A week after a 2 billion ton discovery proof of rare earth metals in Wyoming, Japan announced a similar success with what now seems like a small win of 230 million tons down at about 18,000 feet under water. It’s not much of a win, however, as so far, China has the record for deepest operations at a test earlier this year at 13,000 feet. China’s says their system can go down to the Japanese depth, but then other factors creep in. What are the recovery costs? The speed of operation? How will this work out over the long haul, versus the standard land based mining. I’m not discouraged, but it may be a long time before anyone recovers value other than bragging rights on this discovery.
Some 230 million tons of rare Earth minerals were found.
Found at www.unilad.com
