The World Will Run Out of Silver in Nine Years

Yippe-Ki-Ya said:
For all the dumbbells out there - who unfortunately appear to be in the majority on this blog at present - this article was simply meant to indicate one of the many arguements in support of the silver price rising over time - in this case the factor being that the 'easy' silver has already been had.

Jesus Christ Yip, how can you believe that the easy silver has already been had? Have you examined and processed any of the info presented here? You could make an argument for silver not going below a certain price point but...sometimes it's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
 
Irondog said:
Advances in Materials Science, mining technology and renewable energy will likely create substitutes for, and increase supplies of, silver. As countries/corporations begin to mine the vast ocean floors, Arctic and Antarctic regions, it will become clear to all that nearing a critical point of silver depletion is something that won't happen for a long, long time....

"In July[2011], China received approval by the United Nations' Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates mineral exploration in international waters, to explore for polymetallic sulphide deposits in the Southwest Indian Ridge, between Africa and Antarctica.
China will be allowed to explore the area for 15 years, covering about 10,000-square-kilometres.

In early August, Russia received approval by the ISA to begin prospecting in the mid-Atlantic.
Under a 15-year agreement to be signed later this year, Russia will have rights to explore a 10,000-square-kilometre area midway between Africa and South America, according to The Moscow Times.
The area of interest is estimated to contain 50 to 70 million tonnes of gold and copper ore."
Of course, significant quantities of silver are often found in gold/copper ores.
http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/mining-in-the-arctic-on-thin-ice

lol, is that a jorc compliand estimate? How long will it take for production to come online? More than a decade?
"World silver mine production increased to 22,200 tons as a result of increased production at new and existing polymetallic mines. Global silver output increased owing to a full year's production from the San Cristobal Mine in Bolivia, the Dolores and Parmarejo Mines in Mexico, and the Kupol property in Russia. Production from several mines in Argentina also increased. Silver production increased at lead-zinc mines, such as the Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho, where production was at its highest level in 10 years. Production at the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska also increased owing to improved mining techniques, and production from the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah increased because of increased mill throughput. In July, the Rochester Mine in Nevada was preparing to mine new ore zones that would extend mine life by several years.
Substitutes: Digital imaging, film with reduced silver content, silverless black-and-white film, and xerography substitute for silver that has traditionally been used in black-and-white as well as color printing applications. Surgical pins and plates may be made with tantalum and titanium in place of silver. Stainless steel may be substituted for silver flatware, and germanium added to silver flatware will make it tarnish resistant. Nonsilver batteries may replace silver batteries in some applications. Aluminum and rhodium may be used to replace silver that was traditionally used in mirrors and other reflecting surfaces. Silver may be used to replace more costly metals in catalytic converters for off-road vehicles."
This is quoted from the same USGS data featured in BrotherJohnF's video several days ago.
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/silver/mcs-2011-silve.pdf

If you believe silver will soon be depleted, please provide links to the supporting data. There are "bottlenecks" in the production of bullion, and other, silver products as well as an unwillingness, by some dealers, to sell at low spot prices, giving some the impression silver is running out. If only that were true...

wow! silver production increased from 21,800 in 2009 to 22,200 in 2010? The silver price went from under 12 dollars to 30 in the same time period, you'd think they would've ramped up production more!
 
Too many people are too quick to cut yippe down. It's like moth to flame. Give the guy a break.
 
and I heard Sprott say that last years silver demand was about 300 million of ounces more than last years silver supply. Do the math, it can't last...with the increasing money coming into silver.
 
downer said:
So sure, Silver will rise in price as economical resource slowly deplete and energy costs rise, but improvements in technology and substitution will ensure we dont run out in our lifetime. Silver is probably a very very long term play which may work out in your lifetime, maybe not. Feel free to quote this back to me in 30 years if I am wrong.

I sincerely doubt we'd even need ten
 
Yippe-Ki-Ya said:
pmstacker said:
Yippe-Ki-Ya said:
There may be plenty of silver left under the earth's surface, but the low hanging fruit has already been plucked! getting at this silver is going to get progressively more difficult and more importantly - more expensive...

