U.S. Rare Earths Inc (fka UREE)

[DirtyPenny]

zero volume, exactly what this failed front loaded p&d deserves.

[mrdecember123]

RIP UREE----------finis---------all those high-profile board member's- an ex-senator, a general.........hype to die for............"some of america's last rare earth asset- tied to Oak Ridge ala pr"............and now trading at .oooo with all name recognition and hype gone. I can understand how i got fooled WAY BACK, but an ex-senator and a well-known general ON THE BOARD THERE FOR A WHILE? And that tie to oak ridge?----------------Is this what "doing business" is when you were once somebody- and then get out of govt to be someone else? And how did oak ridge get tied to a penny stock so? UREE bid .0000 ask .0000.------------------------This is one corrupt picture as seen by any normal peon. Comments and/or observations welcome-

[Renee]

UREE SEC Suspension for delinquent Financials/Filings:

https://www.sec.gov/litigation/suspensions/2017/34-81709.pdf

Order:

https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2017/34-81709-o.pdf

Admin Proceeding:

https://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/2017/34-81707.pdf

[mrdecember123]

Anyone know anything about UREE right now? Post it. I found this.


Paul Driessen image
By Paul Driessen —— Bio and Archives May 15, 2017







President Trump has directed Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke to review recent land withdrawals under the 1906 Antiquities Act, to determine whether some should be reversed or reduced in size.

The review is long overdue. The act was intended to protect areas of historic, prehistoric or scientific value, with areas designated as monuments to be the smallest size compatible with the proper care and management of objects or sites to be protected. The first designation, the 1,347-acre Devils Tower National Monument (NM) respected that intent, as have most designations since then.



However, some were enormous withdrawals; several were made with poor public outreach or inadequate consultation with people who would be most directly and severely affected; 26 of the 27 monuments to be reviewed are over 100,000 acres in size; and the final one involves deficient consultation.

Arguably the two greatest Antiquities Act abuses affected Utah. The 1,880,461-acre Grand Staircase Escalante NM was designated by President Clinton in large part to make billion-dollar coal deposits off limits. Even Utah Governor Michael Levitt did not learn of it until it was a done deal (Chapter Twelve). President Obama designated the 1,351,849-acre Bear Ears monument three weeks before leaving office, many Utahans say to make still more energy resources off limits to exploration and development.

Grand Staircase alone is equal to Delaware and Rhode Island combined. It and Great Bears together are larger than Connecticut. They are far larger than any of the national parks in Utah. And they are in addition to Utah’s five other national monuments, five national parks, four national recreation and conservation areas, thousands of miles of national trails, six national forests, 31 national wilderness areas, and millions of acres in other restrictive land use categories.

Some of these areas truly are unique, beautiful, spectacular. I’ve visited and hiked in many of them in Utah, other western states and Alaska. Our national parks in particular should be protected. But we have gone overboard, and far too many areas have been put in lockdown specifically to block energy and mineral development. Forest Service officials and Sierra Club officers have said so right to my face.



Eastern and Midwestern residents cannot imagine the extent or impact of Federal Government ownership, management and control of lands in the eleven westernmost states and Alaska. While federal agencies own just 0.3% of Connecticut and Iowa, and 0.6% of New York, they own, manage and control 63% of all land in Utah; 61% in Alaska and Idaho; 80% in Nevada; 29% to 53% in the other western states.

That means virtually every revenue-producing, recreational and other activity is regulated, restricted, prohibited or under attack in courts and other venues. No timber cutting in national forests, fostering massive wildfires. No vehicles, wheelchairs, energy or mineral exploration in wilderness and many other areas. Even grazing and watershed management are under assault throughout the West.

All of these restrictive designations should be reviewed by Congress and Executive Branch agencies.

As of 1994, when consulting geologist Courtland Lee and I prepared a detailed analysis, over 410 million acres were effectively off limits to mineral exploration and development. That’s 66% of the nation’s public lands—an area equal to Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming combined. The situation is far worse today—posing a critical public policy problem.

Because of processes unleashed by plate tectonics and other geologic forces, these mountain, desert and other lands contain some of the most highly mineralized rock formations in North America. They almost certainly contain numerous world-class deposits of oil, gas, gold, silver, platinum, molybdenum and rare-earth metals—essential for modern civilization. They wait for us to find them, using modern prospecting technologies that can be carried in airplanes and backpacks, leaving barely a trace—but letting us know what is there, so that we can make informed land management decisions.

Environmentalists claim that even a single mine or oil well in these areas would destroy their wilderness character and ecological value. That is absurd, considering that many of these areas are the size of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont or even West Virginia. Moreover, unlike wind turbine and solar panel installations across thousands or tens of thousands of acres in perpetuity, modern mines and drill pads are comparatively small—and are restored back to natural conditions when the operations have concluded.

Equally important, wind and solar generate minuscule amounts of electricity, unreliably, at unpredictable times—and require far more land and workers per unit of output—than coal or natural gas. In fact, Coal generated an incredible 7,745 megawatt-hours of electricity per worker; natural gas 3,812 MWH per worker; wind a measly 836 MWH for every employee; and solar an abysmal 98 MWH per worker. That’s part of the reason why oil, gas and coal still provide 80% of America’s and the world’s energy.

America’s national security situation was affected when we depended on often unfriendly foreign sources for oil—before hydraulic fracturing unleashed record production from state and private lands.

Now we are dependent on different, still often unfriendly foreign suppliers for rare earth metals and other raw materials that are essential for smart phones and smart bombs, stealth fighters, digital cameras, computer hard drives, wind turbine magnets, photovoltaic solar panels, hybrid and electric car batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, catalytic converters, and countless other modern and future technologies.

China produces 97% of the world’s rare-earth oxides, largely controls world markets, and increasingly uses rare earths in-house, to manufacture products for sale overseas. That means most jobs stay in China, even though the rare earths are mined, processed and turned into finished products under environmental and worker health and safety standards that would get operations shut down instantly in the USA.

However, China’s estimated reserves are only one-third of known global reserves, and much less than that of potential economically producible rare earth resources—many of which could be in the United States. In fact, one of the largest known rare earth deposits is near California’s Mojave Desert. It had been in production, but legal actions, excessive regulations and low foreign prices forced a long suspension of operations, and Molycorp filed for bankruptcy in 2015, citing a heavy debt load and other problems.

That deposit underscores the enormous potential for finding billion-dollar deposits of numerous vital minerals right here in the USA—if we are permitted to look for them.

President Trump’s decisions to review Antiquities Act land closures, ease restrictions on onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling, and end stalemates over the Dakota and Keystone Pipelines are excellent steps in implementing his vision for American job creation and economic revitalization.

The President and Congress could also explore ways to get more oil flowing to the Trans Alaska Pipeline, which needs certain minimal amounts in the pipe for the oil to move during frigid weather. Recent discoveries along the North Slope have helped, and perhaps Prudhoe Bay’s declining oil production can be spurred some more by fracking. Ultimately, though, more Alaskan areas must be opened for drilling, and that will require White House, federal agency and congressional action.

Congress should also take a leadership role, by launching discussions about how much western state land really needs to remain under federal control, and how many of our best energy and mineral prospects really need to be kept off limits. Those land use policies severely affect job creation and economic opportunities for states, communities, families and our nation as a whole, for little environmental benefit.

Modern industrialized civilizations cannot long exist without the vital resources that come out of holes in the ground. Even wind turbines, solar panels, electric cars and internet services require a plethora of metals and other minerals—plus fossil fuel energy to extract those resources and convert them into usable products. It’s time to have a civil conversation about all of this.

[mrdecember123]

CORRECTION: article as on FOX NEWS SITE TODAY, not drudge

[mrdecember123]

on DRUDGE today:-- An open pit mine at Molycorp's rare-earths facility in Mountain Pass, Calif. (Reuters)
A fascinating battle is shaping up between two American entrepreneurs for control of a desert mine in California that could be the key to reviving domestic production of rare earths, the metals and materials that are critical to our national security.




But there’s a catch: one entrepreneur is linked to a Russian billionaire. The other is relying on a technology company – from China.

Mountain Pass is an unsightly hole in the earth once owned by a company called Molycorp that produced more critical metals than any facility in the world. Molycorp went bankrupt in 2015 because it could not compete with Chinese rare earth producers, who don’t have the same environmental regulations that govern U.S. mining.

China now produces 95 percent of the world’s rare earths – metals that are needed for U.S. fighter jet engines, satellite guided rockets, missiles like the Tomahawk Cruise that was used to attack Syria last month, and consumer products ranging from computers to iPhones to GPS systems and microwave ovens.

China now produces 95 percent of the world’s rare earths – metals that are needed for U.S. fighter jet engines, satellite guided rockets, missiles like the Tomahawk Cruise that was used to attack Syria last month, and consumer products ranging from computers to iPhones to GPS systems and microwave ovens.

Bellwether has argued that our complete mineral reliance on China – which could cut off exports any time, for any reason – threatens our national security. Now, two entrepreneurs who share that concern are offering different visions of how to revive our domestic production.

Tom Clarke, who has turned abandoned coal mines into more environmentally friendly operations, wants to do something similar with Mountain Pass, though he admits he has no background in critical minerals. He hopes to get financing from Vladimir Iorich, a Russian-born investor who made a fortune producing cheap steel – that kind that has reduced American production to a fraction of its former output. Clarke’s biggest stumbling block: his nemesis owns some of the mineral rights to Mountain Pass.

“Our plan is no different from what we’ve done in Appalachia,” says Clarke. “We are going to put people back to work.” Clarke acknowledges that not having any Mountain Pass mineral rights makes it more difficult for his plan to succeed, and is considering importing foreign ores and processing them in California.

The other contender, hedge fund manager James Litinsky, says he’ll put Mountain Pass back to work using the most advanced technology available. His problem: that technology comes from Shenghe Resources, a Chinese company that would be unlikely to do anything against its government’s wishes.

Both men say their partners will not have control of a revived Mountain Pass. But neither can guarantee that promise. Further complicating the situation, any attempt to bring foreigners into an American business would have to be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an arm of the Treasury Department.

Litinsky says that his plan has cleared financial and operational hurdles and, once approved, could result in hundreds of jobs for American workers at an environmentally friendly facility.

