Lee Allison provides summaries of and links to some of the minerals bills in Congress. These include:
* National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012
* Federal Land Asset Inventory Reform Act of 2011
* National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012
* Soda Ash Royalty Extension, Job Creation, and Export Enhancement Act of 2011
Abandoned mines and quarries are dangerous places! Every year about 20 to 30 people die in accidents that occur in abandoned mines across the United States. The victims range in age from preschool children to an 85 year-old mining veteran.
A new technology for processing low-grade phosphate rock into phosphoric acid for fertilizer production without creating phosphogypsum could increase Florida’s useful phosphate rock resource.
Every person uses products made from minerals every day. Salt, antacid tablets, pencils, cell phones, jewelry, glass, paint, shingles fertilizer, vehicles, highways, buildings and much more are made from minerals.
“Canada has 1.1 billion pounds of rare earths locked in black shale deposits (the Alberta Black Shale Project) worth an estimated $206 billion. In addition, several other Canadian mines across the country show great potential.” Quote from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce website.
This article: “How asteroidmining could turn billionaires into trillionaires” includes a video interview with Neil Degrasse Tyson, Director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium.
“Planetary Resources, Inc. announced today its plan to mine Near-Earth Asteroids for raw materials [...]. There are over 1,500 asteroids that are as easy to get to as the surface of the Moon. They are also in Earth-like orbits with small gravity fields, making them easier to approach and depart. [...] A single 500-meter platinum-rich asteroid contains the equivalent of all the Platinum Group Metals mined in history.” Quoted from the Planetary Resources website.
“The expansion of massive salt evaporation projects on the Dead Sea are clearly visible in this time series of images taken by Landsat satellites operated by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey.” Quoted from the NASA image release.
Most people are familiar with talcum powder, but did you know that the mineral talc is used to make ceramics, paper, rubber, paint, cosmetics, insecticides and many other products?
Experts disagree with a Pentagon report claiming that the United States has an adequate supply of rare earth elements to meet most U.S. Military needs.
Arch Coal’s Spruce Mine, a mountaintop removal project in Logan County, West Virginia was approved, then denied and then approved again. If developed, it will be the largest mountaintop removal project in the state.
Silver, the white metal, has an illustrious reputation for its use in jewelry and coins, but today, silver’s primary use is industrial. Whether in cell phones or solar panels, new innovations are constantly emerging to take advantage of silver’s unique properties.
Rio Tinto is looking for buyers for three diamond mines. A 100% stake in the Argyle Mine in Australia that is famous for its pink diamonds, a 60% interest in the Diavik Mine in the Norwest Territories of Canada that is famous for it’s extremely high ore grade, and the smaller Murowa Diamond Mine in Zimbabwe.
ArizonaExperience.org takes a look back at the San Manuel CopperMine (once the largest underground mining operation in North America) through The Miners’ Story Project. This page has a small collection of videos about the mine and the people who worked there.
Low diamond prices and a strong Australian dollar have caused problems for the Australian diamond and gemstonemining industry for the past five years (see graph below). Could 2012 be a year of change?
A shallow deposit of high-grade potash near Holbrook, Arizona is attracting attention the attention of mining companies. The deposits in the Holbrook Basin are the shallowest deposits in the United States and could hold more than two billion tons.
Dave Petley has been tracking developments associated with the Tumbi Quarry landslide in Papua New Guinea. This post: “How Can a Quarry Cause a Landslide?” has an impressive overview photo.
Layered, ultramafic to mafic intrusions are uncommon in the geologic record, but host magmatic ore deposits containing most of the world’s economic concentrations of platinum-group elements. These deposits are mined primarily for their platinum, palladium, and rhodium contents. Quoted from the USGS publication release.
Uranium consumption currently exceeds production by over 70 million pounds per year and the source that currently supplies overconsumption will deplete in the next few years.
