tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30940686.post2824905880253938831..comments2024-02-11T22:49:17.311-08:00Comments on Arizona Geology: Congressional earmark would reopen Calif. rare earth mineLee Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11520300956249160005noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30940686.post-73105320946797605652009-11-08T09:35:26.415-08:002009-11-08T09:35:26.415-08:00Having read Senator Lisa Murkowski's article i...Having read Senator Lisa Murkowski's article in the Capital Hill Newspaper "Roll Call".....Murkowski: Increase Domestic Production of Rare Earth MineralsBy Sen. Lisa Murkowski Special to Roll Call<br />Oct. 19, 2009, 12 a.m<br />http://www.rollcall.com/features/Policy-Briefing_Energy-2009/energy_environment/39554-1.html?typeequalsprinter_friendly<br />I would like to bring to the committee's attention a much more pressing issue with regard to "Streategic & Critical Metals" category for the the United States industrial base as well as the Military Defense Industry. <br />*The US ``National Research Council of The Acadamies`` lists these <br />Minerals as Strategic Metals. Gallium, Indium, Lithium, Manganese,<br />Niobium, Tantalum, Titanium, & Vanadium.<br />``Quote``- from words of Brian Gilbertson who is the CEO of <br />Manganese miner Pallinghurst and former CEO of BHP Billiton.<br />``YOU CAN`T MAKE STEEL WITHOUT MANGANESE AND<br />IF YOU CAN`T MAKE STEEL THE WORLD STOPS`` (end quote)<br />Points to consider with regards to Manganese use and production <br />in N America`s Steel Industry.<br />-Manganese has NO substitutions in all Steel production and besides<br />being imperative to all Steel production it is highly strategic to the <br />Military Defense Industry.<br /> -The US Government has sold off almost all of it`s strategic stockpiles of <br />Manganese over the last few years.<br />-China supplies just over 97% of World`s Electrolytic Manganese <br />Metal. (EMM)<br />-China`s taxes it`s exports of Manganese by 20%.<br />-US adds another 14% Import Tax.<br />-S Africa, the only free world suppier of Manganese is facing production<br />cuts due to high electrical costs, power shortages, high transport costs <br />and lack of infrastructure.<br />-Iron & Steel production uses 10 to 20 lbs of Managanese per Tonne<br />of Steel.<br />-Manganese is the 4th largest traded metal commodity worldwide.<br />Approximately 30 B lbs per year.<br />-Mn demand growing by 8% per year, Electrolytic Manganese by 26%<br />per year for last 5 years. (EMM demand currently at 2.6 B lbs per year, <br />up from 660 M lbs in 2002)<br />-Most important is the fact that -There is virtually No ``Domestic`` N. <br />American Manganese production currently and thus the US and <br />Canada are at the mercy of out of country supplies of the most critical <br />of metals to our infrastructure and industrial base.<br />-Chinese and S African Manganese shipments also subject to Trans<br />Oceanic shipping costs for N American Steel Co`s.<br />-There is a Jr Miner active with an advanced Manganese project at <br />Artillery Peak Arizona with over 10 B lbs of Manganese, Indicated & <br />Inferred (NI-43-101) getting little to no recognition and it appears <br />they can produce Manganese at about one half the cost of China`s <br />production. (Rocher Deboule Minerals Corp.) http://www.rdminerals.ca/<br />In closing, having done much personal research, and having read <br />numerous editorials on Manganese over the last two years, most <br />recently in March 2009 posted on Kitco`s Base Metals, titled<br />USA`s Number One Strategic Metal-Manganese,<br />http://www.kitco.com/ind/Reser/mar312009.html I do feel qualified to speak<br />to this topic, and to myself it appears N America and in particular the FACT<br />that the USA`s Steel Industry is or could at any given time, be at the total mercy<br />of out of country supplies of the most critical of metals, Manganese.ykgoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02339634152110334962noreply@blogger.com