There’s no guarantee that either Litinsky or Clarke will succeed in putting Mountain Pass back to work when their bids are considered by a bankruptcy judge in June. But either plan would be a welcome first step in restoring American mining, even if there are some foreign fingers in the pie.rudge today (UREE boasts one tiny float- read the above and appreciate the uree prospect)

[mrdecember123]

good read- https://seekingalpha.com/article/4045817-4-metals-set-benefit-trump-vs-china-showdown

[mrdecember123]

US reliance on China for critical metals is being ignored
John Moody By John Moody Published March 27, 2017 FoxNews.com
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Twitter

Trump will deal with this soon:

The United States has made no progress to decrease its dependence on China for metals and materials that are critical to our national security and defense, according to a narrowly-circulated report from the Department of Defense.

The document, dated January 2017 and titled, “Strategic and Critical Materials Operations Report to Congress,” confirms the widespread fear among industry experts that the U.S. remains dangerously incapable of mining and producing so-called rare earths. Those 17 metals and elements are needed for, among other things, the Pentagon’s new F-35 fighter jet, laser-guided missiles and catapults that launch fighter jets from aircraft carriers.

Those same materials, which the United States imports almost exclusively from China, are also used for consumer goods such as smartphones, GPS systems, automobile electronics and computer and television screens.

With President Trump vowing to deal more aggressively with China on trade matters, possible Chinese export restrictions on critical metals like rare earths have again been raised.

Our perilous dependence on Chinese-produced rare earths is likely to be a topic of discussion when the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources meets Tuesday. Among the witnesses expected to testify is an associate director of the U.S. Geological Survey, the government agency that released a report showing that the U.S. is 100 percent reliant on foreign producers of rare earths. The last American rare earth production facility, Molycorp, closed in 2015.

Also expected to testify are representatives of mining and energy companies that hope Trump will encourage domestic production of rare earths and other critical metals, which exist in abundance under American soil.

Those producers have been frustrated by eight years of inaction by the Obama administration, which largely ignored America’s rare earth dependence because of environmental concerns and because those materials could be imported from China more cheaply than they could be produced domestically.

In 2012, the Obama administration brought a complaint against China to the World Trade Organization, charging it was restricting exports of rare earths, as well as tungsten and molybdenum. When, in 2015, the WTO ruled in favor of the United States, China removed its quotas. It also exposed American reliance on Beijing exports of rare earths and rang alarm bells in the defense establishment.

“The WTO allows appeals when issues of national security enter into consideration,” said Anthony Marchese, chairman of Texas Mineral Resources Corp., a company that has pending rare earth projects in the United States. “The Obama administration was effectively hamstrung since any mention of national security concerns would have strengthened China’s position.”

The danger of America’s dependence is hard to overstate. “What would you say if you blanked out the words rare earth and said, ‘How would you feel about being totally dependent on a product from a potential adversary whose use is ubiquitous in your defense industry and everyday products like smartphone?” says Marchese.

So far, no one has the rarest notion of how to answer that question.

[mrdecember123]

discreet accumulation here, looks like. Welcome aboard.

[mrdecember123]

Here's why uree is going up-
Trump proposes $54 billion increase in military spending
After years of passively relying on China to supply our military with crucial materials for the production of high-tech weapons systems, the United States is taking some important steps toward restoring its ability to harvest its own so-called rare earths.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., introduced a bill this week that would allocate 1 percent of the Pentagon’s Major Defense Acquisition Programs overhead budget and transfer that money to a Strategic Metals Investment Fund. The proceeds, as much as $50 million a year, would be used to aid prospective producers of the critical metals that are needed to make the new F-35 fighter jet, rocket-guided missiles, catapults that loft planes off aircraft carriers, GPS systems and other crucial weapons systems.

Bellwether previously examined our dangerous reliance on China, which currently mines and manufactures more than 90 percent of the world’s supply of rare earth. The U.S. used to have its own, secure production chain for these important products, but found it was cheaper to import them. The last major American rare earths mine and production facility declared bankruptcy in 2015.

“My bill has now got the best chance it has ever had,” Hunter told me. “I’ve got White House support. They read your articles and got in touch with me.”

Hunter credits President Trump’s team with bringing a new attitude to the importance of mining critical materials at home, instead of relying on an unreliable supplier like China. In 2010, for instance, China temporarily cut off exports of rare earths in a trade dispute, shocking commodities markets worldwide and driving prices sky-high.

Experts in the field say there has been a sea change in attitude since Trump’s election. “There’s a sense that this administration recognizes the significance of the critical metals gap that we’ve allowed to develop,” says Dan McGroarty, who maintains a Washington-based critical metals industry consultancy.

At an industry conference in Toronto this week, bankers and venture capitalists, heartened by the administration’s promises, were kicking the tires on potential startup deals, says one attendee, longtime critical metals analyst Jack Lifton. “Last year was a desert. This year, there are oases of optimism. People hope this White House is going to follow through on reducing regulations. That’s good for the industry.”

Those same dealmakers were lying low during the Obama administration, convinced that the U.S. government was hopelessly mired in reliance on China as a supplier and anticipating more of the same if Hillary Clinton moved into the White House.

With President Trump vowing to strengthen the U.S. military, and to negotiate tougher with China, entrepreneurs hope domestic production of important elements needs for weapons systems will soon be revived. It might be one of those rare times when government and common sense appear in the same sentence.


John Moody is Executive Vice President, Executive Editor for Fox News. A former Vatican correspondent and Rome bureau chief for Time magazine, he is the author of four books, including "Pope John Paul II : Biography."

[mrdecember123]

trump revitalizing the nuclear--------------------with uree's (rare earth) assets, this alone can move this tiny float up above 2.00 pps on no news. I'm keeping my bet here going. Anyone else here to post anything?

[mrdecember123]

the most valuable land on the planet?--------------With a trump in the white house who promises to modernize and upgrade all things needing rare earth's? Is UREE going to bust some move soon? Place your bets, folks- as i have. And glta. Lark shares for free steak dinners for a year here.

[mrdecember123]

trump effect: securing AMERICAN sources for "rebuilding military". Uree is worth the speculation for fun- and this TINY float is fun, too.

[BottomBounce]

many rare earths have been popping lately

[mrdecember123]

Just who ARE these guys? A front for the cia?------multibagger already taken- riding for free with the rest...

[mrdecember123]

The board of directors all resigned. Anyone know the one remaining without compensation? Is it the politician, the general or some other dude/dudette?

This is from the filing "The Registrant's sole officer and director offered to provide his continued services in connection with such activities, without compensation."

[mrdecember123]

oops! didn't know board of directors had quit. Sold all i bought today.

[mrdecember123]

i am now back in uree once more in the .10 arena----------time for a new uree run this year in anticipation of election. A gop win should bode VERY well for uree. That's my bet and i approved this message. Should uree drop from here, my shares will be in a drawer safe and sound. Where else will america get its rare earth. Tick tock- tick tock. Uree has some MIGHTY FINE acreage, folks...and some mighty fine runs coming this year. glta

[Renee]

UREE one for 3 reverse split:

http://otce.finra.org/DailyList

[onewhoknows2much]

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Alessandro Bruno August 20, 2014

Tracy Weslosky, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of InvestorIntel speaks to Paul Zink, Senior VP and CFO for Rare Element Resources (‘RER’, TSX: RES | NYSE MKT: REE) about the current global rare earth pricing climate and what we should expect in 2014.

Paul says that the Chinese government has started to stockpile rare earths again and that “there is a lot of pressure building for higher prices…

The big six Chinese firms that have been designated to consolidate the industry there have reported pretty poor financial results and continue to face an escalating cost structure: their environmental costs are going up; their labor costs are going up; they’re mining lower grades….

One industry watcher has suggested that that prices need to be 20 percent higher just so the Chinese can handle the new environmental rules alone.”

In other words, Paul suggests that prices will start to go up because Chinese producers, which account for some 85-90% of global rare earth production and 65% of consumption, will inevitably have a great impact on the overall market. Tracy then wonders which rare earths are slated to feel the upward price pressure first and most. Paul identifies three major areas of demand:

The magnet alloys, which are critical to miniaturization, allowing for the design and production of smaller and ever more powerful electric motors. Neodymium, dysprosium, terbium and praseodymium will continue to enjoy strong market demand.

The metal alloys will draw demand from battery manufacturers especially thanks to the growing market for electric and hybrid cars, which have a promising future.
Lanthanum, which has drawn a more ho-hum reaction from the markets and which is slated to attract more interest because of the automotive market in places like China, where catalysts will see rising demand, especially in response to the use of heavier crude oils to refine gasoline and other fuels.

Then there is the whole subject of alternative energies such as wind or solar power that require magnets. Wind turbine applications are demanding the largest magnets now. Not long ago, computer disc drives were doing the same. Paul is also optimistic that the great American tradition of innovation will continue and deliver an entirely new set of applications and technology, which may well require more rare earths for magnets and beyond such that a “supply-push rather than demand-pull” system develops for magnets and their related materials.

As to how the Bear Lodge project fits into the evolving REE market, the Project in the Black Hills, Wyoming, near Sundance, contains one of the richest REE deposits in North America. It has heavy rare earth elements (HREE) as well as critical rare earth oxides (REE oxides with the greatest value) in all deposits.

The drilling results, moreover, suggest that its resource could see additional expansion both in the current deposit and in surrounding target areas.

[patentminer2013]

InvestorIntel Special Report: Rare Earth Industry Leaders on U.S. Bill HR 4883

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Tracy Weslosky


August 13, 2014 — Tracy Weslosky, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of InvestorIntel, speaks to leaders from the rare earths sector in the United States to gauge their support for HR Bill 4883. On June 17 of this year, US House Representative, Steve Stockman, introduced Bill HR 4883 “to provide for the establishment of a National Rare-Earth Refinery Cooperative, and for other purposes. The Bill was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. The Bill intends to reduce the United States’ reliance on Chinese rare earths by encouraging an increase in US production by facilitating the processing of thorium-bearing rare-earth concentrates as residual unprocessed and unrefined ores. The general point of the law is to encourage the US defense department to purchase rare earth minerals from domestic sources.



Anthony Marchese, the Chairman for Texas Rare Earth Resources Corp (OTCQX: TRER) says that he has spoken to Congressman Stockman, who is from Houston. Anthony says that the Bill “neither helps not hurts us but it is very important in that it focuses the US Congress on the problem of trying to stimulate a domestic rare earth program, especially for defense.”

Jack Lifton the Founding Principal of Technology Metals Research LLC considers HR 4883 as “the right idea but they’re going at it the wrong way.” Jack is concerned about the emphasis on thorium because “this is something that is not going to happen in any reasonable amount of time.” The main problem is that pegging the advancement of rare earth refining in the United States to an eventual adoption of thorium based nuclear reactors is “simply too long a shot…and thorium is not going to be a good driver for the future of rare earths.”


