Now we're talkin

[tamrock]

This was emailed to me with a note saying you'll never be informed about this on MSN. Thank God MSN doesn't care about the real issues of this country. They can keep making money stringing out all the fools with their rhetoric, as far as I'm concerned.

 

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[against the wind]

It's amazing how I have been saying for years how we really need to stop buying foreign oil. We should be using our own.
Now we are finally going to start using our technology to find and develop a program that will make us less dependent on other countries for other elements and resources.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Home owners should use solar energy.

 

[WaterScoop]

Great share, THANK YOU!

 

[Kray Gelder]

Interesting article, Tamrock. An updated inventory of our critical mineral resources is a good idea, but as long as the mountain west remains a playground for the wealthy, who want to have unspoiled scenery to entertain themselves a couple of weeks out of the year, unmarred by an open pit mine, mineral extraction will remain difficult to sell to the politicians. Also, as long as the corporations can get labor for nothing in Congo, or Kazakhstan, or Russia, or China, they aren't about to pay Americans a wage to mine these minerals. Profit and greed "Trump" loyalty to our country and common sense every time. As some Soviet said, perhaps Stalin, "We will sell you the rope to hang yourselves with."

 

[pepperj]

Copied from this link.
Niobium: The Critical Strategic Metal That's Only Mined Two Places On Earth - Business Insider

Due to its relevance in aerospace and defense, Niobium is considered a "strategic metal" by the U.S. government, meaning there are few or no substitutes for the metal's essential use. Furthermore, of all strategic metals, Niobium is regarded as one of the most highly critical. But its supplies are considered potentially at risk. This is because only a few sources throughout the world produce the metal. Almost 90% of the world supply comes from Brazil. Nearly all of that comes from only one mine. Most of the rest comes from the Canadian Niobec Mine, owned by IAMGOLD (NYSE: IAG).
Despite the significance of Niobium, the U.S is completely dependent on imports. But Peter Dickie, CEO of Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp (TSX.V: QRE.V and OTC: QREDF.PK), plans to change all that and snag a share of the industry's hefty profits. His company recently acquired mineral rights to the Elk Creek Carbonatite, a large, seven kilometer-wide circular structure under the plains of southeast Nebraska. Elk Creek is a complex of carbonate materials hosting significant amounts of niobium and rare earths. The U.S. Geological Survey concluded that it "…has the potential to be one of the largest global sources of niobium and rare-earth elements (REE's)."
The Elk Creek Carbonatite was actually drill tested in the 1970's and 1980's by Molycorp (NYSE: MCP). Although the project was seen as a big moneymaker (even at 1980's metal prices), financial constraints forced the company to cut the project and focus on a mine called Mountain Pass, which is a world-class mineral deposit that ended up supplying most of the world's rare earth for a time. Although Elk Creek was largely forgotten, for Dickie, acquiring the rights came down to being at the right place at the right time. Luckily for him, the data is still available from the 110 test holes Molycorp drilled. "The records are in phenomenal shape," says Dickie. Results show that 40 million tons of high grade Niobium lie at Elk Creek. The data also reveals very significant intercepts of recoverable rare earth elements.
And there is plenty of profit to be made in the Niobium industry. The world's largest mine in Brazil rakes in a $1 billion profit annually. IAMGOLD's Niobec mine accounts for a large portion of that company's bottom line. It also has an attractive operating margin nearing 40%, which pulls in about $19-$21 per kilogram produced. "The Elk Creek Carbonatite is structured quite similarly to Niobec," notes Dickie. "The main difference is that Elk Creek is larger and is a higher grade." Dickie plans on leveraging this higher quality Niobium and the proximity to U.S. markets to grab a significant portion of the domestic market.
"Niobium is necessary for the economic and national security of the country," Dickie points out. Yet there are only a few sources of the material. And that clearly has Uncle Sam worried. The House of Representatives recently passed the Rare Earths and Critical Materials Revitalization Act, with broad support, by a vote of 324 to 92. The bill aims to enhance competition by supporting the domestic production of strategic materials—including niobium. Although it may be awhile before mining begins, Dickie hopes the "far-reaching" bill will help boost the development of Elk Creek.
Washington recognizes the value of Niobium and wants to secure domestic sources. This has Dickie excited. "We currently have the only potential domestic source of Niobium," he said. On top of this, it is one of largest in the world. "Some of the projects I've been involved with in the past initially looked extremely positive, but had lots of 'if's," says Dickie. "This one doesn't have the 'if's.'"

 

[pepperj]

Double post

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Sometimes the people that are suppose to know, just don't think ahead....i heard on the news they have all these electric cars and more being built.....and NOW, they wonder where they will plug them in to charge.

Good thing they weren't running on brain power!

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