Investors looking to invest in mining operations should look at the stratification of elements in the deposit and take into account the current and future demand for the various elements, be they heavy or light.
The US Department of Energy is planning for the future availability of rare earth elements, focusing only on their growing role in clean energy technologies. As with other critical materials, governments are now starting to look forward, trying to predict how much of these materials are going to be needed, and whether there will be an adequate supply available.
Bloomberg reports that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on China to clarify its policy on rare earth minerals.
The world has woken up to rare earth's inherent potential given its intrinsic usage in several applications. Global consumption was around $1.5 billion to $2 billion in 2008, forecast to grow by 65% by 2012 from 2008 levels.
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