The monthly Rare Earths MMI® continued its nosedive, dropping three points to register a value of 43 in February, a decrease of 6.5 percent.

What makes this month’s reading interesting, though, has little to do with the headline number and more to do with which metals within the complex led the rout –in particular, yttria, terbium oxide, rare earth carbonate, praseodymium oxide, neodymium oxide, europium oxide and dysprosium oxide.

The other half of the metals within the index actually posted price gains, including neodymium, praseodymium neodymium, and lanthanum oxide, among others. However, neodymium has now also dropped in price, since the monthly MMI reading on Feb. 1.

Rare earth analysts have reported that Chinese rare earth export numbers remain problematic, in that different Chinese sources have published different numbers.

Regardless of which numbers one looks at, rare earth prices have dropped because more supply has and will continue to come on-stream, including from Lynas, who as of this writing may have just cleared its last legal hurdle and will commence operations in Malaysia this month.

Until/unless China itself creates more of its own demand for rare earth metals, Chinese rare earth producers’ net profits will continue to slide. And prices may continue to do the same.

Primary Price Drivers of the Rare Earths Index

Dysprosium oxide prices plummeted 15.1 percent for the month. Terbium oxide prices fell nearly as hard, plunging 12 percent.

The price of neodymium oxide fell 9.4 percent. The europium oxide price was down 2.2 percent for the month.

Meanwhile, the price of yttrium increased a slight 0.3 percent. Prices for lanthanum oxide followed suit, rising 0.3 percent, as did neodymium, terbium metal and cerium oxide.
 

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PROFESSOR of Supra-molecular Chemistry and Dean of the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences at the University of the West Indies Dr Ishenkumba Kahwa says Jamaica's venture into the extraction of rare earth metals from red mud presents exciting prospects for high-end jobs.

"The beautiful thing about the project is that it has the potential to generate high calibre jobs; there is extraction, making of products, separation of the rare earth elements. There are about 17 of them; the kind of skill we are going to need is quite interesting; so it will attract high-value jobs, so we are very excited about it," Professor Kahwa told the Jamaica Observer following Monday's ground-breaking ceremony for the US$3-million pilot plant to be constructed on the premises of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) at Hope Gardens in St Andrew.

Professor Kahwa also expressed confidence that Jamaica had the expertise to staff the project, which will be shared jointly with personnel from Japanese company Nippon Light Metals who are funding the effort.

"We do have capacity, [as] in my own research group we have trained about 13 PhD graduates, and a good number of those are on rare earth chemistry; so we have people to manage the chemistry. We have students who are in the system. Now, once they know jobs will open up they will be sufficiently excited, so the capacity is here," he told the Observer.

"What we are seeing today is an excellent opportunity for us to be able not only to exploit our own resource, but we have the expertise that can be directed towards preparation and development of materials that are of high value," he added.

In the meantime, Professor Kahwa, who has been on the cutting edge of research in the area, said the project's potential impact on the environment was negligible.

"There are environmental concerns, but they are not concerns that we cannot manage, I am not worried in the least about that," he said.

In the meantime, he said the University of the West Indies, and Jamaica by extension, was no stranger to the subject area. "Our work at the University of the West Indies has spanned quite a period of time. I came here 1987 and the university was already involved in the research on rare earths, looking at basically the composition and the potential and so forth. There were other players as well, ALCAN (aluminium producer) was doing a lot of work. In fact, they have a patent for the extraction of rare earth from red mud," Professor Kahwa said.

He, however, noted that Jamaica's extraction work in the early 90s was short-lived because of China's trade which had the lion share of the industry.

"The Chinese have deposits in this stuff, they really flooded the market and the prices of rare earth went down substantially; so we shifted gears from extracting the metals to value-added products. So we have been making materials that can be used in biomedicine for diagnostic purposes, as catalysts, as laser material things like that," Professor Kahwa said.

With China's present state, however, Jamaica's window of opportunity might be bigger, he pointed out.

