the future

Below are some selected extracts from the following story [my thoughts in the brackets]

Pentagon Challenges Chinese Monopoly on Rare Earths
By Lydia Mulvany - Nov 8, 2012 3:06 AM GMT+1100

‘Incredibly Complex’
There are risks in early-stage mining projects like those planned by Matamec and Ucore. Development requires raising hundreds of millions of dollars of funding. Mining rare earths is “incredibly complex,” said Chris Berry, founder of New York-based researcher House Mountain Partners LLC.
“The major risk is the understanding of the metallurgy and successfully separating each of the rare-earth elements,” he said.
[That’s one major risk NTU has already eliminated]



“We think there are places for two to four heavy rare- earth deposits in the world outside China,” Gauthier said in a telephone interview on Oct. 26. “The first can reach better agreements with end-users.”
[Yes the spoils will go to the first Heavy Rare Earth Producer – NTU NTU NTU]



China consumes two-thirds of global rare earths supply, while the U.S. consumes about 10 percent, data from Technology Metals Research shows.
Demand for dysprosium, yttrium and terbium will exceed supply …………

“There will never be enough heavy rare earths, and the prices are going to be strong,” Lifton said. “That’s where we’re stuck.”
[and the composition of the NTU ore is predominantly yttrium and dysprosium]



…… the biggest demand for heavy rare earths will come from the automotive and aerospace industries.
China hasn’t identified new rare-earth resources and could exhaust its own in five to 30 years, while non-Chinese rare-earth supply is projected to increase fivefold to 31 percent in 2016, Lifton said.
“China’s demand is going to be rapacious, and ………… China could be a net importer,”
[NTU’s biggest shareholder is none other than Conglin Yue with 19.9% - my bet is we will be exporting NTU concentrate to China]



[The future looks bright, the shares are held tight and production is in sight - NTU NTU NTU]