February 02, 2025

The world’s lithium is mined in just a handful of countries

https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/the-worlds-lithium-is-mined-in-just-a-handful-of-countries

Thacker Pass May Be the World’s Largest Lithium Deposit—But Mining It Won’t Be Easy

Setting up a mine to extract the massive deposit of lithium will require a wholly new process to separate the metal from its natural clay deposit. 

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a45158027/thacker-pass-lithium-mining-explained/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_pop_d_bm_prog_org_us_a45158027&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20615571271&gclid=CjwKCAjwlaTGBhANEiwAoRgXBYmvw_kaOhpuBUcKZCIQVEqozb7kQh9o_az7VAFh3QjCQP9HKtVPYRoCyVEQAvD_BwE

• Beneath Nevada and Oregon may be the world’s largest deposit of lithium, and it could completely change our relationship with batteries.
• A cycling volcano, which may be entirely unique, formed this massive lithium lake.
• Humankind will need up to 10 times more lithium in the coming years to power electric vehicles and grid storage batteries.

Electric vehicle batteries, for instance, range from between about 30 to 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh), so their total lithium content is between about 11 and 70 pounds each. That means the entire estimated supply on planet Earth could power batteries for as few as about 2.5 billion electric vehicles without needing to recycle (or many more if the cars are on the smaller side). Humans are expected to hit two billion cars and 790 million trucks worldwide by 2040, so the lithium issue is a dire one.

In other words, this enormous wealth of lithium is close to Earth’s surface, with a lower proportion of waste than many other mines. That means less energy to dig and extract, as well as less energy to transport and manage the rest of the non-lithium materials found in the mine. 

Mining the lithium from Thacker Pass will involve a brand-new process. This includes sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive and dangerous substance. At a high level, it will involve the following steps:

•  Removing the lithium-containing clay minerals with hydraulic shovels to turn it into a slurry (a mixture of denser solids suspended in liquid—like mixing corn starch and water together to thicken a soup)
• Separating out sand and rock that does not contain lithium
• Mixing the lithium-clay slurry with sulfuric acid to draw out the metal
• Extracting elemental lithium solution from the slurry, through filters
• Processing the lithium solution into lithium hydroxide for use in batteries 

Why China's Rare Earth Curbs Could Devastate US Defense Industry

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/why-chinas-rare-earth-curbs-could-devastate-us-defense-industry/ar-AA1CIMYq

Visualizing Global Rare Earth Metals Production (1995-2023)

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-global-rare-earth-metals-production-1995-2023/

Trump is very aware of this:

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Takes Immediate Action to Increase American Mineral Production  

The White House 

March 20, 2025

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-immediate-action-to-increase-american-mineral-production/

• The United States currently imports a significant portion of its minerals from foreign countries, creating economic and security risks, despite possessing a vast supply of critical minerals.
  • The United States is 100% import-reliant on at least 15 critical minerals, and imports of nonfuel mineral commodities make up more than half of U.S. consumption.
  • U.S. capacity utilization for the metal mining industry has declined for years.

• China, Iran, and Russia control large deposits of several minerals critical to the U.S., posing a national security risk.
  • 70% of U.S. imports of rare earths come from China.
  • +++++++++++++++++
  • Despite knowing this, Trump's pathological, emotional and impulsive thinking has put the United States in an extremely vulnerable position. 
  • Is this just more of his "Art of the deal" type negotiating?
  • For those that think the past 2 weeks,  featured an example of the "Art of the deal" and its positive  impacts on the US economy, then the Gulf of America Coast needs a  direct hit from a cat.5 hurricane to generate strong economic growth!
  • +++++++++++++++
  • Previous thread here:
  •                 China Makes Rare-Earth Discovery                      
                                                   Started by metmike - Jan. 30, 2025, 7:33 p.m.
  •             https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/109737/

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4210497/posts?q=1&;page=21

https://www.statista.com/statistics/267367/reserves-of-graphite-by-country/#:~:text=In%202024%2C%20the%20total%20worldwide%20production%20of%20graphite,has%20consistently%20been%20the%20leading%20global%20graphite%20producer.

Long term, the writing is on the wall when it comes to China and India.

The reality is that China and India have a total of 2.8 billion very bright people.

Asian Countries by population (2024)

   https://www.worldometers.info/population/countries-in-asia-by-population/                                                          

Compare that to the United States:

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/us-population/

+++++++++++++++++++++++

That comes out to 8 times more people, just in those 2 countries than in our country, most of them with MUCH greater incentive to work much harder for much less pay than our workers. Again, they are SMART PEOPLE!

There are different ways to manage this but there is no way to stop it. I'm not sure if tariffs are one of  the best ways to manage it in the long run.  For sure focus on cheap, reliable energy(the lifeblood of all developed economies) and on obtaining ownership in rare earth metals, medical supplies, micro chips, other industries of the future.

And for Pete's sake PAY DOWN THE DEBT THAT WILL CRUSH OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE!!!!!!!

                   The World in 2050                                                            

                                                          The long view: how will the global economic order change by 2050?                                                                

https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/research-insights/economy/the-world-in-2050.html

                China Makes Rare-Earth Discovery            

                Started by metmike - Jan. 30, 2025, 7:33 p.m.       

     https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/109737/

China Makes Rare-Earth Discovery: 'This Changes Everything'

https://www.newsweek.com/china-discovers-rare-earth-mineral-mine-yunnan-2023295

From: "The real environmental crisis's"

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/27498/#88591

Concerns for mineral supply chain amid booming EV sales

The sales of electric cars are booming, but the rising demand for transition minerals will pose a challenge for the mining industry.

https://www.mining-technology.com/analysis/concerns-for-mineral-supply-chain-amid-booming-ev-sales/

Who controls the EV supply chain?