"They (China) have environmental issues and therefore they have restricted their imports, and hence the price of rare earth has gone back up again. Not only that, but if you need large quantities you might have a challenge sourcing those. So areas that were not particularly attractive, such as rare earths in red mud, are now attractive as a source of those elements. The price of it now is sufficiently good to actually warrant efforts to try and extract it," Professor Kahwa told the Observer.

Meanwhile, he said Jamaica would still have to work on creating niche markets. "... We have to optimise that process, because the Chinese are still there with their very cheap source, there are other countries like Australia, Africa and America that have some, so the question is how we actually put things in a way that actually is economical and makes money for us," Professor Kahwa said.
 

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CHAIRMAN and Executive Director of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute Dr Parris A Lyew-Ayee has assured that "unlike in many other countries where rare earth minerals are mined with severe negative impacts on the environment ... the Jamaican scenario is completely different".

Speaking during Monday's groundbreaking project for the US$3-million pilot plant at the institute's Hope Gardens home in St Andrew, the chairman said the process of extraction would be compatible with the environment.

 "Very importantly, we are also stewards of the environment. Our red mud deposits are located in well-engineered and managed containment ponds. Dried mud will then be harvested from these ponds for processing here at our pilot plant so there will be no mining operations and related pressures on the environment. The dried mud will then be neutralised before extraction of the rare elements," he explained.

The JBI executive director said the "neutralised non-toxic tailings will then be returned to a properly sealed containment pond, which is planned to be used to recover other minerals such as iron and titanium".

"We know it can be done," he added, noting that the launch was "a most auspicious day in the history of Jamaica and marks a new beginning".

Noting that Jamaica had ventured into the area several times before, but pulled back because of financial constraints, Lywe-Ayee said he strongly believed that "meaningful incentives should be granted to serious investors who would like to partner with us in these research and development exercises".

Scientists here have been able to extract the rare earth oxide from red mud in laboratories, but it's now time to take the next step, accoring to the JBI head.

"...Over the past year we have sampled, analysed and characterised the red mud in various locations and we are very satisfied with the results... Now we need to move on to the next step on a plant scale to ensure the commercial viability of this process. I do not need to emphasise the vast market that exists for the rare earth as it is still growing and growing exponentially," he said, counteracting arguments that Jamaica would be hardpressed to find a viable market since China currently controls some 97 per cent of the trade.

As far as the JBI head is concerned "the elusive bridge which we now must cross is how to efficiently and commercially extract the rare earth from the red mud here in Jamaica".

"We insist on that and our partners agree for it to be processed here as far downstream as we can to be able to have better benefits. We earnestly hope that the path to full commercial production will be cleared by this venture," he added.

Government announced plans to establish the pilot two weeks ago. It is being undertaken in partnership with researchers from Japanese firm Nippon Light Metal Company Limited, a publicly traded aluminium supplier headquartered in Tokyo with annual revenues of over US$7 billion and over 10,000 employees.

Nippon has confirmed high concentrations of rare earth elements in Jamaica's red mud, particularly in comparison to other areas. Mitsuru Ishihara, director and senior executive officer of the company, who arrived in the island with a delegation on Sunday, expressed certainty that there would be safety in the construction of the building which is expected to be completed in three months.

The two-storey building will be staffed jointly by personnel from the JBI and Nippon Light Metals.

"I do believe the project will (redound) to the benefit of both parties. Nippon Metal will now start to construct the pilot plant in cooperation with Jamaican builders," he said.

In the meantime, Yasuo Takase, Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica said the project is an indication that Japan is committed to partnerships between the two countries.

"Our sincere hope is that the pilot project will bear fruit to other explorations of economic opportunity for both Japan and Jamaica," he added.

The pilot plant project will develop methodology for neutralising the red mud with the objective of extracting some of the rare earth elements. It involves physical works at the JBI, the construction of adjunct laboratory areas, a stockpiling area for the red mud and acid, and a temporary waste storage site.

The pilot plant study will seek to specifically map the potential impact on land, water and air and the effect of neutralising the by-products of the extraction process. Rare earth elements or lanthanides, are extremely valuable elements which require advanced technology for their extraction so as to realise their commercial value. They currently trade at rates of up to US $3,500 per kilogramme.

