kmsmith wrote: "A straightforward solution would be for an end...

kmsmith wrote: "A straightforward solution would be for an end user to **buy the critical heavy rare earths, and all of its needs for the light rare earths, from the heavy-rare-earth producer.** This might necessitate paying more than the market price for the light rare earths, but it would secure the supply of the critical heavy rare earths.

kmsmith,
This to me is the difference between NTU and ALK. ALK can work if it's suite of products are all made and sold. Not a bad model, especially when compared to their Canadian HREE competitors.
But NTU's TREO,HREE percentage, and recovery rate is truly in a new category if confirmed by drilling. Instead of the HREE's being a small by-product in the mining and thus requiring the sale of other products for economic feasibility, NTU has a enough HREE concentration to make it the central goal. Furthermore, the TREO and HREE concentration should give NTU concentrate much more margin for error in the extraction process than any other mine. This will be very big if Lifton is right about the non-Chinese facing a steep processing learning curve. I found the article super bullish for NTU, even if Jack Lifton writes with a North American focus.