Here is a list of companies with Rare Earth Elements(REEs) assets around the world. The factors to consider when investing into this industry include the technical skills base from the company, the access to capital as rare earth projects are usually expensive, the political environment risk and the required infrastructure as most of mines are in remote areas.
Rare earths companies give environmentally pleasant solutions through an array of applications aimed at achieving energy efficiency, and in helping green technologies for the World. They are also in growing demand for use in devices which have a lot of influence over our modern life.
Lynas Corporation
Market Capitalization: AUD$2.5 billion
Lynas Corporation Limited (ASX: LYC) headquartered in Sydney, Australia, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and development of rare earths deposits, and other mineral resources in Australia and Asia.
The company owns the richest deposit of rare earths in the world, and focuses on the development of the Mt Weld Rare Earths project located south of Laverton in Western Australia; and the Crown Polymetallic Project, which includes niobium, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, and rare earths deposits. The company also involves in the planning, design, and construction of a concentration plant and advanced materials processing plant.
Molycorp Minerals LLC
Market Capitalization: US$2.2 billion
Molycorp Minerals (NYSE: MCP) came public in 2010 and its stock in New York Stock Exchange is more than triple. In July 2010 it raised $393M in an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, and its market cap rise from zero to more than US$2 billion. The company has begun to manufacture rare earth products from its surface stockpiles, primarily to develop its processing and became the only current producer of rare earths companies in the Western Hemisphere.
Molycorp Minerals formed in 2008 is to reopen the Mountain Pass Mine and its facility in California which was suspended in 2002 amid environmental complaints, including that its wastewater had damaged the desert's delicate ecosystem. Comparing to other mines, Mountain Pass Mine is also one of the world's largest and richest Rare Earth deposits.
At Mountain Pass, Molycorp are producing certain Green Elements and plans are in place to bring the processing facility back into full production following an extensive modernization and expansion project. With some federal assistance for research, development and capital costs, the company plans to restart production in the second half of 2011 and re-establish domestic manufacturing capacity by 2012, and become a fully integrated producer of all rare earths products, such as oxides, metal alloys and magnets.
Arafura Resources Ltd
Market Capitalization: AUD$375 million
Arafura Resources Limited (ASX: ARU) is definitely an Australia-based company with REE assets. ARU was found in 1984 and the business was listed in ASX on November 2003. It is mainly focusing on gold, uranium and rare earth minerals, with tenements primarily in Australia. The Firm is engaged within the mineral processing technological feasibility evaluations; mining and linked infrastructure feasibility evaluations, and mineral exploration.
The Company's project portfolio consist of Aileron-Reynolds, The Hammer Hill venture, Jervois, The Kurinelli gold undertaking and Mt Porter task. Arafura Sources has interests in a number of gold tenements within the Pine Creek area, roughly 170 kilometers south-east of Darwin. These consist of the Frances Creek and Mt Porter tasks. Its wholly owned subsidiaries incorporate Arafura Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Arafura Rare Earths Pty Ltd, Arafura Uranium Pty Ltd and Arafura Iron Pty Ltd.
Rare Earth Assets
Arafura Resources will within the next couple of years be become a long-term supplier of rare earth oxides, phosphoric acid, uranium oxide and gypsum from its 100%-owned Nolans Venture. The Nolans Project comprises operations at two web-sites in Australia:
- the Nolans Bore Mine in the Northern Territory; and
- the Whyalla Rare Earths Complicated in South Australia.