Nippon Light Metal's ultimate objective is to extract some 1,500 metric tons per annum.

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Focus Graphite Inc. ("Focus" or the "Corporation") and partner SOQUEM Inc. ("SOQUEM") are pleased to provide an update of their 2012 exploration program at the Kwyjibo polymetallic Iron-Rare Earth Elements-Copper-(Gold) (Fe-REE-Cu-(Au)) Property ("Kwyjibo" or the "Property"), located in the Côte-Nord administrative district of Québec. The 2012 exploration program at Kwyjibo comprised of surface showing and trench re-sampling, core drilling and ground geophysical surveying.

Highlights of the Josette showing and trench re-sampling program include:

    Josette showing: 2.95% TREO, 37.35% REOc* and 1.44 % Cu over 10 m, including a high-grade sub-zone of: 4.59% TREO, 35.58 % REOc*, and 2.62 % Cu over 2m.
    Trench TR-95-30: 4.13% TREO, 36.08% REOc* and 0.23 % Cu over 2 m.
    Trench TR-95-29: 3.58% TREO, 39.90% REOc*and 0.17% Cu over 1.5 m.

*The ratio of critical rare earth elements ("REOc") is defined by The U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") as the sum of Nd+Eu+Tb+Dy+Y oxides divided by total rare earth oxides (TREO) : REOc = ((Nd2O3+Eu2O3+Tb2O3+Dy2O3+Y2O3)/TREO)*100. The REOc ratio is the expression of the importance of those REEs sought by the industry without considering the technological challenge to recover the REE and all the costs related to a mine development.

The new 2012 analytical results highlight the increasing total rare earth content of the mineralization related to the assaying of heavy rare earth elements in comparison to the 1995 analytical results. In 1995, only La, Ce and Sm were analyzed out of the suite of 17 rare earth elements at the Josette showing and in trenches TR-95-30 and TR-95-29.

In 2012, 10 new channel samples were collected at the Josette showing, two new channel samples were collected from trench TR-95-30 and one chip sample was taken from trench TR-95-29. The 13 samples were analyzed for the complete range of rare earth elements (Table 1). The 2012 results confirm the high heavy rare-earth elements ("HREE") content of the mineralization at Kwyjibo as well as the high ratio of critical rare earth elements (REOc) which ranges from 32.34% to 41.14%.

The results of the rare earth elements assay program are expressed as total rare earth oxides (TREO), including yttrium oxide and ratio of critical rare earth elements (REOc*). Values of TREO (REE2O3) presented are the sum of all rare earth oxides of the lanthanide series and yttrium oxide; strictly not a rare earth element, yttrium is included in the total amount of REE because of the chemical behaviour and uses that are similar to the lanthanides.

The Josette showing was re-sampled in a composite of ten (10) one-meter long channels, cut parallel to the 1995 channels. For trench TR-95-30, a new two-meter long channel was cut parallel to the trench blasted in 1995 while for trench TR-95-29, chips samples were taken over 1.5 meters intervals. The total length of the 2012 sampling channels in both trenches (TR-95-29 & TR-95-30) is less than in 1995 by 5.4 m due to destruction of portions of the original outcrops caused by the blasting done in 1995, and also because of the subsequent infilling of the trenches by blocks of rocks and dirt and the strong weathering of the outcrop in trench TR-95-29.

Quality assurance / Quality control

The channels were cut with a rock saw perpendicular to the main foliation of the iron-rich rock (magnetitite). All the channels are one meter long by 2.5 cm wide and vary in depth from 10 to 15 cm. For each channel, the rock samples were broken into pieces and then placed into a plastic bag. In the case of Trench TR-95-29, chips samples of 5 to 10 cm long, by 5 to 10 cm wide and 1 to 5 cm thick were collected from the weathered outcrop over 1.5 m intervals and then placed into a plastic bag. A numbered tag from the ALS laboratory was inserted into the bag prior to the sealing of the bag with a tie-wrap. The sample bags were carried to the camp by helicopter then loaded onto a float plane to Sept-Îles and sent by a carrier to ALS Laboratories ("ALS") in Val-d'Or (a certified laboratory; ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for standards).

