Nevada tops for mining investment

For the second straight year, an international survey of mining companies has concluded that Nevada is the best place for mineral investment.

The survey rated regions chiefly in terms of how confident investors feel about investing in projects there. Nevada surpassed 17 other states, as well as Mexico, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Peru and Chile. States and countries were judged in two categories: public policy and mineral potential. In the former, Nevada received 85 out of a possible 100 points; in the latter, a perfect 10.

“Nevada was one of the few regions that placed well in both the mineral potential and public policy categories,” says Russ Fields, president of the Nevada Mining Association. “This recognition is a tribute to the partnership the mining industry has built in Nevada to establish a relationship that encourages production while protecting the environment.”

In 1998, Nevada’s mines produced US$3.1 billion in overall mineral production, including silver, oil, gypsum and lime, and US$2.6 billion worth of gold.