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Jim McKenzie, the President and CEO for Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV: UCU | OTCQX: UURAF), suggests that while it is a commendable effort to encourage the US rare earth industry — Bill 4883 ‘is a little misguided”. In the case of Ucore’s Bokan project, it “just doesn’t apply”, as it has negligible amounts of thorium or uranium bearing ores. Jim advises the public to consider HR Bill 1600, sponsored by Senator Murkowski of Alaska, as it applies to both thorium rich and thorium free rare earth resources.

James C. Kennedy, President of ThREE Consulting has worked on the development of HR 4883. James believes that the rare earth market is neither a ‘free market, a level playing field or the lowest cost producer”. James says that the Bill comes down to an effort to correct the current “legislative and regulatory disadvantage for US and Western producers of rare earths.”

Kevin Cassidy, the CEO for US Rare Earths (OTCBB: UREE), supports any effort to encourage the mining and processing of rare earths in the United States. He says HR 4883 is clearly aimed at allowing “less dependency on China and more self reliance on North American production.” It also encourages manufacturers to return and invest in the United States.
- See more at: http://investorintel.com/rare-earth-intel/investorintel-special-report-rare-earth-industry-leaders-u-s-bill-hr-4883/#sthash.hdsocnfH.dpuf

[onewhoknows2much]

US Rare Earths secures ‘fast track’ to processing rare earth minerals

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Alessandro Bruno

http://investorintel.com/rare-earth-intel/us-rare-earths-finds-fast-track-processing-rather-exploring-rare-earth-minerals/

[onewhoknows2much]

Congress ponders legislation to encourage rare earth production

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Alessandro Bruno

On June 17 of this year, US House Representative, Steve Stockman, introduced Bill HR 4883 “to provide for the establishment of a National Rare-Earth Refinery Cooperative, and for other purposes. The Bill was referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. It is a House companion bill to legislation introduced earlier in the year by Sen. Roy Blunt, (R-M). Both bills intend to reduce the United States’ reliance on Chinese rare earths by encouraging an increase in US production. Specifically, the Bills propose establishing “a thorium bearing rare-earth refinery cooperative to provide for the domestic processing of thorium-bearing rare-earth concentrates as residual unprocessed and unrefined ores.” Rep. Stockman was adamant that the United States “needs to establish this cooperative so that American corporations no longer have to relocate their manufacturing facilities and jobs to China and relinquish control of their intellectual property rights to have access to a rare-earth supply chain.”

Rep. Stockman and those who support HR 4883 are concerned by the growing possibility that the United States risks long term political and economic risks if it allows for foreign interests, business or political as they may be, to acquire or access critical US technology. China is clearly the main target of the Bill, given its dominant role in the rare earths industry and its economic threats due to their failure to honor fair industrial and trade practices such as China. Therefore, HR 4883 has been drafted to protecting American national interests such that the US government and industry will have guaranteed access to any and all strategic technologies and materials needed to thrive in the global economy and maintaining a leadership in military technology. The problem, today, is the proliferation of the ‘outsourcing’ mantra, such that many of the USA has to source for critical materials (at the raw and processed stage) abroad and even beyond the confines of the NATO alliance. Meanwhile, the main suppliers, such as China, have been more than willing and capable of using quotas to control exports of strategic materials in order to advance their own political and geo-strategic interests. Publicly traded companies are also paying more attention to non-tangible business risks, sometimes included under the umbrella of ‘corporate sustainability’, which preclude their involvement in supplying technologies that have military applications. So many technologies today can address dual civilian/military needs with mere software or configuration changes.

HR 4883 would also encourage continued investment and promotion of domestic American technologies also encouraging the sourcing of domestic – or allied nation, given geological constraints – mineral resources and materials such as rare earths (critical in advancing batteries, missile guidance systems, radars, wind turbines, solar panels and more). The law would encourage industry to source from domestic or allied areas and easing some current mining restrictions. The rare earths mining industry has suffered as a result of China’s dominant role in this sector. Few of these resources are mined in the United States to the extent needed by American industry and much of what is mined in the USA has to be processed in China. While HR 4883 is being proposed by a Republican Representative, Democrats cannot ignore it and President Obama himself has been candid in his concern over China’s rare earths dominance. In the weeks leading up to the ruling from World Trade Organization (WTO) demanding China scrap its rare earths export quotas, the White House clearly stated that these minerals are of strategic importance to the United States, given their demand for military and national security applications. Rare metals are also crucial for the advancement of battery and electric motors and so-called ‘green’ technology in general. This suggests that it is in neither the interests of President Obama or Congress to ‘fool around’ with strategic resources.

The United States is, rather quickly, pursuing a path of more direct confrontation with Russia and even with China. Washington, Moscow and Beijing are conducting foreign policy in an atmosphere that echoes the now forgotten Cold War. Surprisingly, the US Dept. of Defense (DoD) has acted rather moot about the fact that little is being done in the United States to help address the materials shortfall. The failure to follow the spirit of HR 4883 is to leave China’s rare earths and critical materials virtual monopoly intact, compromising American competitiveness (as well as that of its allies) and security. Apart from Molycorp, there are emerging US rare earths companies with very interesting prospects that would certainly benefit from HR 4883 being passed such as Texas Rare Earth Resources Corp. and U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. – as there is virtually no place where the critical and heavy rare earths are being processed into something useful except for China.

Texas Rare Earth Resources Corp. (‘TRER’, OTCQX: TRER) is one of the contenders to become a major US domestic rare earths supplier. It has a world class deposit (including beryllium and a 70% heavy rare earth concentration) with outstanding infrastructure in Texas at the Round Top rare earth minerals project. Molycorp’s difficulties have, somehow, diminished the expectations of investors and government officials that the United States might become rare earths resource independent. Yet, Molycorp represents a ‘specific’ case: its stock volatility and problems are not endemic to the entire industry. Molycorp is concentrating on light rare earths, even though it built its case on the premise of being able to deliver the much in demand ‘heavies’. TRER’s deposit, nevertheless, shows a very clear mineralogical pattern which has proven to be heap leachable, which is similar to what might be found in China. As a result, TRER is working on a special metallurgical process to deliver looking for a strategic partner in its next phase of development. TRER’s land and the China clay deposits are the only REE deposits in the world to use simple heap leach processing. TRER can also boast low CAPEX and significant profitability. TRER is a “multi-trick pony” comprising of at least 25 minerals, 15 of which rare earths along with thorium and uranium. TRER can also capitalize on its beryllium (298,000 ton historical resource estimate) and niobium resources. TRER is also mining on state land therefore its licensing pathway I through the State of Texas not the Federal Government and Texas is most definitely resource friendly State – which implies several advantages from the time needed to make decisions to the friendlier mentality toward resources.

U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. (‘USRE’, OTCBB: UREE) is another contender thanks to its mining Lemhi Pass property (western Montana and eastern Idaho) showing high concentrations of critical rare earths. USRE expects to begin processing by 2017 and the Company expects to do so in the United States. The exploration record at Lemhi Pass suggests that it may hold the highest concentrations of rare earths elements in the U.S. USRE intends to revisit existing horizontal mines extending underground more than 400 meters, which have already proven to contain mineralized veins of critical rare earths. Lemhi Pass has having some of the highest concentrations of rare earth elements in North America. USRE is one of the companies outside of China presenting itself as a comprehensive critical rare earth supplier from mining to processing. USRE can rely on a very experienced management and exploration team with many and successful years of experience in the sector and their determination to create an wholly American complete supply-chain solution, which will include a separation mill for the critical and heavy rare earth elements in the continental United States.

Molycorp and Lynas Corp are processing outside of China (California and Malaysia respectively) but, so far, this activity has been limited to light rare earths (LREE). In the U.S. and in the rest of the world there is high pressure to develop new deposits and new processing facilities as China’s production share has started to drop in response to some new capacity and – mostly – to internal restrictions related to intensifying environmental controls. Nobody has offered any alternative to the processing of rare earths even while China’s share of the global production is expected to drop significantly if the government continues to enforce tougher environmental regulations affecting both the extraction of the raw materials and their transformation into marketable products.

[roger wilco]

Quarterly report out. Small loss for the quarter, only $2 million.

http://www.otcmarkets.com/edgar/GetFilingHtml?FilingID=9994001

http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/UREE/filings

[pennyhardway]

UPLISTING!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.renaissancecapital.com/ipohome/news/exploratory-mining-company-u.s.-rare-earths-files-for-a-$23-million-nyse-mk-19355.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[onewhoknows2much]

U.S. Rare Earths Announces The Successful Completion Of Its Preliminary Exploration And Assessment Of Lemhi Pass Projects

Drilling results show significant concentration of both heavy and critical rare earths

PLANO, Texas, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. (UREE), a domestic rare earths exploration company with 25,000 acres of mining claims in Idaho, Montana and Colorado, announced that it has completed its preliminary exploration and assessment of a portion of its claims located in the Lemhi Pass region of western Montana and eastern Idaho. The independent report, prepared by Process Engineering and compliant with the NI 43-101 standard, demonstrates a significant concentration of both critical and heavy rare earths in the company's Lemhi Pass projects.

The company also said that it plans to continue the assessment of its broader claim package in Lemhi Pass. For the purposes of exploration, U.S. Rare Earths plans to reopen existing adits, which are horizontal mines extending underground more than 400 meters or 1,300 feet, and are known to intersect one of the largest identified mineralized veins of both heavy and critical rare earths located within the continental United States.

Historic exploration of the Lemhi Pass by governmental and private entities identified what many believe to be the highest concentrations of rare earths elements in the U.S. It was during this earlier exploration that the adits on the property were first opened. U.S. Rare Earths holds more than 700 claims covering more than 14,000 acres in the Lemhi Pass region. Claims are located in areas historically identified as promising, including two existing adits which the company believes should aid exploration.

For purposes of evaluation, U.S. Rare Earths separated these claims into five individual exploration project areas: the Last Chance, Sheep Creek, North Fork, Lemhi Pass and Diamond Creek projects. The company has done NI 43-101-compliant exploration on three of these, the Last Chance, North Fork and Diamond Creek properties. According to the report, results of the drilling so far confirm and advance historic findings regarding rare earth concentrations.

"The Lemhi Pass region is generally recognized as having some of the highest concentrations of rare earth elements in North America. We are very pleased that the preliminary survey of our projects, compliant with the NI 43-101 standard, confirms a high concentration of both critical and heavy rare earths," said Kevin Cassidy, CEO of U.S. Rare Earths. "While further exploration is needed to establish reserves, we are encouraged to move forward with further exploration and testing."