The samples were analyzed for all rare earth elements, most traces and major elements. Due to the limited number of channel samples analyzed, no standard or blank were introduced except the one used by the laboratory. Rare earths and trace elements were analyzed using lithium borate fusion of the sample prior to acid dissolution and analyzed by ICP-MS (Induced-Couples Plasma Mass Spectrometry). This method is best suitable for minerals resistant to acid digestion, like some REE-bearing silicates. For REE high grades samples, a re-analysis of the pulp was performed using high sample to volume ratios in addition to Class A volumetric glassware. ALS laboratory used certified high grade rare earth reference materials as part of their standard protocol. Major elements were analyzed using a lithium borate fusion of the sample prior to acid dissolution and analyzed by ICP-AES (Induced-Couples Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry). REE, traces and major elements were analyzed at ALS laboratories in Vancouver. For sulphide-bearing samples, copper, lead, silver, zinc and sulphur were digested in aqua regia, then analyzed by AAS technique (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry). Gold was analyzed by fire assay and AAS with a 50g nominal sample weight. Base metals and precious metals were analyzed at ALS in Val-d'Or.

2012 core drilling program

Thirty-one (31) holes (4,207 m) were drilled at Kwyjibo in 2012 with the aim of validating grades, thicknesses and continuity of the REE-Fe-Cu mineralization in the northeastern portion of the Josette horizon, where the best drilling intersections were obtained in 2011 from hole 10885-11-57 with 2.40% TREO over 48.8m and hole 10885-11-60 with 3.61% TREO over 33.1m (see Focus Metals press release dated March 13th 2012).

A map of the Kwyjibo property showing the location of the 31 drill holes is available on the Company's website at www.focusgraphite.com.

A total of 1,333 samples (1,249 half NQ drill core samples; 23 duplicates; 29 standard samples and 32 blank samples) were sent to ALS in Val-d'Or and Vancouver, for total rare earth elements, base metals, major elements and trace element analysis. The results from the 2012 core drilling program are pending.

Surface and borehole TDEM geophysical surveys

A ground time-domain electromagnetic ("TDEM") geophysical survey and a borehole Pulse-EM survey were completed by Abitibi Geophysic Inc. from Val-d'Or (Québec) in early October. A total of 75 km of lines were surveyed on five different loops that covered all significant VTEM anomalies from the 2006 survey and all known occurrences of the iron formation on the Kwyjibo Property.

Thirty (30) drill holes (5.492 m), were surveyed with borehole Pulse-EM on three loops. Eight (8) holes from the 1994 to 2011 core drilling programs were also surveyed for a total of 1,219 m for the most northeastern Grabuge - Gabriel showings loop. A total of 2,089 m from 11 drill holes (1994 to 2012) were surveyed on loop that straddled the Fluorine and Josette showings grids. Finally, 2,184 m from 11 holes (1995 to 2012) were surveyed in the loop that covers most of the Josette horizon and the Josette grid.

The new ground and borehole geophysical data are currently being processed and interpreted by MB Geosolution of Québec City. High-priority geophysical targets from the 2012 surveys will be followed-up though drilling in 2013.

Metallurgical tests and mineralogical study

A first round of metallurgical tests is planned at Kwyjibo this year. The testing will be performed on two representative samples of the mineralized iron formation (magnetitite) and the mineralized breccia in the aim to produce concentrates for critical rare earths, copper and iron. The first sample will be comprised of 80kg composite of mineralised rock from Josette showing. The second sample will consist of a 230kg composite from quarter-drill core samples from seven holes drilled below trenches TR-95-29 and TR-95-30. The contract to carry out the metallurgical testing has been awarded to COREM of Québec-City. In conjunction with the metallurgical testing, a mineralogical study will be undertaken in order to characterize the distribution of the REEs in the different REE-bearing minerals. Results from both studies are expected in the third quarter of 2013.

