GSN Southern Nevada Chapter Meeting – Thursday, February 12th

Description

Contact: liz_macdonald@outlook.com

Please join us in Beatty, Nevada this month!

When: Thursday, Februarty 12th

Time: 6-9 PM, drinks and appetizers are provided

 Where: Beatty Community Center (100 A Ave S, Beatty, NV 89003)

(https://maps.app.goo.gl/LC1ZBRP4P1aEhmAH8)

Sponsor: AngloGold Ashanti

Speaker: Mark W. Travis, Founder & Principal Geologist, Arkenstone Exploration

Title: “Uranium’s New Horizon: Market Momentum, Policy Tailwinds, and the AI-Powered Future”

Abstract: Uranium has quietly re-entered the strategic center of the global energy conversation. After more than a decade of underinvestment, the nuclear fuel cycle is now tightening across every link—from mining through enrichment—just as global electricity demand accelerates under the combined forces of AI, data centers, electrification, and industrial reshoring. This presentation reframes nuclear energy as humanity’s next great “fire”: a fundamental departure from combustion, powered by the strong nuclear force and delivering energy densities orders of magnitude beyond fossil fuels.

Drawing on current market data, U.S. and global policy developments, and real-world exploration experience, this talk examines why uranium remains profoundly undervalued relative to its physical and strategic importance. Key themes include the financialization of uranium through physical trusts, the implications of Fast-41 permitting reform, renewed federal momentum to rebuild the domestic fuel cycle, and the emerging role of advanced reactors and specialized fuel demands. The discussion concludes with what this convergence means for exploration geologists—highlighting district-scale revival potential, the return of conventional mining economics at higher price decks, and the growing role of AI-driven targeting and 3D subsurface modeling in the next uranium discovery cycle.

Biography: Mark Travis is a Certified Professional Geologist with over twenty years of experience exploring and developing mineral projects across Nevada and the greater western United States. He is the founder of Arkenstone Exploration, an independent consulting practice focused on geological interpretation, exploration strategy, and translating complex subsurface data into clear, decision-ready insights. Mark’s Nevada experience spans multiple commodity cycles and deposit types. In recent years, Mark’s work has increasingly focused on uranium and critical minerals. He is particularly interested in how policy, energy demand, and capital cycles influence exploration outcomes on the ground.

 

If you have questions, please reach out by emailing Chapter President, Elizabeth MacDonald at liz_macdonald@outlook.com.