Assessment highlights are detailed below.

Last Chance
U.S. Rare Earths explored nine of the total 44 claims that make up the Last Chance Project, including two major veins. These are the Last Chance, historically identified as the largest vein in the Lemhi pass area, up to 12 meters thick with a known length of 1,326 meters, and the Beaverhead vein. NI 43-101 compliant exploration in 2013 included channel sampling of 12 separate channels, two to nine meters long, located along the Last Chance vein strike; 71 samples were taken at one-meter intervals. Core drilling involved eight HQ-sized holes, of 1,004 meters total cores, showing the vein to be from two to nine meters in width. Assays of 165 data points along the Last Chance vein showed rare earth element (REE) concentrations generally consistent with historic evaluations, with concentrations as high as 11,425 grams per ton and heavy rare earths constituting approximately 30% of the deposit.

Two existing adits with a combined total length of 405 meters intersect and follow the Last Chance vein. The company has applied for a permit to open and explore these adits this summer. Underground access to the Last Chance prospect's mineralized vein material can potentially provide up to 2500 ton of material for process development and assessment work not typically available to exploration-phase investigations.

North Fork
Channel sampling in 2013 identified several veins of highly significant rare earth mineralization. One vein was traced for 1,317 meters with samples returning moderate to high rare earth mineralization. Another vein reached 400 meters.

Diamond Creek
NI 43-101 compliant exploration was performed in 2012. Channel sampling of two channels found REE assays averaging as high as 6,623 ppm. Core drilling involved two core-holes of 160 meters.
Rare earths elements are essential to cell phones, technologies for national security and defense, and to those for renewable energy. Rare earths are classified as heavy or light. Heavy or critical rare earths are those used in most technologies. The U.S. is currently dependent on China for its supply of rare earth minerals, sometimes known as "tech metals."

U.S. Rare Earths is working to establish a supply chain for rare earths elements in the U.S. The company plans to continue with the expansion of its Phase II drilling program initiated late last year, Cassidy said.

"We are working toward extraction, separation and distribution of critical rare earths in the U.S. This resource of heavies is vital to meeting domestic needs for rare earths, so that we are no longer dependent on China for our rare earths supply, especially in the area of national security," he said. "We believe it is imperative that the U.S. have a domestic source of rare earths for essential technologies. Our goal is a complete solution for the domestic supply chain."

About U.S. Rare Earths, Inc.

U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. is a U.S.-based domestic mineral exploration, mining and claims acquisition company based in Plano, Texas. The company holds mining claims for rare earth elements encompassing more than 25,000 acres in Colorado, and in the Lemhi Pass Region of Idaho and Montana.

Rare earth elements are essential to many existing and emerging 21st century applications. Rare earths are used in technology including cell phones, computer hard disk drives and digital music players; for critical defense applications such as global positioning systems, radar and sonar; in clean energy technologies such as hybrid cars and electric vehicles; for microphones, fiber optics and lasers; and in advanced water treatment applications, including those for industrial, military, homeland security, domestic and foreign aid use.

For more information, visit www.usrareearths.com

Safe Harbor Statement

Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, therefore, involve uncertainties or risks that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements may contain words such as "desires," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates" or similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of the Company's future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause its actual performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, rare-earth industry risks, estimates of mineralized materials and associated radionuclides, litigation risks, plans to raise capital, and board, management and governance risks. Our forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, and other factors that we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Additional information regarding factors that could cause results to differ materially from management's expectations is found in the Company's SEC filings, including the Company's Form 10-K filed April 15, 2014. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results could vary materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Although we may from time to time voluntarily update our prior forward-looking statements, we disclaim any commitment to do so except as required by securities laws.

[onewhoknows2much]

WTO backs U.S. over China in rare earths dispute

• A World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel agrees with the U.S. in a major dispute, finding in favor of U.S. claims that China’s imposition of export restraints on rare earths, tungsten and molybdenum breach WTO rules.

• China, which produces more than 90% of the world's rare earth elements, imposed strict rare earth export quotas in 2010, saying it was trying to curtail pollution and preserve resources; prices soared by hundreds of percent, and the U.S., EU and Japan complained that the restrictions gave Chinese companies an unfair competitive edge.

• Rare earth miners include Rare Element Resources (REE) and Molycorp (MCP) and U.S. Rare Earths (UREE)

WTO Names China the Loser in REE Export Quota Dispute
By Charlotte McLeod2 - Exclusive to Rare Earth Investing News3

In a decision that’s been two years in the making, the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday ruled5 that China’s export restrictions on rare earth elements (REEs), molybdenum6 and tungsten7 are inconsistent with its obligations as a WTO member.
The news comes five months after China said8 it had lost the case, and four months after the WTO was supposed to notify the parties involved in the case of its outcome, The Wall Street Journal states.

Despite the delay, the United States, European Union and Japan, which brought the case11 to the WTO back in 2012, have expressed no hard feelings. Quite the opposite, in fact. Reuters quotes12 EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht as saying, “[t]oday’s ruling by the WTO on rare earth shows that no one country can hoard its raw materials from the global market place at the expense of its other WTO partners.”

On a similar note, US Trade Representative Mike Froman said, “[w]e hope this will discourage further breaches of WTO rules that hurt American manufacturers. This victory shows that we stand prepared to take action whenever necessary to protect the high-quality, middle-class American jobs that trade supports,” as per The Wall Street Journal.

China, on the other hand, is not pleased at all. The country, which according13 to the Financial Times first implemented export restrictions in 2009, has long decried the idea that they were put in place to give the country a competitive edge, maintaining that they are aimed at protecting the environment and conserving minerals.

Based on recent comments from China’s Ministry of Commerce, it seems the country’s stance has not changed since the WTO ruling. It said in a statement, “China believes that these regulatory measures are perfectly consistent with the objective of sustainable development promoted by the WTO,” Reuters notes.

It’s that attitude that has many expecting China to appeal the WTO’s ruling. One such person is an official at the Chinese Society for Rare Earths who thinks “China will definitely appeal because the WTO ruling is unfair,” as per the Financial Times. A member of China’s Ministry of Commerce expressed the same belief back in October, when China first came forward to say it lost the case.

For its part, China has not commented one way or the other, The New York Times notes14. However, market watchers won’t have to wait long to see what the Asian nation decides to do — it now has just 60 days to appeal. If that happens, the Appellate Body, the permanent appeals tribunal of the WTO, should reach a decision by the end of July.

However, don’t expect the tribunal to reach a “significantly different” ruling than the one just provided by the WTO, James Bacchus, a former Appellate Body chairman who is not involved in the current case, told The New York Times. “[T]he judges there can rule only on matters of legal principle, not on the panel’s findings of fact,” he explained.

Also don’t necessarily expect the ruling to significantly impact the market. While another Reuters article15 quotes Ryan Castilloux, founding director at Adamas Intelligence, as saying that if yesterday’s ruling “leads to a softening of China’s rare earth industry policy measures, the nation’s only tangible defence becomes competing head-to-head on price with emerging global producers,” not everyone agrees. For instance, The Wall Street Journal states that “[t]he decision is unlikely to have a dramatic effect on world prices.”

For now, investors had best wait to see if China appeals.

[onewhoknows2much]

January 30, 2014 6:00AM ET

US fighting back against China’s domination of these elements, used in everything from mobile phones to missiles.

While some progress has been made in boosting U.S. efforts, China largely controls the rare-earth supply chain. Jacob Kepler/Bloomberg/Getty Images SULLIVAN, Mo. —

An hour southwest of St. Louis, tucked away behind a tree line off Route EE, is the Pea Ridge Mine, once a place where workers pulled iron out of the ground.

You could almost miss it driving by, but this seemingly unremarkable place has remarkable potential for the region and the country.

This dormant mine holds a deposit of something that lies at the heart of our increasingly high-tech world: rare-earth elements, used in everything from cellphones to missile systems to hybrid cars.

The Missouri mine is one of the few places in the world where such an abundant deposit of rare earths has been found. But nothing about rare earths is simple.

Rare-earth metals are 15 elements with the atomic numbers 57 to 71 on the periodic table, as well as scandium and yttrium.

The metals themselves amount to a meager $3 billion global industry, but they are essential in the production of $5 trillion worth of products.

Due to their scarcity and huge value, rare earths — and thus by extension the Pea Ridge Mine — lie at the heart of a complex geopolitical fight. It is a contest pitting China and the United States, and just about every other powerful nation on earth, into a new Great Game of diplomacy, business brinksmanship and a fight to dominate the market for these scarce elements. At the moment, China is winning. Over the past few decades, it has bought up nearly the entire supply chain of rare-earth metals and the products they’re used for, leaving other powers struggling to catch up.

In the U.S., however, some progress has been made in the development of domestic rare-earth supplies to regain some competitive edge against China. That’s the opportunity Jim Kennedy saw when he discovered the rare-earth deposit in what he thought was just an investment in an old mine.

“I bought an iron mine, and that ended up having an unbelievable rare-earth deposit,” he said.

But it will not be as easy as that. Getting American mines like Pea Ridge up and running won’t suddenly rescue the U.S. rare-earths industry.

Looking to cash in on his stroke of geological luck, Kennedy quickly discovered China’s monopoly in the market beyond simply mining the metals. In fact, nearly all the manufacturing based on the high-value “heavy” rare earths has moved to China over the past few decades.

‘China has rare earth’

China’s export restrictions and supply-chain acquisition have taken U.S.-based operations to that country to receive a reliable source of rare earths needed for modern manufacturing. It has been a process that has played out over the last 25 years or so. In 1992, the then-leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng Xiaoping, said: “The Middle East has oil and China has rare earth.” The country has since lived up to that promise.

Thirty years ago, U.S. production of rare earths was nearly three times that of China, just under 30,000 tons. However, U.S. production shut down in the early 21st century after being outdone by Chinese production, which had grown to approximately 70,000 tons and has continued to increase ever since.

The most notable single example of China taking on the U.S. was in 1995, when Chinese companies acquired Magnequench, a GM subsidiary built in conjunction with the Department of Defense that developed high-tech magnets using the rare earth neodymium. By 2002, Magnequench’s facilities had been duplicated in China, and all U.S. operations were shut down.