Another challenge for the future supply chain is that unlike some fossil fuels, many of the minerals essential for EVs are produced in just a handful of countries. Over half of the supply of minerals needed for EV batteries comes from the top three producing countries.

In 2020, Australia was responsible for 48% of global lithium production. For graphite, China is the world’s main supplier, with nearly 79% of global production originating from the country. In the same year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) supplied 69% of global cobalt.

With regards to rare earth metals, China has most of them!

https://www.statista.com/chart/18278/global-rare-earth-production/

         https://geology.com/articles/rare-earth-elements/

Note the amount of reserves below:

                                   +++++++++++++

China Dominates the Rare Earths Supply Chain

https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/international-issues/china-dominates-the-rare-earths-supply-chain/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fossil fuels are their own batteries. The energy is stored in them.

The Wind Power Mirage

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2023/01/05/the-wind-power-mirage/

                                    ++++++++++++++++

In addition, with the increasing demand from electric vehicles estimated to be +40% more on the power grid if we replaced all the combustion engine vehicles, the green energy fairy would need to cast a spell to generate that, especially since that same plan replaces fossil fuels (zero carbon emissions schemes).

They defy physical laws of energy.

2023: Current demand for electricity = Current supply for electricity

Green Fairy Tale Future: Current demand for electricity +40% demand from electric cars  = Current supply of electricity -50% supply when fossil fuels go away (ng/liquid fuels replaced by renewables) 

And the estimated cost to convert to solar, wind and batteries is 433 Trillion with a T, 20 times the GDP.

Charles Payne on the economy and in particular, inflation: Biden's intentional war on fossil fuels energy disaster started by Obama. Why anti environmental and bird/bat(whale) killing wind and solar can NEVER come close to replacing fossil fuels. The cost = 433 Trillion!.  Government forcing anti environmental wind/solar on the market. Stifling new investments in crude and natural gas.  2022
https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/85535/

Life without petroleum based products: 6,000 products made with petroleum.  Killing Coal. Fossil fuels and fertilizer. Biden praises high gasoline prices.
https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/84689/     2022  

                Re: Re: Re: China Makes Rare-Earth Discovery                      

                By metmike - Jan. 31, 2025, 1:27 p.m.            

The US has the most coal reserves of any country in the world.

So what have we been doing  to take advantage of that?

Shutting down coal fired power plants and trying to keep the coal in the ground  Because of a fake climate crisis, the result of CO2 emissions from burning coal that are greening up the planet and boosting crop yields via photosynthesis by 26%.

Rescuing the planet from near CO2 starvation 100+ years ago. At 428 ppm we are still less than half of the optimal level for most life(900 ppm)

Coal, natural gas and oil are the only AUTHENTIC green energy sources!!!

For most people, what I just stated can't compute in brains that have been taught to process/interpret up=down and down=up.

List of countries by coal reserves

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coal_reserves

World	734,903	100%	319,879	100%	1,054,782	100%
Country	Anthracite & bituminous		Subbituminous & lignite		Total
	Tonnes (mil)	%	Tonnes (mil)	%	Tonnes (mil)	%
United States	220,167	30%	30,052	9.4%	250,219	24%
Russia	69,634	9.5%	90,730	28.4%	160,364	15%
Australia	70,927	9.7%	76,508	23.9%	147,435	14%
China	130,851	17.8%	7,968	2.5%	138,819	13%
India	96,468	13.1%	4,895	1.5%	101,363	10%
Indonesia	26,122	3.6%	10,878	3.4%	37,000	4%
Germany	3	0%	36,100	11.3%	36,103	3%
Ukraine	32,039	4.4%	2,336	0.7%	34,375	3%
Poland	20,542	2.8%	5,937	1.9%	26,479	3%
Kazakhstan	25,605	3.5%	0	0%	25,605	2%
Turkey	551	0.1%	10,975	3.4%	11,526	1%
South Africa	9,893	1.3%	0	0%	9,893	1%
New Zealand	825	0.1%	6,750	2.1%	7,575	1%
Serbia	402	0.1%	7,112	2.2%	7,514	1%
Brazil	1,547	0.2%	5,049	1.6%	6,596	1%
Canada	4,346	0.6%	2,236	0.7%	6,582	1%
Colombia	4,881	0.7%	0	0%	4,881	0%
Pakistan	207	0%	2,857	0.9%	3,064	0%
Vietnam	3,116	0.4%	244	0.1%	3,360	0%
Hungary	276	0%	2,633	0.8%	2,909	0%
Greece	0	0%	2,876	0.9%	2,876	0%
Czech Republic	110	0%	2,547	0.8%	2,657	0%
Mongolia	1,170	0.2%	1,350	0.4%	2,520	0%
Bulgaria	192	0%	2,174	0.7%	2,366	0%
Uzbekistan	1,375	0.2%	0	0%	1,375	0%
Mexico	1,160	0.2%	51	0%	1,211	0%
Spain	868	0.1%	319	0.1%	1,187	0%
Thailand	0	0%	1,063	0.3%	1,063	0%
Venezuela	731	0.1%	0	0%	731	0%

                Rechargeable batteries            

                            5 responses |               

                Started by metmike - July 11, 2023, 4:43 p.m.     

       https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/97099/