Approximately 13 million metric tons of rare earth elements (REE) exist within known deposits in the United States, according to the first-ever nationwide estimate of these elements by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The report describes significant deposits of REE in 14 states, with the largest known REE deposits at Mountain Pass, Calif.; Bokan Mountain, Alaska; and the Bear Lodge Mountains, Wyo. The Mountain Pass mine produced REE until it closed in 2002. Additional states with known REE deposits include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

“This is the first detailed assessment of rare earth elements for the entire nation, describing deposits throughout the United States,” commented USGS Director Marcia McNutt, Ph.D. “It will be very important, both to policy-makers and industry, and it reinforces the value of our efforts to maintain accurate, independent information on our nation’s natural resources. Although many of these deposits have yet to be proven, at recent domestic consumption rates of about 10,000 metric tons annually, the US deposits have the potential to meet our needs for years to come.”

REE are a group of 16 metallic elements with similar properties and structures that are essential in the manufacture of a diverse and expanding array of high-technology applications. Despite their name, they are relatively common within the earth’s crust, but because of their geochemical properties, they are not often found in economically exploitable concentrations.

Hard-rock deposits yield the most economically exploitable concentrations of REE. USGS researchers also analyzed two other types of REE deposits: placer and phosphorite deposits.  Placer deposits are alluvial formations of sandy sediments, which often contain concentrations of heavy, dense minerals, some containing REE.  Phosphorite deposits, which mostly occur in the southeastern U.S., contain large amounts of phosphate-bearing minerals.  These phosphates can yield yttrium and lanthanum, which are also REE.

Ninety-six percent of REE produced globally now comes from China. New REE mines are being developed in Australia, and projects exploring the feasibility of economically developing additional REE deposits are under way in the United States, Australia, and Canada; successful completion of these projects could help meet increasing demand for REE, the report said.

REE are important ingredients in high-strength magnets, metal alloys for batteries and light-weight structures, and phosphors. These are essential components for many current and emerging alternative energy technologies, such as electric vehicles, photo-voltaic cells, energy-efficient lighting, and wind power. REEs are also critical for a number of key defense applications.

This report is part of a larger, Department of Defense-funded study of how the United States, and the Department of Defense in particular, use REE, as well as the status and security of domestic and global supply chains.  In addition, the USGS National Minerals Information Center maintains statistics on global mineral production, trade, and resources that include rare earth elements.

The new USGS report, which provides an overview of domestic REE resources and possibilities for utilizing those resources, is available online. To learn more about REE, please visit the National Minerals Information Center’s REE webpage.

Adapted from materials provided by U.S. Geological Survey

BIG PICTURE – Lets face it, governments always try to ‘kick the can down the road’.  Rather than deal with economic issues in the here and now, they prefer to postpone the pain.  Unfortunately, in their attempt to avoid painful economic recessions, the policymakers sacrifice the purchasing power of their currencies and they end up creating even bigger troubles for the future. 

Look.  The ‘Great Recession’ in the developed world was brought about by excessive debt and consumption. In the boom years, millions of Americans borrowed copious amounts of money to buy real-estate; they used their homes as a source of funding (home equity withdrawals) and spent way beyond their means.  In those heady days, everyone was convinced that real-estate prices could not decline on a country wide basis.  Unsurprisingly, the bankers gladly supported this misconception by providing cheap fuel to the raging speculative fire.  The end result was that unworthy debtors were able to purchase several properties and real-estate prices appreciated considerably.

Unfortunately, when interest-rates went up and credit became scarce, the house of cards collapsed.  When boom turned to bust, millions of American homeowners were left with negative equity (Figure 1) and the entire banking system came to its knees.  When that happened, the American policymakers embarked on a fear-mongering campaign and they misled the public into believing that it was essential to save the banks.  During the depth of the financial crisis, we were repeatedly told that the ‘too big to fail’ banks had to be saved, or else the consequences would be dire.

Figure 1: American homeowners in negative equity

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Contrast that with the shoot-from-the-hip showmanship of Mr. Bet-a-Million, my colleague Jim Sinclair.  Although his style and methods differ radically from my own, I have only respect for the man and for the way he has stuck to his guns on gold no matter what was happening in the markets. When an ounce was trading for around $1200 back in 2008, so certain was Sinclair that the price would rise to at least $1650 by this January that he baited doubters with a $1 million bet. Did he perhaps know something?  Of course not. No one could possibly know for certain where gold would be trading three years from a given date. But he did know – and never tired of telling us — that the U.S. Government had embarked on the most reckless credit expansion in human history – a blowout so far beyond anything that had ever occurred that it all but guaranteed the continuation of gold’s steep upward trajectory.

Alluvial mining is an ancient technology.  The early gold-panners were alluvial miners.  Although somewhat archaic, small scale alluvial mining operations are still common, both as a hobby and as a source of income, in areas of Africa and South America. Alluvial mining has also morphed into a big business involving cutting edge technology and a great deal of capital investment.

Alluvium refers to sediment that is transported and deposited by water. Alluvium is found in rivers, lakes and along coastlines. In the case of alluvium transported by an ancient stream, alluvium can also be found in a terrestrial environment.  The alluvial process can transport, and concentrate, valuable minerals.  Over thousands of years, minerals are eroded from their source and transported by water to a new locale. Because sediments settle out of water according to their weight, heavier, valuable minerals such as diamonds, platinum group metals, and gold will often deposit at the same time, this characteristic can lead to a concentrated deposit of valuable minerals, prime for extraction.

….read more about the following topics HERE:

Techniques

Alluvial Mining for Diamonds

Alluvial Mining for Gold

Alluvial Mining for Platinum