China’s actions have hardly gone unnoticed. Last year, the Bangalore, India–based National Institute of Advanced Studies released an independent report describing Chinese dominance of the rare-earths industry. The report suggested that China’s upper hand, including the acquisition of Magnequench, was the “result of a well-thought out carefully crafted dynamic long term strategy.”

These days China’s rare-earth production is almost equal to global rare earth consumption, around 135,000 tons. That gives China power, especially as the world economy moves ever more high tech. “If the advanced countries such as U.S.A. and some of the European countries want to build an economy which moves towards the Green Energy systems, then China being a major supplier of (rare earths) could hold these countries ransom,” said Lalitha Sundaresan, one of the authors of the study, in an email from India.

China’s leverage also exists when it comes to military technology based on rare earths, used in radar systems, missiles and satellites, to name a few things. That gives China powerful influence in global diplomacy. In September 2010, reports emerged alleging that China had suspended exports of rare earths to Japan over an incident surrounding disputed islands in the South China Sea. Chinese officials continue to deny this claim, but rare-earth consumers nonetheless have been scrambling to find an alternative supply ever since.

Searching for alternatives

Does that alternative to Chinese production dominance lie in Missouri’s Pea Ridge Mine or other places like it scattered across the U.S.?

In 2010 Colorado-based Molycorp reopened the Mountain Pass Mine in California, which had been the last operating rare-earths mine until it was shut down in 2002 after an environmental accident. The move was hailed by some as a step toward American rare-earth independence, and Molycorp began to plan and build infrastructure to process the rare earths it was pulling from the ground.

Molycorp has since been described as a solution to the United States’ “rare-earth problem,” including in recent reports from both the Congressional Research Service and the Pentagon.

But some are crying foul, including Kennedy in St. Louis, who has become an outspoken critic of Molycorp. He says the reports overlook crucial points of the supply chain, and that the U.S. — including Molycorp — is still dependent on Chinese rare-earth infrastructure in vital areas.

Molycorp is indeed a domestic producer of rare earths. But when it comes to which metals are coming out of the mine, critics like Kennedy wonder how the company can be a plausible solution to the country’s rare-earth problem. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data on Molycorp’s Mountain Pass Mine shows that the mineral makeup of the mine is 98 percent light rare earths, mostly cerium and lanthanum. Those two elements have a low market value; prices for them fell more than 80 percent from 2011 to 2012 alone, suggesting an oversupply.

“What they don’t have is any of the real heavy (rare earths),” said Jim Hendrick, a retired USGS geologist who has been involved in rare earths for more than three decades. “They’re there, because when you have a rare-earth deposit you usually have all the rare earths, because they’re so chemically similar they’ll occur (together). But at Mountain Pass, they actually have less heavy rare earths than normal.”

So how can the country’s only operating rare-earth mine provide a viable alternative to China’s monopoly, given what’s coming out of the ground there?

Some say it can’t. But Jim Sims, a spokesperson for Molycorp, says it has to do with the size of the market for heavy rare earths. Any step toward production of domestic heavy rare earths, even if small in quantity, Sims said, could make an impact in the global market and is a step toward rare-earth independence — a quest that mirrors the far better-known desire for energy independence from Middle Eastern oil supplies.

“What’s often overlooked in the discussion of heavy rare earths is that the global consumption of those heavy rare earths is very small,” he said. “It doesn't take a lot of production of some of these rare earths to meet global market demand. That’s one thing to keep in mind.”


Molycorp began a $500 million modernization and expansion project in 2010. Jacob Kepler/Bloomberg/Getty Images But it is not just mining the rare earths that matters. It is what you can — or cannot — do with them once they are aboveground that matters too. A domestic supply of raw materials means nothing without the manufacturing capacity to turn them into high-value products. And when it comes to those, some in the industry say China still has the upper hand.

Even if American mines like Mountain Pass and Pea Ridge started pumping out mass quantities of heavy rare earths, there would still be no infrastructure to manufacture them into the modern technological products that have made them so important.

For example, take the neodymium magnet, also known as “neo magnet.” When companies like Magnequench moved to China, they also took that piece of the supply chain with them. Neo magnets are used in dozens of weapon systems, including the Patriot missile, the F-22 Raptor and the joint air-to-ground missile. Those magnets are still coming from China or are dependent on parts of the supply chain in which that country has a monopoly.

“We don’t really have the ability to not depend on China,” said Ed Richardson of the U.S. Magnet Manufacturers Association. “We don’t have all the technology operational here in the U.S. to be able to go from a mine to a magnet. That’s a fundamental problem.”

Molycorp also sends its heavy rare earths to its Chinese facilities for this processing and value-adding, including to the Magnequench facility it now owns via its acquisition of the company Neo Material Technologies. China held a 62 percent stake in Neo Material Technologies at the time of Molycorp’s acquisition in 2012. Despite the reacquisition of Magnequench facilities by a U.S.-based company, the National Institute of Advanced Studies report called the arrangement “even more advantageous to China.”

“The U.S. is completely dependent on China for rare-earth-magnet materials, and now the export of U.S. rare-earth assets into China will only intensify this dependence, at least for some more years,” the report said.

Not only is the country’s only functioning rare-earth mine dependent on Chinese infrastructure, but so is the only facility manufacturing neo magnets in the U.S. That facility, a plant in North Carolina owned by Hitachi, can only partially make the magnets. It still relies on Chinese facilities for other parts of the process.

Richardson summed up the current struggle for the world’s rare earths and a situation that many believe looks unlikely to change in the immediate future. “The world is really dependent on China for this,” he said.

[onewhoknows2much]

General Tommy Franks sits on UREE's board.

America is Finally Waking Up to the Fact that China Controls Our Military's Future

by Matt DiLallo, The Motley Fool Jan 12th 2014 1:13PM
Updated Jan 12th 2014 1:14PM


More than 95% of the world's rare earth elements are produced in China. That probably doesn't bother most Americans. Few of us have even heard of, nor can we pronounce, the 17 rare earth elements critical to our country's future.

Names like dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, neodymium, praseodymium, and yttrium are foreign to us. However, we might want to get to know these rare earths, as the seven I just cited are important components of our nation's defense. Rare earths are used in Raytheon's Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as in making smart bombs, missile guidance systems, and even night-vision technology. That's in addition to being important components for cell phones, wind turbines, and a host of other tech systems.
Are we in denial?

The U.S. military has played down our reliance on China for rare earths. It has said that military use of rare earths are only a "small fraction" of U.S. demand. Furthermore, the Department of Defense believes that military needs can largely be met by domestic production.

Congress in 2011 tasked the Pentagon to study the use of rare earth elements in defense applications to ensure we had adequate long-term availability if non-U.S. supplies were halted. The Defense Department was also to secure a source of these materials by 2015. One congressman went so far as to suggest that the U.S. should begin stockpiling rare earths to ensure we have a sufficient supply to meet our future needs.

There is hope

According to its latest report, the Defense Department sees "positive changes in rare earth supply chains." The report forecasts lower consumption of rare earths worldwide, suggesting that we'll have more than enough supply to meet the demand of our nation's military. In addition, domestic production of six of the seven key rare earths is expected to increase this year.

China leads the way with 55 million tons of extractable reserves, and it produced 95,000 tons of rare earth elements in 2012, America has about 13 million tons of reserves, though production was just 7,000 tons in 2012. That should change as U.S.-based Molycorp reaches full production capacity at its long dormant mine in Mountain Pass, Calif., this year. The company sees full capacity reaching 19,000 tons a year. That project will go a long way to satisfying the U.S. military's demand.

One more worry?

Unfortunately, there is still one rare earth to worry about. Production of yttrium isn't expected to keep pace with U.S. military demand in the coming years, as it's a particularly scarce element. The "heavy" element is used in precision lasers and rocket stabilizers. At the current rate, the U.S. won't be able to meet its yttrium demand until about 2019. Overall, the good news in all of this is that America is waking up to the fact that we can't rely on China to supply our nation with these important elements. We are taking steps forward to secure our supply. In doing so, we'll ensure the security of our nation as well.

[onewhoknows2much]

U.S. Rare Earths Announces Extraction Of Critical Rare Earths In Montana

COMPANY PLANS TO EXPAND IN 2014 BASED ON ITS DRILLING SUCCESS

PLANO, Texas, Jan. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Rare Earths, Inc., (UREE), a U.S. based domestic rare earths exploration company with more than 25,000 acres of mining claims in Idaho, Montana, and Colorado, announced today that it is beginning 2014 having successfully extracted the first critical rare earths in the continental U.S. The deposits come from the company's Last Chance Property in Montana. Preliminary metallurgical leach testing was completed by SGS of Ontario, Canada. The leach test results demonstrated a 79 percent recovery of Critical Rare Earths.

Four different leaching approaches were used to extract rare earth metals into a solution and warrant further optimization. The initial results indicate the technical feasibility of extracting much needed Critical Rare Earths for U.S. consumption from USRE's Last Chance Property.

This announcement follows U.S. Rare Earth's successful 2013 campaign, during which the company was able to drill eight holes on its Last Chance properties in Montana. Highlighted results from UREE's North Fork exploration efforts returned assays from the surface channel sampling with Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) averaged grades as high as 10.3 percent with Critical Rare Earth Oxide (CREO) grades running an average of 1.2 percent. The company also announced the additions of the former Commander of the United States Central Command, General Tommy Franks, and former Nebraska Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, as well as solidified its best-in-class infrastructure under new CEO Kevin Cassidy. These accomplishments position USRE as America's primary source of critical rare earths, which are essential to making electronic devices and weapons for America and its allies.

"With China attempting to tighten their noose around the current global supply of critical rare earths by setting the foundation for a national rare earth group, there's a new sense of urgency for a domestic supply of critical rare earths," says Cassidy. "The results from our properties in Montana prove our company is on the path to developing an American supply chain that will create good jobs and take advantage of a national treasure."

According to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics' Strategic and Critical Materials 2013 report on stockpile requirements, "six rare earth element shortfalls were identified: they are: yttrium, dysprosium, erbium, terbium, thulium, and scandium," and the "United States previously performed all stages of the rare earth material supply chain, but now most rare earth materials' processing is performed in China, giving it a dominant position that could affect worldwide supply and prices." U.S Rare Earths Inc. not only has the properties to develop a domestic supply of these critical rare earths, but it now has plans to build a complete HREE and CREE separation facility in the continental United States.

About U.S. Rare Earths, Inc.:
U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. is a U.S. based domestic mineral exploration, mining and claims acquisition company based in Plano, TX. The Company holds over 25,000 acres of mining claims for rare-earth elements in Colorado, and in the Lemhi Pass Region of Idaho and Montana.

