The M&E Dispatch // 088

Hello Everyone,

’ve been down a bit of a rabbit Moose hole lately.

It started with this video of someone peeling apart an old Nokia chip to reveal a hidden doodle, a tiny moose etched into the silicon. Turns out there's a whole world of these: miniature artworks left behind by engineers decades ago, never meant to be seen, only recently uncovered by hobbyists with microscopes and patience.

It’s the kind of thing that gets you thinking there’s a lot more going on under the surface of our electronics than we immediately think of.

Which brought me back to graphite, a material that powers nearly everything in the electrification world, and yet rarely gets the headlines.

💡 The Unsung Hero of the Battery Boom

Everyone’s talking about lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, and fair enough, they’re vital. But here’s what most people miss:

And not just any graphite, battery-grade, purified natural graphite. It forms the anode in lithium-ion batteries, which means no graphite, no energy storage.

China currently controls over 90% of that market. The U.S. imports 100% of its supply. Meanwhile, Canada is sitting on some of the largest untapped natural graphite reserves in the world, especially in Québec, Ontario, and Northern B.C.

But we’re still not refining it here.

So while we promote critical minerals as a national strength, we’re quietly shipping out raw product and buying back the processed stuff, again.

Why Graphite Is About to Matter a Lot More

• Global graphite demand is set to quadruple by 2030, thanks to EVs, grid storage, and data centres.

• The U.S. is already looking for non-Chinese suppliers, and Canada is next in line, if we’re ready to meet the demand.

• Refining capacity, not just reserves, will define who wins this next leg of the battery race.

We’ve got promising players like Nouveau Monde Graphite and NextSource, who are pushing to build full-cycle capacity here. But they’ll need real support, investment, offtake agreements, and regulatory certainty, to get there in time.

If we do it right, Canada can be more than just the quarry. We can be the hub.

What Comes Next

This isn’t about hype. It’s about how fast we can scale:

If we want a seat at the battery table, graphite is our in. But we have to act before someone else cashes the cheque.

// The Dirt

Northern Superior Expands in Chibougamau Gold Camp
Northern Superior Resources has entered into a definitive agreement with TomaGold Corporation for the acquisition of key properties in Québec’s Chibougamau region.
🔗 https://nsuperior.com/northern-superior-enters-into-a-definitive-agreement-for-the-acquisition-of-strategic-properties-in-the-chibougamau-gold-camp/

NioCorp Shares Preliminary Year-End Results
NioCorp has released its unaudited financial results for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, with a focus on key project milestones.
🔗 https://www.niocorp.com/niocorp-provides-preliminary-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-fiscal-year-ended-june-30-2025/

Wolfden Announces $1M Private Placement
Wolfden Resources Corporation is raising funds through a non-brokered private placement to advance its exploration programs.
🔗 https://www.wolfdenresources.com/wp-content-uploads-2025-07-wlfjul112025-pdf/

St Barbara Releases Q4 Preliminary Update
Australian producer St Barbara has posted its Q4 numbers, outlining production figures and operational highlights.
🔗 https://stbarbara.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025.07.15-asx-release-q4-preliminary-update_final.pdf#new_tab

Commerce Reshapes Team to Advance Rare Earths Project
Commerce Resources is sharpening its focus on Québec’s Ashram Rare Earths Project, with new leadership and a renewed development push.
🔗 https://commerceresources.com/commerce-resources-strengthens-quebec-presence-with-ceos-first-visit-to-kuujjuaq-and-new-corporate-headquarters-in-quebec-copy/

Sage Potash Updates on Governance and Stock Options
Sage Potash announces the resignation of a board director and grants new stock options as it advances its Paradox Basin project.
🔗 https://sagepotash.com/sage-potash-announces-director-resignation-and-grant-of-stock-options/

Apollo Silver Enters Investor Relations Agreement
Apollo Silver has secured an IR agreement with Matthews Investments to enhance shareholder communications and market presence.
🔗 https://apollosilver.com/apollo-silver-enters-into-investor-relations-agreement/

American Lithium Proposes $30M Private Placement
The lithium developer aims to raise significant capital to support exploration and development across its portfolio.
🔗 https://americanlithiumcorp.com/american-lithium-announces-non-brokered-private-placement/

Star Copper Reports Golden Triangle Drill Update
Star Copper provides a site visit update from its BC-based flagship project, with permitting now extended through 2028.
🔗 https://starcopper.com/star-copper-provides-site-visit-update-of-ongoing-drill-campaign-in-british-columbias-golden-triangle/

Silver North Closes $2.1M Flow-Through Placement
Strong investor interest leads Silver North Resources to fully subscribe its private placement round.
🔗 https://silvernorthres.com/silver-north-2-1-million-non-brokered-flow-through-private-placement-fully-subscribed/

Looking at the peaks of the Rocky Mountain Range and I’m surprised to see them freshly blanketed with snow. What month is it? Did I sleep through August?

T-24 days till we move. Time flies when you’re having fun.

Have a great week all,

- Lee