Property Location

The Kwyjibo polymetallic Iron-Rare Earth Elements-Copper-(Gold) (Fe-REE-Cu-(Au)) property, totalling 118 mining titles and covering 6,278 ha, is located 125 km northeast of Sept-Îles, in the Côte-Nord administrative district of Québec. The property is also located 25 km east of the Québec North Shore and Labrador railway line and is accessible by air from Sept-Îles.
 

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Ucore Rare Metals Inc. ("Ucore" or "the Company") is pleased to report that United States Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mark Begich (D-AK) jointly introduced a bill in Washington DC to authorize construction of a road on Prince of Wales Island to the Niblack and Bokan Mountain projects. Senator Murkowski noted that this bill would permit development of a road that minimizes costs, while also minimizing the effects on surface resources, preventing unnecessary surface disturbances and complying with all environmental laws and regulations.

Further, Ucore notes the introduction of Senate Joint Resolution No. 8 in the Legislature of the State of Alaska by Senators McGuire, Gardner and Ellis (the "Resolution"). The Resolution supports the continued and increased exploration, extraction, processing and production of rare earth elements in the State.

The Resolution supports a number of initiatives, and expressly urges State agencies that administer permits required for the development of rare earth element projects in Alaska to expedite the consideration and issuance of permits for the development of rare earth element deposits. The initiative further urges the Governor and the Department of Natural Resources to work closely with the US Geological Survey, US Department of Commerce and US Department of Defense to promote the development of rare earth elements extraction, processing and production in the State. The Resolution also urges the U.S. Congress to support the efforts of the State to develop rare earth elements for the benefit of the economic and national security of the United States.

"We're highly encouraged by these two initiatives to expedite the development of the Bokan project", stated Jim McKenzie, President & CEO of Ucore. "Alaska legislators have been exceptionally supportive of our development, which promises to bring skilled employment and numerous ancillary economic benefits to an area with tremendous potential. The bills additionally acknowledge and complement Ucore's commitment to complying with existing laws, fostering economic development in the region, and advancing production of materials designated as critical to national security by the U.S. Congress."

The Senate Bill and Resolution were independently introduced on January 30, 2013, both explicitly recognizing the heavy rare earth element content and logistical advantages of Ucore's Bokan Mountain property.

 

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Northern Minerals has demonstrated its Browns Range heavy rare earth element (HREE) project in northern Western Australia is capable of producing a high value 92% mixed rare earth oxide.

The test work to date has confirmed the ability to produce a high grade mineral concentrate from the Browns Range xenotime mineralisation, which can then be relatively simply refined into a high purity mixed rare earth oxide dominated by yittrium (61%) and dysprosium (11%).

Significantly, this increases the market potential and value for the Browns Range product, as mixed rare earth oxide is more amenable to the production processes of potential offtake partners.

The positive hydrometallurgical results have now further de-risked the project and opened the door to a significantly larger and higher value market for the Browns heavy rare earth product.

First production of mixed rare earth oxide is targeted for 2016 with a $58 million funding package in place supporting the pathway to production.

Hydrometallurgical flowsheet

The hydrometallurgical flowsheet includes conventional unit processes of sulphation bake, water leaching, impurity removal, oxalate precipitation and calcination to produce the high purity mixed rare earth oxide.

Following the results from earlier testing, Northern Minerals engaged Tenova Mining and Minerals to develop and manage a detailed hydrometallurgical test work program.

The first stage of this program has now been completed with the confirmation test work undertaken at both ALS and Nagrom laboratories in Perth.

The key results from the program are:

- Extraction efficiency in the acid bake and water leach step exceeded 85%;
- The precipitation efficiency of the oxalate precipitation step exceeded 99%;
- The product purity of the final calcined exceeded the target of 92% TREO in the mixed rare earth oxide; and
- Heavy rare earths dominate the mixed rare earth oxide.

Scoping Study

Northern Minerals also recently commissioned a Scoping Study for a hydrometallurgical process plant to treat 10,000 tonnes per annum of Browns Range mineral concentrate containing 30% TREO.

The study was based on the hydrometallurgical flowsheet and locating the process plant at the Browns Range site.