SAVVVIE??!!?? :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Now i understand .... So you would have been the kind of caveman who plucks all the fruit when the branch sags low but rolls over and dies when you have to invent a ladder or god forbid a pully to get the nice plentiful juicy fruit just a little above :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Thank god not everyone is like you otherwise the human race would be extinct :lol: :lol: :lol: ill make it easy, lets say someone builds the ladder or the pully, what do you think will happen to the supply of fruit :lol: :lol: :lol:

None of what you say makes sense ... engineers are smart people, if we need silver that badly they will work out a repeatable process which at first might be expensive but later become cheaper and cheaper. this is just like any process in engineering

486 computers used to cost $2000 + now computers 100's of times more powerful cost 1/4 the price, mobile phones used to cost $1000 now devices cost half that and do many many more things. Its all about repeatable process. The same idea goes with mining processes, civil , telecommunications, mechanical and any other form of engineering.

What about oil, Look at the transition today, as we see start to run out of oil we got solar, wind and other replacements so once we are totally out the other forms of tech will takes its place, people in silicon valley are actively innovating in greentech and is currently one of the hottest areas of innovation right now cause we need to find a replacement, plus there is money to be made. If we need silver that badly there will be a boom in silvertech :lol: . Its only natural :lol:

only your mama could luv you ... :lol:

:lol: Its all fun man , when im working late at night or waiting for the american markets to open and want a bit of fun i can't help but poke the bear, your comments are ripe for the picking sometimes so i can't help myself, but im sorry :) BTW ill drop by and bring you a box of juicy apples that me and my buddies picked from the top of the tree, they are a bit nicer cause they get more sun and all ... ok ok ... sorry sorry :lol:
 
Yippe-Ki-Ya said:
roman1613 said:
what is SAVVVIE?

I know of sav vy but that's about it...


ummm ... it's an alternate spelling - to get around GP's "ban" on the actual word...

SAVVVIE?? :lol:

lol, I noticed after I made that comment. Forgot to remove it.

What's up with the rickroll thing? :/
 
I for one don't believe oil is produced by a bunch of dead animals thousands of years ago! Come on man, we've been using oil for about 100 years no, at the rate we are burning oil in the last 100 years... how many dead animals can there be to provide 100 years of human oil-use.

Oil and gas are just like iron, copper, gold, silver, diamond, etc... the product of Earth's geological process. However, I'm not saying we will never "run-out" of oil to use, if we pump more oil at faster rate than the Earth can re-produce, we will "run-out" (so to speak).

I think this "fossil" fuel talk, is just a propaganda machine by oil cartels to create artificial view of scarecity.
 
chimpanchu said:
I for one don't believe oil is produced by a bunch of dead animals thousands of years ago! Come on man, we've been using oil for about 100 years no, at the rate we are burning oil in the last 100 years... how many dead animals can there be to provide 100 years of human oil-use.

Oil and gas are just like iron, copper, gold, silver, diamond, etc... the product of Earth's geological process. However, I'm not saying we will never "run-out" of oil to use, if we pump more oil at faster rate than the Earth can re-produce, we will "run-out" (so to speak).

I think this "fossil" fuel talk, is just a propaganda machine by oil cartels to create artificial view of scarecity.

Well to nit pick, gold, silver, iron and copper are not produced by earths processes at all. They are all produced in space within the core of stars when they explode via a supernova. Hydrogen is the weird one cause its present at the beginning (prior to any stars forming) so according to scientists hydrogen was formed at the core of the big bang, we have helium thats produced when hydrogen atoms are fused together.

The other elements formed when the more reactive elements want to get to a solid stable state. It seems in the universe this state is iron (if im not mistaken). But all these elements are all formed in space before the planet is even formed, once all that dust comes together via gravity it just brings the already formed elements into the newly forming planet. The planet has nothing to do with the creation of those elements, though it may change its state or may fuse the atoms differently as carbon for example were it comes in many different forms diamonds, coal etc.
 
Irondog said:
Advances in Materials Science, mining technology and renewable energy will likely create substitutes for, and increase supplies of, silver. As countries/corporations begin to mine the vast ocean floors, Arctic and Antarctic regions, it will become clear to all that nearing a critical point of silver depletion is something that won't happen for a long, long time....

That does not sound like cheap silver to me. Mighty USA needed how many weeks just to plug one hole under water?
And silver is still too cheap to mine in most silver mines in USA. Those mines are not under water and yet they do not produce.

There will always be silver - but at what price?
 
That does not sound like cheap silver to me. Mighty USA needed how many weeks just to plug one hole under water?
And silver is still too cheap to mine in most silver mines in USA. Those mines are not under water and yet they do not produce.
There will always be silver - but at what price?

Thats because processes haven't been worked out. It was a one off. Better technology, better processes, experience all contribute to making it cheaper. However if it REALLY didn't exist , it would be a different story. Im sure we are all now of the conclusion that there does exist a significant amount of silver under the surface of the earth :)
 
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