ArticleThe Battle for the 3rd ElementThursday, April 29, 2010By...

Article

The Battle for the 3rd Element
Thursday, April 29, 2010
By Octavio Urzua
The Third Element could soon siphon off $10.4 TRILLION in oil revenues and replace 148 billion barrels of black gold.
The U.S. government is quietly spending billions to control this rare substance as a matter of national and economic security.

The key to the worlds energy needs for the next 50 years
Lies under a windswept sea of sand 50 times drier than Death Valley

Here, on an arid plain in South America, youll find millions of tons of a rare element. One thats capable of replacing 148 billion barrels of oil worth $10.4 trillion Or more.

This wonder element has become the most sought-after and fought-over commodity on the planet.

All the biggest oil-consuming countries are scrambling, shoving each other out of the way to claim their stake. Including the U.S. government.

China announced plans to jack up production 461% by 2011.
An Australian company recently agreed to produce 17,000 tons of this wonder substance in Chinas Jiangsu province.
The Obama administration has earmarked a whopping $25 billionan increase of 6,250 times over previous expenditures to develop refined supplies of this super-green fuel.
The riches buried in this harsh land could create 3 TIMES the wealth oil will produce in the next five years even after oil shoots back to $147 a barrel!

Over the next ten years, this mother lode could generate 6 TIMES the money oil will produce even if oil passes the $200 landmark.

As I write, a critical battle has broken out across the globe to gain control of as much of this precious resource as humanly possible.

A Worldwide Battle to Control This Wonder Substance

From the Australian Outback to the wilds of northern Tibet from deep in the vast deserts of Nevada to the arid flats of South America

The worlds biggest players are wasting no time staking their claims to control the Third Element. Just look at the first steps being taken in this race:

Korea and Japan are collecting over 150,000 tons of potential reserves in Western Australia.
The U.S government recently doled out $8 billion (the first step in a $25 billion loan program) to gear up production in the U.S.
China just laid out $429 million to build the countrys largest refinery on the Yangtze River even as they send troops into Tibet to lock up new reserves.
Warren Buffett recently took a multi-million-dollar stake in a company that processes the Third Element into refined fuel. His investment has tripled in value in the last six months.
The United Arab Emirates, the worlds third-largest oil-exporter, just announced a 40% stake in a company developing the technology to use the Third Element as a fuel source. The biggest oil producers know this technological shift could determine the fate of their countries.
And these are just the opening moves.

Limited Supply vs. Unlimited Demand

Projected demand for this wonder fuel already exceeds production by 16 times.
Meridian International Research says annual worldwide global demand could explode 6 times more than current production.
And all this is happening as exploding demand has the potential to drive prices up 100% in 12 short months and very likely over 400% in the next 36 months.

The Mad Rush for the Third Element

Its used in everything from medicines to nuclear bombs.
Its the lightest metal in the universe.
Its extreme flammability makes it one of the most compact and powerful fuels.
And as with oil, theres not enough of it to go around.
You see, this element is found only in certain places on earth. And its location and form can make it extremely costly to mine and refine.

Im talking about lithium the third element on the periodic table.
Until recently, lithium was a minor commodity used in glass and mood stabilizing drugs.
But then along came lithium-ion batteries.
Suddenly, lithium demand went through the roof!

As Forbes magazine noted last year

When Blackberries and iPods exploded on the scene, demand for lithium carbonate the refined form used in batteries doubled from 2003 to 2007.
Lithiums ultra-light weight and volatility make it the perfect fuel for powering batteries of every size. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter, smaller, and pack more power than conventional batteries. So theyre perfect for cell phones and laptops.

The Electric Car Revolution Starts Now

What happened to lithium demand with consumer electronics is nothing compared to whats about to happen in 2010
he gas engine made petroleum the worlds biggest commodity. The electric car could do the same for the third element.

Theres little doubt that lithium is about to become the next oil. And fast.
Its already on track to replace up to 148 billion barrels of oil or more.

While countless major automakers are tailoring future fleets based on lithium-powered motors, no automaker is betting more on lithium than General Motors.

GM is counting on lithium-ion batteries to power its new electric hybrid car, the Chevy Volt, starting in 2010.

And nothing less than GMs rebirth as a company is at stake.

The Volts battery pack delivers three times as much energy per pound as the nickel-metal-based batteries in the Japanese hybrids. They are so advanced, they have their own computer controls and heating and cooling equipment.

But heres what will really get OPECs attention
The Volt will cruise for up to 40 miles without touching even a drop of gas>. Now, that 40 mile range is no coincidence its the average distance 75% of Americans travel on their daily commute.

After 40 miles, an on-board internal combustion engine recharges the batteries. Its expected to get 230 mpg in the city and give the Volt a 640-mile range on a single tank.
In short, the Volt will average approximately 100 miles per gallon of gas.

Every Automaker Will Soon Need Lithium

Starting this year, every automaker on the planet will begin flooding the market with electric-powered cars

Mercedes launches its S400 HYBRID sedan early in 2010. E-Class, M-Class, and GL-Class will be tailing it closely.
Tesla Motors has delivered its American-made Roadster, an all-electric two-seater sports car, and plans to debut its Model S sedan in 2011.
Nissan has retooled a factory in Tennessee to produce 150,000 pure electric cars, called The Leaf.
Ford is bringing out the pure electric Transit Connect commercial fleet van in 2010 and plans to invest $550 million to retool a Michigan truck plant to manufacture a pure electric Focus in 2011.