New Trove Of Rare Earth Metals Found Off Japan On Ocean Floor

[wacojoe]

If you make or use computers and a wide variety of electronics or sophisticated metal alloys the Chinese have you by the ‘nads...or at least they do until this resource comes on line. The thing you are using to read this now undoubtedly has numerous of these vital and irreplaceable metals in the chain bringing it to you and probably in the device in front of you now.

This find could forestall China extortion on these critical metals, wherein China has had a near monopoly on much of it...and has used their monopoly in the recent past to force its way against rivals. It was just a matter of time until the Chinese did it to the U.S.

This article is lacking in detail as to how exactly the minerals can be mined and at what depth, although an accompanying chart looks like the “mud” containing the metals is in thousands of feet of depth. It will be a challenge, but a necessary one to rob the Red Chinese from their stranglehold on these modern necessary materials.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/12/japa...n-pacific.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23948-5.pdf

[Mike]

I saw that earlier. It is a tremendous find!

[Wannabe]

Hide and watch. The Chinese will be trying to get their finger in it before it is over. Like the South China Sea. Build an island, claim it and have an international border around it. Like the seagulls said. "Mine Mine Mine Mine".

[Billy_Rightwing]

Hope our President can stay on top of something like this along with his other battles with them.

[TxMusky]

Good deal, nobody should be able to corner the market on anything. Like the Saudis tried to do with oil.

[wacojoe]

One small “mountain” in West Texas has a large deposit of virtually all the light & heavy rare earths we need in manufacturing and a closely held consortium has been formed to exploit it. The article states there is potentially enough to sustain us for 130 years! It goes on to intimate the consortium is exploring production techniques to get around the nasty polluting mining & refining problems of the past.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimvino.../#7823e72a28b9

The description on its location is kind of confusing to Texans, when it is described as being “in the Texas Panhandle” and then “located about 65 miles east of El Paso,” when those two locations are incoherently far apart. Oh well, that’s a small point. The important part is the possibility that we may have some real domestic production in the future to release the grip on our manufacturing the Chi-Com’s have on us now from their monopoly in this area after our last puny production closed a few years ago, as Curt described.

How long will it be before the Chi-Com’s try to buy the consortium or worm their way in? Thankfully, the Clinton’s or Biden’s are not still in charge of strategic government approval mechanisms to help them...for now.

[Dave Grubb]

.....strategic government approval mechanisms....

Really----when did we get them?

[wacojoe]

Not strange that you would forget them after they were ignored so that Clinton Foundation donors would get the high five to sell our uranium reserves to the Russians.

[Dave Grubb]

Federal government and strategic thinking seem to be mutually exclusive.

[wacojoe]

Trump and some in Congress recognize the vulnerability of U.S. sophisticated manufacturing to dependence on China for processed rare earth minerals and started our processes to subsidize mining and processing here. A food fight has resulted. This NYTs article takes a run at what is occurring —

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/u...companies.html

[Independent Voter]

Rare Earth Metals = Precious Metals. Hummm, I wonder what Ben will have to say if he sees the possibility that someone else is horning in on the P M Bidness ?.

[Truckman]

Rare Earth Metals = Precious Metals. Hummm, I wonder what Ben will have to say if he sees the possibility that someone else is horning in on the P M Bidness ?.

Such an occurrence has not escaped my attention......Ben

[wacojoe]

I am sure Ben has a sharp eye out in the local hobo camps for an abandon stack of Praseodymium or Ytterbium to catch his eye.

[Truckman]

I am sure Ben has a sharp eye out in the local hobo camps for an abandon stack of Praseodymium or Ytterbium to catch his eye.

Yes, I've learned to do an eye scan of each new area for that tell-tale glint, or flash of color that doesn't seem to belong there...Sometimes it's a castoff alternator, a couple of weeks ago it was a $20 bill, but usually it's just another Bud Light can......Ben