Rare earth elements are critical to many existing and emerging 21st century applications including clean-energy technologies such as hybrid cars and electric vehicles; high-technology applications including cell phones and digital music players; hard disk drives used in computers; microphones; fiber optics; lasers; and in addition, critical defense applications such as global positioning systems, radar and sonar; and advanced water treatment applications, including those for industrial, military, homeland security, domestic and foreign aid use.

For more information visit www.usrareearths.com

[patentminer2013]

An alternative to fossil fuels

By Allen T. Ansevin | December 20, 2013 | Updated: December 22, 2013 10:21pm



An article by Jennifer Dlouhy in the Houston Chronicle, "Oil giant expects fossil fuels have lots of life left" (Page D1, Dec. 13), reports that prognosticators at Exxon Mobil Corp. expect "the bulk of energy needed to fuel the world by 2040" will be supplied by oil and natural gas. From one standpoint, it is reassuring to know the resources of hydrocarbons are sufficient to meet the world's present demand as well as an expected 35 percent increase in the future. However, at a time when global warming is already underway, it is hugely distressing to face the prospect that the world's massive release of carbon dioxide will be continued rather than reversed.

Reportedly, planners in the U.S. Energy Information Administration anticipate the increase in energy use to be greater than 50 percent and expect the world's burning of coal to rise by 2040; renewables are expected to supply as much as 15 percent of the total and nuclear only 7 percent, with the bulk of energy coming from fossil fuels, thus amplifying the factors driving climate change. If we are to avoid the worst effects of global warming, it is apparent that we need a different approach to energy production.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to our current electric energy generation from fossil fuels, one that has the potential to match the massive scale required to operate a modern economy, and with zero carbon dioxide emissions. However, this option has been poorly promoted. This process is the liquid fluoride thorium reactor, LFTR, based on the thorium nuclear fuel cycle. It is a technology that has been tested experimentally and was recommended as preferable to the predominant light water uranium reactors by Alvin Weinberg, the very man who patented the light water design for uranium-based power productiion.

As we all know, the existing uranium reactors have proved problematic, with the possibility of reactor core meltdown being the most catastrophic. Currently, this and other drawbacks of existing nuclear energy plants are a source of high public resistance to this non-hydrocarbon source of energy. Happily, the LFTR design is intrinsically fail-safe.

Furthermore, thorium cannot be used to make a bomb; also, it is claimed that the production of dangerous byproducts is orders of magnitude less than that from uranium-fueled reactors. In fact, thorium reactors can be designed to "burn up" troublesome nuclear waste from existing uranium reactors while producing valuable energy.

Additionally, the thorium fuel cycle is more efficient than the comparable uranium cycle and the quantity of available thorium is greater than that of uranium, rendering LFTR a practical substitute for energy production for an estimated 1,000 years.

Currently in Texas, 80 percent of our electric energy is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels (50 percent of which comes from the high carbon dioxide emitters, coal and lignite); renewable energy is a mere 8.8 percent of the total, and nuclear accounts for only 10.6 percent.

A truly vast reduction in our contribution to climate change would come if all of the coal and lignite power plants and at least half of the natural gas plants were replaced by thorium nuclear plants. Because the LFTR technology appears to be safer than current nuclear plants, is less subject to diversion for military purposes, produces far fewer hazardous byproducts and can be used to destroy existing uranium waste, I suggest that it be promoted as a "green nuclear" alternative.

As I see it, the main thing needed to reverse global warming is the will to harness a new technology for power production.

[onewhoknows2much]

Senate Bill Sets Stage For Significant Upside In Molycorp And U.S. Rare Earths

Dec 10 2013, 09:14 about: UREE, MCP

The supply of rare earths has been dominated by China for the last several decades. It was not until the recent boom of the hi-tech equipment that are highly dependent on rare earths that this became a potential critical issue for all countries. Use of rare earths fall into multiple electronics categories ranging from your cell phone to the ever-growing popular electric cars. Almost every electronic device that people use daily and much of the essential military equipment that over the last 10 years has become smaller, cheaper and more powerful relies on these materials. With the dominance of supply coming from China this has been an increasing worry for all countries and until recently not addressed by the US government in any way. That may be changing with the recent bill being introduced by Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt who is floating a measure to promote the domestic production of rare earth elements as part of the ongoing Defense Department funding. There is no guarantee that this bill will ever become part of the final defense budget but it is a good indication that the potential problem of China restricting supplies is finally getting the attention it deserves as a potential risk to national security. This article will focus on two domestic rare earth suppliers. The first is Molycorp (MCP), which has been in production for several years and seems to finally be on the cusp of achieving long-term profitable production. The second is US Rare Earths (OTCQB:UREE) who is a start-up company with plans to be in production within 2 years that also holds the world's largest supply of Thorium, which as part of Senator Blunt's bill is critical to future generation nuclear reactors.

US based Molycorp that was founded in 2010 owns and operates the Mountain Pass rare earth facility in San Bernardino County, California. Over that time the company's stock has traded as high as $70 during the rare earth hey days to a low of around $4.5, which it is not far above at this time. While outright speculation in rare earths in early 2011 was the main driver for record highs the fundamental demand for the rare earth materials has only grown over that time and yet the company valuation is at a record low. A recent article written in November by Jason Bond, Molycorp Multi-Bagger Potential In 18 Months, did an excellent job of explaining exactly why Molycorp is finally on the edge of living up to its potential. Its facilities are close to becoming profitable in the production of rare earths and margins should only improve as rare earth prices increase as demand grows and supply is further restricted by China.

The second domestic rare earth company to be discussed is a developmental stage mining company called US Rare Earths. I first discussed this company in an article back in October entitled In Search Of U.S. Rare Earths' Independence. Since that time the company has been very busy not only proving up resources, U.S. Rare Earths Locates One of the World's Highest Critical Rare Earth Concentrations in its North Fork Properties, but raising money and adding to its already very distinguished board of directors with the addition of General Tommy Franks and former US senator and governor Bob Kerrey.

What was not highlighted previously but is certainly worth noting with the recent Blunt bill is its deposit of Thorium. Thorium, which has long been discussed as early as 2009 by industry expert Jack Lifton as a possible alternative for future nuclear plants, was first identified as a resource on these properties years ago when the company was originally named Thorium Energy. Much of this history can be found in an interview done back in 2009 entitled US Rare Earths, Inc.: A discussion with Ed Cowle and Jack Lifton. As pointed out in the interview the company did not change its name because of the lack of Thorium but only because the market was being slow to develop. It seems like that may be changing with many recent articles on the future use of Thorium. A quote from Jack Lifton during that interview is below:

"Now, in the original deposits that I looked at for US Rare Earths, there was very high thorium content, so high that the USGS refigured its chart of where the thorium is in the world, and putting that deposit in there caused the United States Geological Service to declare the Lemhi Pass region as the world's principle resource of thorium, the largest deposit there is."

While rare earths have certainly fallen on hard times in the investor community there are strong fundamentals with these resources to indicate that better times may be ahead. Certainly in the future the devices requiring them will only continue to grow in usage and therefore increase rare earths' demand. The risk associated with relying on a foreign supplier has been known for years and at some point may become a much bigger issue. Whether the Blunt bill will ever become a part of the Defense budget is not known. If not that bill then another bill titled Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2013, was put forth by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and the Ranking Member of the committee, Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). This proposal also indicates a new focus in this area and might especially help US Rare Earths.

One of the key provisions in the bill is the following:

Avoid duplication, prevent unnecessary delays in the administration of applicable laws and issuance of permits and authorizations necessary to explore for, develop and produce critical minerals, and to construct critical mineral manufacturing facilities in accordance with environmental and land management laws;

Both of these stocks offer investors an avenue into investing in the rare earth space. Molycorp is finally ready to profitably produce rare earths and US Rare Earths has both the assets and political connections to make it into production in the next several years. While the upside may not be the same as a few years ago with the speculation driving huge valuations there is a real good chance these stocks could easily double in 2014 based on increased materials demand and reduced supplies out of China.

[onewhoknows2much]

That I completely agree with! Clearly some strong accumulation as of late. The board is incredibly impressive to say the least. I too could ultimately see this one discernibly higher with continued execution and increasing rare earth prices.

[mrdecember123]

accumulation is the order of the day--------this is already going to be a winner judging simply by board of directors and the story of supply/demand. I have added at my leisure and will continue to do so under 5.00. I am long.

[onewhoknows2much]

Big potential positive for UREE. UREE is said to have major Thorium holdings also.

RARE EARTHS:

Blunt amendment to defense bill looks to spur domestic production, create cooperative

Manuel Quiñones, E&E reporter

Published: Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt is floating a measure to promote the domestic production of rare earth elements as part of the ongoing Defense Department funding debate.

Blunt's amendment to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, Senate Amendment 2508, is different from various other measures introduced in both the House and Senate over the past several years to address Chinese dominance in mining and production.

The legislation focuses on so-called heavy rare earths because of their atomic signature. They are among the most coveted and difficult to access and among the most important for military capabilities.

Blunt's amendment would create a federally chartered rare earth cooperative to spread the financial risk and environmental due diligence of mining heavy rare earth elements.

The cooperative's board would be staffed with representatives from the Department of Defense, the U.S. Geological Survey and advocacy groups, among others.

The legislation also addresses thorium, a naturally occurring radioactive element found in heavy rare earth deposits, including Nova Scotia-based Ucore Rare Metals Inc.'s Bokan Mountain site in Alaska.

"Regulations regarding thorium represent a barrier to the development of a heavy rare earth industry that is based in the United States," the Blunt amendment says. A spokeswoman for the senator did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

The cooperative board set up by Blunt's amendment would be tasked with promoting the storage and use of thorium, including in energy production.

St. Louis-based consultant James Kennedy has long advocated for increasing the use of thorium from rare earth mining and processing, and has, according to his website, worked on legislation with former Missouri Sen. Kit Bond (R).

Kennedy boasts working with the Thorium Energy Alliance to "rationalize U.S. policy on rare earths, Thorium and energy because they are all linked."

It's unclear whether Senate leaders will allow a vote on Blunt's amendment, which is one of hundreds to the reauthorization of the defense measure. But its introduction signals the senator's intent to push the issue.

A broad compromise bill by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) includes measures to promote the domestic development of rare earths and associated activities (E&E Daily, Oct. 30).
It also includes a provision for the government, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, to study the use of thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Lawmakers in the House are also considering measures to promote the domestic production of rare earth elements. Earlier this year, it passed Nevada GOP Rep. Mark Amodei's H.R. 761 to set permitting timelines and litigation limits for hardrock mines on federal land.

