To The Moon

When it comes to silver $Silver - main 2407(SImain)$ mining in the US, 2023 was a banner year with a whopping 1,000 tons produced. Alaska, Nevada, and Idaho were the big hitters. And talk about silver prices, they've been on a roll this year!

Looking ahead, silver, as a practical industrial precious metal, is expected to have even bigger price swings. Now, here's the lowdown on the three biggest silver producers in the US by market cap (data as of May 13, 2024):

1. $Hecla Mining(HL)$

Market Cap: $3.3 billion

HL has mines in Alaska and Idaho, Canada's Yukon, and Quebec gold mines. They've also got a ton of exploration projects across North America. In 2023, they reported a whopping 238 million ounces of silver reserves, producing 14.3 million ounces, and raked in $720.2 million in sales - second-best ever! The Green Creek mine in Alaska and the Lucky Friday mine in Idaho are their moneymakers.

In 2024, they're aiming for 16.5 to 17.5 million ounces, mostly from the US. Hecla silver production in the first quarter increased 43% to 4.2 million ounces compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. And with production at the Keno Hill mine in Yukon picking up, they're poised to become Canada's top silver producer.

2. $Coeur Mining(CDE)$

Market Cap: $2.06 billion

CDE has four mines in the Americas. Nevada's Rochester mine is their silver star, but they also have mines in South Dakota, Mexico, and Alaska. They're also developing the Silvertip silver-zinc-lead project in British Columbia, Canada.

Rochester's silver production soared to 3.4 million ounces in 2023, and they're still ramping up production. So, in 2024, they're expecting 4.8 to 6.6 million ounces. Plus, the Wharf mine had record cash flows last year.

3. $Americas Silver Corporation(USAS)$

Market Cap: $109 million

USAS has two producing assets: Cosala in Mexico and a 60% stake in Idaho's Galena Complex. They're also reassessing the Relief Canyon mine in Nevada and developing the San Felipe project in Sonora, Mexico.

In 2023, Galena Complex produced nearly 944,000 ounces of silver. But the real excitement is their exploration and resource expansion efforts at Galena. With some high-grade discoveries early in 2024, Galena Complex could soon be a contender for the top three silver producers in the US. The potential is immense!