The estimated capital cost for this facility is A$40 million (±35%) and the operating cost is estimated at A$4.40 per kilogram of mineral concentrate feed.

Additionally, Northern Minerals has commissioned an economic and environmental location study to investigate potential locations for the hydrometallurgical plant in Australia.

Northern Minerals has already begun the optimisation phase of the test work program, which will test key variables for each stage of the process to determine the optimal operating criteria.

The company recently signed a memorandum of understanding for offtake with an international partner.

The MoU allows for supply of product as either a 30% TREO mineral concentrate or a 92% mixed rare earth oxide.

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A joint project between Japan and Jamaica will investigate whether the Caribbean country’s bauxite waste will be able to yield rare-earth elements that are used in consumer electronics. Japanese company Nippon Light Metal invested $3 million for a new processing plant, breaking ground in St. Andrew, Jamaica, on Monday.

“This project represents the kind of industrial diversification that this country needs, if it is to realize its economic potential and improve the living standards of the people,” Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said, speaking to a group of Japanese and Jamaican officials and researchers. Miller suggested that the plant could be one of the most “significant projects ever undertaken in Jamaica,” should it prove beneficial.

The project will call for the acid treatment of tons of the dry, red mud found near Jamaica’s mining areas to see if rare-earth elements can be extracted. Rare earth is considered a non-renewable natural resource comprised of a group of 17 chemical elements. The material is used in the manufacturing process of consumer electronics such as smartphones and plasma screens, as well as larger equipment such as satellites.

Researchers at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute believe that the bauxite could provide an easily harvested natural resource for the country, as international demand for rare-earth increases. It is reported that institute Chairman Parris Lyew-Ayee said that because the substance is located in containment ponds, it will prevent stress on the environment. Local environmentalists aren’t as quick to support Lyew-Ayee’s belief.

“Specifically, we have requested details of the precise type of process that will be used … before I can really comment on what the environmental impacts are,” Diana McCaulay, CEO of the Jamaica Environment Trust, told the Observer.

Any rare-earth minerals extracted at the plant would be jointly owned by Jamaica and Nippon Light Metal. Japanese companies have launched similar projects in Kazakhstan and Vietnam, and continue to explore alternative sources for rare-earth elements.

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PHILLIP Paulwell is insisting that Jamaica's foray into commercial production of rare earth metals is much more than dollars and cents.

'Since we made the initial announcement to the Parliament and Jamaica, two weeks ago, most of the attention attracted both locally and internationally has focused on the dollars and cents and the economic opportunity, but the project means much more,' Paulwell, the science, technology, energy, and mining minister said yesterday.

 He was speaking at a ground-breaking ceremony for a US$3-million pilot plant on the Jamaica Bauxite Institute (JBI) premises at Hope Gardens in St Andrew.

The pilot is being undertaken in partnership with researchers from Japanese company Nippon Light Metal Company Limited — a publicly traded aluminium supplier headquartered in Tokyo with annual revenues of over US$7 billion and more than 10,000 employees.

Nippon has confirmed high concentrations of rare earth elements in Jamaica's red mud deposits, and that those elements can be extracted efficiently.

Yesterday, Paulwell said that there is the prospect of great financial and strategic benefit to both nations, and that Jamaica stands to gain much more from working with Japan.

He said the project was the realisation of work done by Jamaican scientists who have been on the cutting edge of research on the area for years.

"We expect that all the various learning institutions will participate completely in the unfolding of this project," Paulwell said, adding that, while a planned three-storey, US$3 million building will be erected over three months, some of the preliminary work will be done by the JBI at its labs.

"All the equipment that is needed is either here or on the high seas, that's what we mean by being serious about doing business and getting things done in a timely way," he said in noting the three-month construction deadline.

Also addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said the development is the second step to the establishment of a commercial plant to extract sediments which, if realised, will add significant value to the Jamaican economy.

"One indicator of the potential and significance of this public/private partnership is the vast levels of publicity and interest this news has generated globally. The JBI has been flooded with calls and enquiries, mainly because rare earth metals are critically important to industries, and commercial supplies are relatively scarce to some industries," Simpson Miller said.

