2026-02-06T00:00:00.000Z

Reasoning: Strong high-grade sub-interval within the larger intercept.

- Positive factor: high-grade sub-interval

### HER-25-17

[Link to this fact](https://atlas-staging.minestarters.com/news/supply-chain-safety-western-powers-race-for-domestic-mineral-sovereignty--287f9be6-5ed0-4c52-9386-349de18883f8#fact-drill-facts-3)

Leviathan · silver

#### Identity

- Hole ID: HER-25-17
- Project: Leviathan
- Commodity: silver
- Region: usa\_id
- Reported Region: Idaho
- Ticker: BIG

#### Geometry

- Grade: 14
- Grade Unit: g/t
- Intercept: 113 m

#### Classification

- Sample Type: drill
- Group ID: HER-25-17:sub-113

#### Review

- Needs Review: No
- Interp. Status: scored
- Historical: No

#### Dates

- Event date: 2026-02-06T00:00:00.000Z

Reasoning: Silver byproduct in high-grade copper sub-interval.

## How Atlas produces this analysis

Minestarters Atlas uses automated extraction to summarize mining announcements, identify reported measurements, and classify supporting evidence. Sentiment reflects the extracted narrative and classification rules; it is an interpretation, not a reported measurement. Evidence quotes and context are provided where available. Missing data, low-confidence results, and review flags indicate limitations. Check the original publisher announcement before relying on an interpretation.