But in a statement this year, Roger Ballentine, a renewable energy advocate and adviser for lobby group the Association for Rare Earth, urged lawmakers to go beyond mining reforms.

"Congress is being bombarded by statements suggesting that specific companies and mines are a panacea to solve supply chain problems or that sweeping changes to existing mining laws will actually result in supply chain security," he said. "I wish it were that simple."

The National Mining Association is on record supporting both the Amodei approach but also the compromise language from Murkowski and Wyden.

Despite the intense focus on the rare earths issue, Congress has yet to approve any major policy on the matter. The defense bill has, as a result, become an arena for policymaking.

The House version includes provisions for stockpiling some rare earth elements, recycling of important minerals and encouraging domestic production. The Senate version so far does not.

[onewhoknows2much]

U.S. Rare Earths: “This isn’t our first rodeo.”

U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. (OTCBB: UREE), headed by CEO/President Kevin Cassidy, is a mineral exploration, mining and claims acquisition company focused on the identification and acquisition of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). UREE has expanded its areas of interest, which now run to over 25,000 acres of mining claims in Colorado, Idaho and Montana. Management is combining a thorough analysis of historical data – by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and several other companies – with the application of current technology, in order to both confirm and add to historical findings.

In a recent wide-ranging interview InvestorIntel’s Tracy Weslosky teased out the details of U.S. Rare Earth’s ongoing successes story. She noted that, even in the current difficult financing environment, the company was able to conduct a successful private placement – a vote of confidence by investors in the quality of U.S. Earth’s Management and Exploration teams.

U.S. Rare Earths is coming off a string of notable announcements over the last few months. In an August news release, the results of the 2013 exploration work in Lemhi Pass, Montana were discussed, which “confirmed that the company’s properties have the highest accessible critical rare earth deposit in North America.” (Identified by The Russian Academy of Science.)

Later that same month, UREE announced the appointment of General Tommy Franks, former Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command, to the Company’s Board of Directors. Of the appointment, General Franks remarked: “I am pleased and excited to join the U.S. Rare Earth Board. Self-sufficiency is key to America’s security. U.S. Rare Earths is dedicated to meeting a recognized need in our current and future economy.” And in a letter to shareholders, Cassidy renewed his company’s pledge to “to create a completely independent American based supply chain solution within the continental United States.”

As the one year REE Leaders Index (Bloomberg Ticker: REEL) illustrates, The Rare Earths sector does not appear to have hit bottom. From a chartist standpoint, one can argue that the rate of decline is decelerating. However, seeing the index print new lows is not encouraging. What is encouraging, however, is that with each decline, the moment of truth – and the establishment of a new and perhaps very powerful countertrend – comes closer.

How to play this situation? If an investor wants to let the index “tip its hand” and establish a tentative new uptrend before taking a position, then one would want to see a rise in the index above, say 347, or even better 410, rising above the June lows and offering an interpretation that perhaps breaking that low in June is now leading to a final washout. Perhaps the last of the weak hands are being deprived of their positions, as contrarians take those same positions in anticipation of better days ahead.

Another possibility, less risky than you might think, is to search out individual stocks in the sector under review, and choose one or more which are holding up better (especially if they are trading above their 200 and 50 day Moving Averages) than the Index itself. (A key caveat here is that when extremes of market Sentiment have a grasp on the entire sector, the tendency is that even the best stocks in that space will be overwhelmed by that sentiment – perhaps in direct opposition to the actual operational strength of the particular company itself.)

But if you can research and choose companies that you believe to be “best of breed” then at the very least, they will often end up being among the first to turn around – sometimes sharply – when renewed buying interest re-enters the sector.

U.S. Rare Earth’s Inc. Weekly (OTCBB: UREE)

In what chartists refer to as a possible “non-confirmation” UREE’s share price has been considerably stronger than might be expected when looking only at the REE composite above. Indeed UREE’s appears to have bottomed over a year ago. The share price is now in the process of establishing higher highs and higher lows, and is trading above both the 50 and the 200 day Moving Averages, on increased volume.

Addressing the success of U.S. Rare Earth’s most recent private placement in an otherwise difficult financing environment, CEO Kevin Cassidy remarked, “This isn’t our first rodeo; you bet on jockeys, not horses.”

If so, then it might be time for investors to “saddle up”.

[onewhoknows2much]

What’s good for U.S. Rare Earths is Good for America

November 18, 2103 — Tracy Weslosky, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of InvestorIntel interviews Kevin Cassidy, CEO/President of U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. (OTCBB: UREE) and inquires about “the very aggressive drilling results the company has recently reported”.

Kevin mentions that the U.S. Rare Earths has spent considerable time this year looking at what is known about their project via historical data, and comparing this with what can be learned applying newer technology. He states that in both cases “we are very happy to report significant findings and to some degree confirm, all the work that’s been done historically – by USGS (U.S. Geological Survey)” as well as several other large companies. And in the process, U.S. Rare Earths has “added to that by way of finding new discoveries.”

Tracy notes that the company has expanded its land claims - around 25,000 acres in several states. She inquired of Kevin as to what the catalyst might have been for this action. He said that it was due to the very positive results they’ve received from their exploration work, noting that they “have added two Central Park-sized pieces of properties, specifically around readings that…represent very high percentages of critical rare earths.” Kevin concluded that “in this market, if someone is expanding their properties, there’s probably a good reason.”

Tracy compliments U.S. Rare Earths on the successful $4m Private Placement carried out over the last several weeks. She asks, “Could you tell us what makes you such a compelling story, when we have people lined up around the block, trying to raise money right now?”

Kevin opines that it is a combination of the company’s exploration results, but also has a lot to do with investors’ appreciation of U.S. Rare Earth’s Management and Exploration teams, and the fact that they’ve succeeded before with these activities. After all, he says, “this isn’t our first rodeo, and you bet on jockeys, not horses.”

Tracy wonders if Kevin’s visibility about being all for sustainability - via rare earth’s sufficiency of supply for the U.S. is a reason that some of “the power players” have been drawn toward this operation.

Kevin states that there are issues which are in the national interest - such as national defense, procurement, sustainability, and supplies. He mentions that Russia has recently announced they are committing a billion $ to assure their own supplies of these critical metals.

The bottom line for Kevin and his company?

“We are, (he says), determined, as a board, as a senior group of executives, all of whom don’t have to do this for a living, to create an American, complete supply-chain solution, which will include a separation mill for the critical and heavy rare earth elements – in the continental United States.”

Tracy concludes by saying that the company’s efforts “sound like a win-win to me” and tells Kevin to be sure and let InvestorIntel readers know about the next news from U.S. Rare Earths.

[onewhoknows2much]

U.S. Rare Earths Locates One of the World's Highest Critical Rare Earth Concentrations in its North Fork Properties

Findings Based on Analysis of Phase 1 Drilling and Exploration Program Results


PLANO, Texas, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Rare Earths, Inc., (OTCBB: UREE), a U.S. based domestic rare earths exploration company with more than 25,000 acres of mining claims in Idaho, Montana, and Colorado, today announced that assays from surface channel sampling, returned Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) grades as high as 10.3% with Critical Rare Earth Oxide (CREO) grades running between 1.4 % and 1.2 % in a known eighteen by four mile mineralized trend in its North Fork properties.


The Company's CEO Kevin Cassidy stated, "We are delighted with a number of the observations and discoveries identified from our review of the 2013 Phase I drilling and exploration program data. Our announcement today speaks to the enormity of the Company's land position across 25,000 acres and the richness of concentrations of critical and heavy rare earth oxides that we are seeing. Phase I efforts are providing the confirmation of historical data, including work by The Department of Energy, The Idaho Geological Survey and The Russian Academy of Sciences. The UREE samples that were analyzed by Activation Labs ("Actlabs"), www.actlabs.com, are very encouraging and reinforce our position as a leading source of Critical Rare Earths in America."

Cassidy continued, "We remain committed to position U.S Rare Earths as the primary source of critical rare earths for America and its allies. The Company is determined to unlock this national treasure and committing the necessary investment capital and human resources to do so. When we decided to consolidate rare earth properties in America, the lens we looked through was to select those targets with the highest commercially viable opportunities based on historical data. We are pleased that results from our drilling and channel sampling are confirming that our properties are among the highest concentrations of Critical Rare Earth Oxides reported in North America. Our mission remains the creation of American jobs, while allowing our country to reestablish itself as a global manufacturing leader through the build out of the Company's resource rich properties."

Today's news coincides with the Company's previous announcement that it had extended its 2013 drilling and exploration program on its Last Chance Mine property, in addition to having initiated a new drilling and exploration program on an area that had historically not been mapped or drilled on its North Fork property. As of November 11th, USRE has completed drilling four new holes on the Last Chance Vein, for total of eight holes at the property. Road work to access the North Fork area is finished and drill pads are in place.

The Company has broadened its mining claims to more than 25,000 acres as a result of its successful 2013 drilling and exploration program. Surface channel sample assays from the initial 2013 Phase I North Fork exploration efforts identified significant grade percentages of Critical Rare Earth Oxides (dysprosium, terbium, europium, neodymium and yttrium), and Total Rare Earth Oxides.

Based on recent evaluation of the Company's latest Phase I field exploration sample assay return values, the Company believes there is significant potential to locate a newly defined critical rare earth deposit in the North Fork area of Idaho. Veins were identified based on historic grab samples, Phase I 2013 field mapping, and NI43-101 compliant surface channel sampling. Two channel samples returned average 6.5 feet (2m) REO grades at 10.3% and 8.4% with critical total rare earth grades running 1.4% and 1.2% respectively. The highest grade samples lie approximately 2130 feet (650m) north of the southern samples. The channel sample locations were taken along a known eighteen by four mile mineralized trend with the tenor of the veins indicating a potential for further exploration to tie the structures together. The estimated true vein thicknesses are 6.4 feet (1.95m) and 4.7 feet (1.43m) respectively.

In consideration of the recently received analysis, the Company has raised the North Fork area in priority and expects to begin drilling in the area as part of it Phase II drilling and exploration program this year based on these significant discoveries. The North Fork mineralized system, while different in mineralogy to that of the Lemhi Pass deposit at Last Chance, is seen as a significant opportunity to increase area critical rare earth resources amenable to centralize processing. Advanced exploration will need to be conducted to determine subsurface structure, average grades, and tonnages.

