Good article
"The conclusion: The current LREE situation is serious but short-lived, new non-Chinese LREE sources will come on line soon. However, HREE will be in short supply, along with niobium (a rare metal, not REE). CSIRO singles out dysprosium and terbium as at most risk.
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raremetalblog.com 
"The solutions: Put effort into prioritising new mines that have yttrium, dysprosium, neodymium, terbium and europium."
In addition, Gulf internal correspondence on the East Zones, dated January 5, 1972, reported that drilling of 7960 feet in 19 holes has indicated, "Nb2O5 mineralization similar to Zone D... In addition to niobium, the Eastern Ore Area contains rare earths such as cerium, yttrium, lanthanum and neodymium... all rare-earth elements are present in significant amounts in the East Ore Area except promethium and lutetium." The correspondence continues to say; "Initial assay results from material collected in 1971 indicate the presence of a major ore body (bodies) of light rare-earths and columbium [niobium] in the East Ore Area with the possibility of heavy rare-earth elements as a by-product."*
In a "Report on the Geology and NB, Y, REE Potential of the East Zone, Nemegosenda Lake Alkaline Complex" by the consulting geological services company, Beaty Geological Ltd. of Vancouver, BC, it was reported that, "samples collected from outcrop in the 'East Zone' have quantitative analyses, with values of 0.29% yttrium oxide, 1.61% cerium oxide, 0.76% lanthanum oxide 0.62% neodymium oxide, and 440 ppm europium reported from one [sample]." * |
