At the Energy Future Forum 2025 presented by RealClearPolitics, Peter Bryant and Brandon Craig, President of BHP Americas, tackle the complexities of mining and critical minerals – a vital yet poorly understood component of America’s economic supply chain.
Peter frames the issues by highlighting what he calls the “20-year nightmare” – the reality that U.S. mines take up to 29 years to permit and develop. He also emphasises the danger of lumping together 55 different metals under “critical minerals,” because each has distinct supply chains, technical difficulties, and geopolitical considerations. Brandon takes the audience inside mine development timelines, from exploration and resource characterisation to engineering design and permitting processes.
Looking at copper demand, the conversation moves to the global call for doubled production by 2035. For context, Brandon notes that achieving US copper self-sufficiency would require five BHP Resolution-sized operations by 2035, yet that single project remains in permitting after 20 years.
The pair discuss the “grand innovation challenge for the West” – achieving responsible extraction at competitive costs – then move on to address China’s state-directed market approach, seen in nickel markets where flooding the market through Indonesia impacted Western operations. Brandon emphasises that Western companies must think strategically about value chain diversification whilst maintaining higher ethical standards.
The conversation underscores the urgency for international cooperation to secure mineral supply chains for both the energy transition and economic security. Watch the entire conversation.
