strategic metals

Having honored those who have served our country on Memorial Day yesterday, this week may be an appropriate time to note that our military servicemen and –women could not fulfill their mission to protect the homeland and project American power around the globe as effectively as they do if it wasn’t for a broad range of critical metals and minerals. These non-fuel materials are essential not only to our commercial manufacturing base and our aspirations to transition to a green-energy economy, but also to advanced weapons systems and other military applications, and are thus a matter of national security.

While given that, one would expect that formulating a coherent national mineral strategy to ensure such access would be a public policy imperative, a new study by the American Resources Policy Network finds that this, unfortunately, is not the case.

The study, to be formally released at the The Strategic Minerals Conference 2012, taking place on June 6, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, attempts to give a snapshot of the federal government’s approach to the United States’ mineral supply needs by reviewing recent government literature on the issue. The report will be available at www.americanresources.org after the conference.

The key questions guiding our research for the report -

1. Is there a consensus on which metals or minerals are “critical and/or strategic?”
2. What is our supply risk or import exposure (drawing on USGS data)?
3. How do we square private market activity with public policy to reduce resource dependency where possible and ensure surety of supply?

- will also be taken up and elaborated upon by a formidable lineup of speakers and panelists at the June 6th event.

 

For more information including related video from some of the conference participants, and an updated agenda as the event date draws closer visit www.strategicmineralsconference.com.

On the heels of the discovery of a significant rare earths find in Madagascar announced by Mumbai-based Varun Industries earlier this month, the Indian government has been quick to lock up a purchase agreement with the Madagascar unit of the company, Varun Energy Corp.  According to the memorandum of understanding, Varun Energy Corp. will sell all its heavy minerals concentrate mined in Madagascar to a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Indian Department of Atomic Energy.

The Indian government’s move is consistent with its efforts to secure access to strategic metals and minerals, including rare earths, which are critical for its burgeoning industrial sectors. As India competes with other fast-growing and resource-hungry nations like China for the world’s natural resources, expect to see more deals like this one.  The question U.S. policy makers should ask themselves is: Are we doing enough to secure our own strategic and economic future?

Chinadaily.com.cn reports that China has discovered its largest molybdenum deposit to-date in the East-Chinese province of Anhui.   At 2.2 million tons, the discovered deposits have a mining life of more than one hundred years and constitute the second largest known quantity of minable molybdenum with the world’s largest mine being the Climax Mine in Colorado. [...]

A new piece in the New Scientist underlines the importance of strategic metals to our new economy — from tech toys like the iPad and smart phones to green-tech applications ranging from solar panels to wind turbines. The Tellurium in the title is an element critical to new solar panel applications. As New Scientist puts [...]

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Globe Metals and Mining has discovered significant rare earths deposits at its exploration site Mount Muambe in Mozambique. This positive exploration result will likely further strengthen China’s quasi-monopoly position when it comes to rare earths, as the Chinese state-owned East China Minerals Exploration and Development Bureau only two months [...]