"I believe we must balance the books, because it is very important, but at the same time we must balance people's lives. We can only do that if we have a strong economic foundation," she said, noting that "a critical part of that foundation is research and development but also innovation".

Said the prime minister: "This project will employ scientists and engineers, and we do have in Jamaica excellent scientists and engineers. Our universities need now to be more focused on training specialist students to take up jobs in fields associated with technology."

She said Jamaica will continue to look to the East, while building its ties with the West.

"We are standing on the threshold of something that could be truly revolutionary," she said, while emphasising that every care will be taken to protect the environment during the process.

"I am absolutely committed to the development of our economy, but it cannot be at the expense of the environment... I have made it clear to the Cabinet that every care must be taken as we seek to commercially exploit our rare earth elements," the prime minister said.

Rare earth metals are used in the creation of DVDs, cellphones, rechargeable batteries, digital cameras and most optic lenses, among other things.

 

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Although Greenland has no advanced mineral or metals production, it shows massive potential as a host for a number of minerals, including rare earth elements (REEs), and is being touted as a region to watch.

While the nation often remains under the radar with regard to political issues, it was under the media spotlight recently when Greenland’s premier, Kuupik Kleist, told the BBC that he will not favor the European Union (EU) over China — or any other investor — when granting access to the country’s prized rare earth deposits.

Kleist said that it would not be fair “to protect others’ interests more than protecting, for instance, China’s,” adding that the country’s resource sector will not be practicing any form of favoritism. He confirmed to journalists that he has discussed securing Greenland’s minerals for Europe with an EU parliamentary committee, but said that the country is in no position to exclude any foreign investors unless there is a specific issue.

Investors often associate the country’s close ties with Denmark as a sign that it may lean towards EU favoritism; however, it is important to remember that Greenland was one of the first territories to leave the EU back in 1985.

A project currently being developed by Greenland Minerals and Energy is ained at underlining just how much potential the area holds. The company’s focus, Kvanefjeld, is a large-scale delineated deposit recognized as one of the world’s largest REE resources and is estimated to contain a favorable mix of elements, including yttrium, according to the company’s website. A prefeasibility study estimates that the mine will be able to produce 43,729 tonnes of rare earth oxides and 3,895 tonnes of uranium a year across a 23-year lifespan

Strategic location

Based next to increasingly strategic shipping lanes, the North Atlantic island is attracting a lot of investor attention, especially as the melting of Arctic ice begins to pick up pace. While many are of the impression that Greenland is remote and logistically challenged, there are a number of benefits to its natural geography. It is strategically located between both North American and European markets, while Southern Greenland is located at a lower latitude than much of Alaska and Canada’s Yukon and Northwest Territories — all of which are popular areas amongst mineral explorers and miners.

Deep-water fjords cut into the country’s coastal fringes, meaning that the areas most suitable for exploration are close to potential deep-water port facilities.

The Chinese question

Interest in the country has exploded, and a number of western firms are already beginning to display signs of anxiety about China’s future role in Greenland’s mining sector. Some fear that China may attempt to exploit the territory in the battle for strategic control over Arctic resources and shipping routes.

Greenland’s government is backing a $2.35-billion iron mine project led by London Mining; it will be worth more than the island’s annual GDP and could attract as many as 5,000 Chinese workers (a third of the population of Nuuk, the country’s capital city) if it goes ahead. Greenland’s local government’s move last year to exempt projects of this scale from Denmark’s strict labor laws has also added to investor concerns. The project, which aims to lock down financing from China, would eventually result in the shipment of approximately 15 million metric tons of iron ore annually from fjords near Nuuk to China.

Speculation over the eastern giant’s intentions in the far north gained momentum last year when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Iceland and reached new heights when Chinese President Hu Jintao embarked on a visit to Denmark only two months later — the first state visit since the countries established diplomatic ties 62 years ago.

Martin Breum, the author of a book on Denmark’s role in the Arctic and Greenland’s oil possibilities, told Reuters that the iron ore project is not what has western governments, industries and intelligence agencies worried.

