Just four-five short years ago even the flimsiest prospect or project could look forward to lavish funding and a fat market cap. Today even those juniors doing the right thing at the right time still cannot attract investors to take it to the next level.

Canada-based First Quantum Minerals has started recommissional work at the Ravensthorpe nickel mine, in Western Australia.

Reuters reported that while the prospect of nickel supply tightness has “put a floor under prices,” a true recovery won’t happen until Chinese stainless steel mills increase their orders. When that happens, global stockpiles of the metal should begin to sin...

Reuters reported that small Australian miners are being hit by the 30-percent nickel price slump that’s hit the market this year. Some have had to delay projects and expansions.

Even longer term, the picture is much the same. BMO anticipates a nickel price of $7.25 in 2017 and $8 in 2018; earlier it had predicted a nickel price of $11 in both years.

At the end of 2014, many market watchers anticipated positive price action in the nickel space in the near term.

“Our philosophy is to test often, and if possible, to test in space (…) We are innovating on every level from design to launch,” Planetary Resources president and chief engineer, Chris Lewicki, said.

Base metals prices are feeling the undertow but Stefan Ioannou, mining analyst with Haywood Securities, says that this is temporary—and that investors may not have to wait long for the next wave of higher zinc and nickel prices. Ioannou says zinc prices could...