“The value of mineral production in the United States increased by 12 percent in 2011 from that of 2010, suggesting that the nonfuel minerals industries, particularly metals, continued to recover from the economic recession that began in December 2007 and lasted well into 2009. The value of raw, nonfuel minerals mined in the United States was $74 billion in 2011, up from $66 billion in 2010.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
American West Potash is exploring the possibilities of an underground potash mine in Arizona. Going underground instead of opening a pit lowers the environmental impact.
Throughout the 20th century most people would never have thought about Canada being an important producer of diamonds. But in 1991 two geologists found evidence of kimberlite pipes about 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Soon Canada became one of the world’s leading diamond producers.
To ensure a reliable supply of heavy rare earth minerals for its hybrid and electric cars, Toyota is entering into a deal that could give them a 49% stake in a Canadian mining operation.
The Afghan Ministry of Mines has been inviting companies to bid on contracts to mine the copper and gold in portions of Badakhshan, Ghazni, Herat, Balkh and Sar-e-Pul Provinces. Billions of dollars worth of metals could be in these areas but there are significant infrastructure and security problems.
Fertilizer has often been used as an explosive – often in terrorist acts. Honeywell has a new ammonium nitrate / ammonium sulfate fertilizer that is much less explosive.
An article on the Forbes.com website reports that Molycorp is spending nearly $1 billion to restart its Mountain Pass Summit mine in California. Check out the Google map below if you want a quick look at the mine.
Goldmining companies in Australia are having trouble finding enough people who are able to handle the demands of working in underground gold mines. This story on the Wall Street Journal website explains why new miners are making six digit salaries.
An article on RenewableEnergyWorld.com explores potential supply disruptions for rare earth elements. Between 2000 and 2009 demand for these materials increased by more than 50% and future demand will be supported by low carbon technologies.
Part of an exploration map - Wyoming Geological Survey
The United States is the world’s leading consumer of diamonds, spending billions of dollars per year on the gem. Although domestic production is currently just a few hundred carats, there is a potential for production in several states.
H.R. 1904 is a proposal that will authorize an exchange of Federal land for non-Federal land… to facilitate development of a world class domestic copper deposit capable of meeting a significant portion of the annual United States demand.
An article on the Pittsburgh Live website explains how about half of the community of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania is undermined and has a subsidence risk.
This video takes you on a quick visit to the Molycorp rare earth elementmine at Mountain Pass, California and provides some background on rare earth elements.
This is a story contains some of the history, geology and personal experiences behind the Bokan Mountain rare earth deposit. Located near Kendrick Bay, Alaska, Bokan Mountain could turn out to be one of the largest rare earth deposit in the United States.
During 2010, Arizona’s non-fuel mineral production totaled $6.7 billion – about 10.5% of the USA production. Principal commodities mined were copper, molybdenum, sand and gravel, cement and crushed stone. Arizona also produced $273 million of coal bringing the total mined value to nearly $7 billion.
An article in the Denver Post describes what the Colorado Geological Survey is doing to investigate minesubsidence problems in the Weld County area – where collapsing mines are damaging buildings, roads, utilities and more.
One advantage that diamonds have held over colored stones is the ability of manufacturers to obtain a steady supply of consistent quality stones. Large mining operations in Africa are now able to promise a steady and consistent supply of emeralds, amethysts and possibly rubies.
An article on the Trib.com website explores subsidence problems near Rock Springs, Wyoming that have already cost $160 million to repair but with no end in sight.
An article on the Watertown Daily Times website reviews the internship experiences of three geology students who spent last summer working at gold mines in Alaska and Nevada.
“Working with the Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, members of the USGSMinerals Project assessed fuel- and non-fuel mineral resources of Afghanistan from October 2009 to September 2011 with the goal of identifying particular deposits that could be relatively easily developed.” Quoted from the USGS report.
The high price of gold has turned prospecting into a hobby, a part-time job and a retirement occupation for many people. This video visits some locations in Washington state where prospecting and related activities have attracted the new gold bugs.
“The risk list gives a quick indication of the relative risk in 2011 to the supply of the chemical elements or element groups which we need to maintain our economy and lifestyle.” Quoted from the British Geological Survey news release.
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