Mining pivots to meet battery-metal demand; oil and gas, computational needs

Some advanced computers require super-cooling, and that's where helium plays its role, said Desert Mountain Energy's CEO Robert Rohlfing. On Friday Rohlfing recorded Kitco Roundtable with Mining Audiences Manager Michael McCrae, Kitco correspondent Paul Harris and editor Neils Christensen.Mining companies have been investing in lithium, copper and nickel projects to meet growing need for lithium-ion battery materials. Some oil and gas companies are pivoting to helium extraction. There is a growing need for helium, which cools computationally intensive hardware needed for machine learning, which is finding its way into transportation and smart-driving systems. Rohlfing's company is up 61% year to date.