Canada’s oil patch continues to consolidate as the largest energy producers are gobbling up the remaining small and mid sized producers. Despite the high price of crude oil, there have been relatively few new companies growing to fill the void of exiting intermediate producers. One up and coming oil producer, Saturn Oil & Gas (TSX: SOIL) (OTCQX: OILSF), has seized the reins of rapid growth and emerged as an exciting new entrant in Canada’s lucrative oil and gas sector.

In the world of mining exploration, there are big discoveries, there are unexpected discoveries, and then there are game changing discoveries like Iska Iska. The silver-tin polymetallic project (featuring zinc, lead, silver, and tin) in the Potosi Department in southwestern Bolivia has the potential to be one of the largest bulk tonnage operations in the world.

The Fenn Gibb gold project, located in the Timmins Gold Belt, has been a misunderstood orphan asset for quite some time, having moved from company to company on many occasions since the early 1990s. It was first discovered by Pangea Goldfields, which was later bought by Barrick Gold. Barrick then sold the property to Lake Shore Gold. Soon afterward Tahoe Resources took control, and in turn, was acquired by Pan American Silver.

Rising interest rates, sky-high inflation, and concerns of a looming market recession are all weighing on investors’ minds. It’s an environment that has left many looking to dial down equity market risk. Many investors want the growth potential that the equity market can provide, but do not want to take on full equity market risk in their portfolios. To reduce the day-to-day volatility that can come from the equity market, investors may want to consider an investment with an explicit level of downside protection.