According to some experts, after the peak is reached, the production rate will slowly decline until it reaches near zero while the price shoots upward. At that point, we will have pretty much mined all the economic ore deposits that are present on the planet.

…2017 was just the first year with a small increase after a huge drop off in exploration activity. It may take many years of future increases to get back to where the activity was in 2012, as projected increases in exploration spending are seen to be slow and steady.

...we believe that these measures will also lead to diminished profitability, diminished tax revenues and, therefore, increasing calls for massive new economic stimulation which again, by historic standards, could well work to the benefit of the precious metals.