“Potential Chinese control of the rare earth elements in Greenland is scary to a lot of governments in the Western world,” said Breum, adding that China’s monopoly on REEs is “intolerable” to the west in the long term.

Government not concerned

While talk in Europe and North America revolves around a Chinese master plan to take over the Arctic and its resources, Greenland’s government is taking little notice. Kleist has downplayed concerns about Chinese plans to import labor for forthcoming operations by stating, “I do not see thousands of Chinese workers in the country as a threat,” according to Denmark’s Ritzau news agency.

In fact, he went on to commend the east, noting, “it’s fair to say countries like China and South Korea are far more active than Americans and Europeans in showing their interest in investing,” according to the BBC. A Reuters article also quoted him as saying, “Greenland is open for investments from the whole world, taking into account that the investors accept the regulations and requirements from Greenland in doing so.”

Regardless of whether one sides with the east or the west, this once easily forgettable island is poised for great things. Greenland remains highly prospective, yet underexplored, and is politically stable, mining friendly and boasts a non-biased attitude toward foreign investment. Perhaps investors need to shift attention away from geopolitics and realize that this very lucrative landscape might very well end up playing a key role in defining the REE market moving forward.

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Jamaican and Japanese officials on Monday launched a pilot project designed to investigate whether rare-earth elements can be commercially extracted from the island's bauxite waste.

Researchers with Japan's Nippon Light Metal Co. Ltd. believe they have found high concentrations of rare-earth elements in the island's red mud, a byproduct of bauxite refining into alumina, the basic material for manufacturing aluminum.

During the pilot project, researchers from the two countries will treat some 30 tons of dry red mud with acid to potentially extract some of the 17 rare-earth elements that are vital in manufacturing smartphones, plasma screens, wind turbines, satellites and numerous other high-tech products.

In Jamaica, where the economy is tough and the local currency is sliding, hopes are soaring that the pilot project at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute's headquarters could result in a commercial deal to extract rare-earth oxides from the red waste stored in containment ponds around mining grounds.

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller said that if the joint venture proves viable, it could be among the most "significant projects ever undertaken in Jamaica."

"This project represents the kind of industrial diversification that this country needs it if is to realize its economic potential and improve living standards for our people," Simpson Miller told Japanese dignitaries and Jamaican officials, scientists and businessmen.

Parris Lyew-Ayee, chairman of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, said he believes that that since Jamaica's dry red mud deposits are stored in containment ponds he believes it will be simple and safe to harvest.

"There will be no mining operations and related pressures on the environment," said Lyew-Ayee, who described the long-discussed feasibility of extracting rare-earth elements from bauxite tailings as a sort of "holy grail" on the island, where treated red mud was formerly used to make bricks for building sites.

China is now the globe's main supplier of rare-earth elements. Worried by that dominance, manufacturers around the globe have been spurring searches for other sources that could be profitably mined.

Rare-earth elements aren't scarce, but few places exist with enough concentrations to be profitable. They are difficult to isolate in a purified form and require advanced technology to extract.

Paul Henderson, an honorary professor in the earth sciences department at University College London and who is not involved in the research in Jamaica, said the rock from which any bauxite is derived will ultimately determine its rare-earth contents. "Not all bauxites will have much in the way of rare earths," Henderson said in an email.

But Nippon Light Metal believes that the concentration of rare-earth elements in Jamaica's red mud is "significantly greater" than other international red mud sites and it hopes to eventually extract 1,500 metric tons of rare-earth elements per year, said Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell.

Nippon has agreed to invest $3 million in buildings and equipment for the pilot project while also being responsible for operating costs. Any rare-earth elements extracted during this phase will be jointly owned by Jamaica and the Japanese company. Negotiations for commercialization are expected to occur later.

Paulwell said in Parliament last month that rare-earth oxides were being traded at $3,500 per kilogram.

Speculating on the demand for rare-earth elements in the future "is a bit like looking into the tea leaves other than the fact that demand is sure to increase," Henderson said from Britain.

"By how much depends of course on the possible introduction of new technologies and range of other issues such as how much investment in green energies, especially wind turbines, changes," he said.
 

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