The four additional holes at the Last Chance Mine property have been completed and were placed along the strike of the vein where all four holes intersected the vein at depths between 229 feet (70m) – 492 feet (150m). The initial results of the four sub-surface drill holes in 2013 Phase I drilling and exploration of the Lemhi Pass not only confirmed historic data, but returned both higher grades of TREO and specifically CREO than historically reported.

This area of the Company's Last Chance Mine property has in-place historic earth workings consisting of access roads and underground tunnels (two adits) extending over 1500 feet (453m). The Company believes it will benefit from existing infrastructure and intends to leverage any such advantage to the fullest extent.

The Last Chance Mine property, located near the mining belt of east-central Idaho and west-central Montana is uniquely positioned for re-entry and development of a processing facility to create American jobs. Continuing exploration is focused on upgrading other historic data and defining new areas located throughout the trend in advance of mining and development of a separation mill.

In the North Fork area, the Company has begun drilling two new holes, which are scheduled to be completed in the next several weeks. Drilling is anticipated to provide subsurface confirmation of the significant results gleaned from compliant surface channel sample work and assays produced from its Phase I drilling and exploration program earlier this year. Subsurface exploration drilling of four holes along strike of a one kilometer (km) carbonatite vein and averaging approximately 6.5 feet (2m) in thickness at the surface is planned for investigation and analysis through 2014.

About U.S. Rare Earths, Inc.:
U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. is a U.S. based domestic mineral exploration, mining and claims acquisition company based in Plano, TX. The Company holds over 25,000 acres of mining claims for rare-earth elements in Colorado, and in the Lemhi Pass Region of Idaho and Montana.

Rare earth elements are critical to many existing and emerging 21st century applications including clean-energy technologies such as hybrid cars and electric vehicles; high-technology applications including cell phones and digital music players; hard disk drives used in computers; microphones; fiber optics; lasers; and in addition, critical defense applications such as global positioning systems, radar and sonar; and advanced water treatment applications, including those for industrial, military, homeland security, domestic and foreign aid use.

For more information visit www.usrareearths.com

Safe Harbor Statement:
Some statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, therefore, involve uncertainties or risks that could cause actual results to differ materially. These statements may contain words such as "desires," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates" or similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of the Company's future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause its actual performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, rare-earth industry risks, estimates of mineralized materials, litigation risks, plans to raise capital, and board, management and governance risks. Additional information regarding factors that could cause results to differ materially from management's expectations is found in the Company's SEC filings. The Company intends that the forward-looking statements contained herein be subject to the above-mentioned statutory safe harbors. Investors are cautioned not to rely on forward-looking statements.

RUBENSTEIN PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: JONATHAN GOLDBERG 212-843-9335 [e-mail]

[Jleetx]

I can not begin to thank you enough for the transparency and the detailed information regarding your vision. I am impressed with my due diligence on your company and I will start referring more investors to your site. I am excited for the future. I am very enthusiastic about the selection of the upper echelon of your board members and your entire team. I live in Waco, TX and I would welcome a visit one day. Thank you again for the great news and your willingness to post information. As a shareholder, this is much appreciated.

[patentminer2013]

Stock has really been looking good. I think the stock may be getting ready to really move out.

[Tommy]

$UREE - U.S. Rare Earths Letter To Shareholders

http://seekingalpha.com/news-article/8118672-u-s-rare-earths-letter-to-shareholders?source=email_portfolio&ifp=0

PLANO, Texas, Nov. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dear Fellow Shareholder, I want to personally thank you for your continued commitment to U.S. Rare Earths (UREE). Your support has been, and will continue to be, the foundation of our success. In light of the transformative process our company has taken during the recent months, not limited to a new management team, I recognize the importance of keeping our shareholders apprised of our progress. As the company's CEO, I pledge my commitment to maintain open and transparent communications with you. I am therefore pleased to provide you with the following update:

As many of you know, for the past two decades, global demand for rare earth elements has experienced an upward trend. This is projected to continue to grow as a result of the developing REE supply chain as more high-tech and green industry applications come to market. During this time, China has been the primary producer and refiner of rare earth elements. With China's dominance of the supply of REEs, the rest of the world is currently dependent on Chinese exports to meet its own growing needs specifically related to heavy rare earth elements ("HREE") and critical rare earth elements ("CREE").

Recent behaviors have demonstrated a desire to retain more of the materials for internal consumption. According to the Industrial Mineral Company of Australia (IMCOA), Chinese export quotas are projected to gradually decrease by a third from 30,200 tonnes in 2011 to 22,000 tonnes in 2016. In 2011, the rest of the world's demand exceeded Chinese exports of REE by 4,800 tonnes. By 2016, this gap is projected to widen to 34,000 tonnes indicating a need for a substantial increase of supply sources.

On September 10th, Russia announced its commitment to invest $1 billion to create an independent Russian based solution which will solve their dependency on China based exports. The Russian Academy of Science also has identified the Lemhi Pass as having the most significant CREE deposits in the Americas.

The executive management team, along with the full support of our new board of directors, is determined to create a completely independent American based supply chain solution within the continental United States.

We are equally determined to create an American based platform for self reliance by way of the development of an HREE and CREE separation facility in the continental United States. Importantly, we anticipate the facility and platform solution will include the requisite intellectual property to build a CREE processing plant located here in the U.S.

As U.S. Rare Earths holds nearly all of the historically known rare earth element mineralization occurrences in the Lemhi Pass District of East-Central Idaho and South-Western Montana, management believes we can certainly play an important role in addressing this increasing supply/demand disparity.

The well-known rare earth mineralized Lemhi Pass area covers approximately 120 square miles of terrain along the Idaho-Montana border. The Company holds more than 13,000 acres of mining lode claims in Montana and Idaho in and around the Lemhi Pass region as well as more than 12,000 acre of mining lode claims in Colorado.

As the stewards of these properties, we should not understate the significance of this American discovery and treat these critical resources as a true national treasure. The Company has committed and funded a significant exploration budget to build on the strong results of our 2013 Phase I Drill and Exploration Program and to confirm historic work reported by the Department of Energy, U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Geological Survey and The Russian Academy of Sciences. Our drilling and field work earlier this year has confirmed and expanded this historic data while providing confirmation of the aforementioned work.

The Company recently reported drilling, channel and surface sampling results on the "Last Chance" vein located in the Lemhi Pass area of Montana. Company geologists have defined a critical rare earth mineralized vein, open to exploration on both ends and at depth, with a surface length (strike) of at least 2200 feet (670m) and down-hole vein intersections of 3-29 ft (1-9m) at depths between 200-460 feet. The diamond core drilling efforts, totaling 1500 feet (455 m) with nine separate qualified surface channel samples totaling 202 feet (61.5 m), are being utilized to define critical rare earth mineralization along the "Last Chance" vein now initially defined both at surface and depth.

Unlike others in the space located in the U.S., Canada and Australia, our properties have been shown to possess large amounts of Critical Rare Earth Elements ("CREOs") dysprosium, terbium, europium, neodymium and yttrium. In addition, we have a clean balance sheet with no debt, putting us in a good position should we seek to build a cost effective, scalable rare earths separation plant in the future.

While we believe we have very valuable mineral assets, we also knew the importance of building a world class team capable of efficiently monetizing those assets. I'm pleased to tell you that we've successfully done exactly that. U.S. Rare Earths now has a management team and board of directors ideally suited to address the current political climate, national defense, separation, processing and commodity trading of rare earths.

In the last five months, the Company is pleased to have accomplished the following milestones:

Closed $4 million dollar private placement
General Tommy Franks, former Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command appointed to the company's Board of Directors. General Franks is a retired four-star General. He was promoted to Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command in June, 2000
Announced results of its 2013 exploration in Lemhi Pass, Montana. Results confirmed that the Company's properties have the highest accessible critical rare earth deposit in North America. The initial results of the sub-surface drilling in Phase I of the Lemhi Pass exploration not only confirms historic data, but returned higher grades of rare earths than first reported
Governor Bob Kerry appointed to the Board of Directors. Served as Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987, and was later elected to two terms as U.S. Senator from Nebraska, retiring in 2000. While serving in the Senate, he sat on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, which exercises oversight authority over all U.S. intelligence agencies including the military intelligence program
Mark Crandall appointed to the Board of Directors. Previously co-founded Morgan Stanley's energy business in the early 1980s. In 1993 he became a founding partner in Trafigura, an energy trading company, which grew to $30 billion in sales and 1,000 employees in 58 offices worldwide
Relocated Company headquarters to Plano, Texas
Received drill permit for the Last Chance region on the Montana side of the Lemhi Pass and commenced drilling program
Expanded the Company's mining claims to include over 25,000 acres
Commenced Phase II drilling program on October 29th to extend Phase I work on the Last Chance Mine property and initiate a new drill program on the Company's North Fork property in an area that was previously unmapped and never drilled
Independently prepared analysis of NI 43101 compliant channel samples taken during from the Company's Phase I Drilling and Exploration program at the Company's North Fork property are exceptional and will be reported shortly

All indications are that global demand for critical rare earth elements will remain high in upcoming years. We have laid a strong foundation for future growth as we seek to help solve America's need for rare earths sustainability. We believe that all of our hard work to date has placed U.S. Rare Earths, Inc., and its shareholders, in a strong position to benefit from not only the increasing demand but our ability to satisfy it. While there remains much work to do, we are excited and optimistic as we look to the future.

Our team's primary goal will always be the creation of long term sustainable shareholder value. Rest assured, we will continue to work diligently towards this pursuit. On behalf of myself and the rest of the U.S. Rare Earth's team, I want to thank you for your confidence in us and for your enthusiastic support. For those of you who will be attending our shareholder meeting in Plano, Texas on the 14th of November, I look forward to seeing you.

Sincerely,
Kevin Cassidy
Chief Executive Officer

About U.S. Rare Earths, Inc.:

U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. is a U.S. based domestic mineral exploration, mining and claims acquisition company based in Plano, TX. The Company holds over 25,000 acres of mining claims for rare-earth elements in Colorado, and in the Lemhi Pass Region of Idaho and Montana.

Rare earth elements are critical to many existing and emerging 21st century applications including clean-energy technologies such as hybrid cars and electric vehicles; high-technology applications including cell phones and digital music players; hard disk drives used in computers; microphones; fiber optics; lasers; and in addition, critical defense applications such as global positioning systems, radar and sonar; and advanced water treatment applications, including those for industrial, military, homeland security, domestic and foreign aid use.

For more information visit www.usrareearths.com

[patentminer2013]

US Rare Earths drills for American independence

Ana Komnenic | October 31, 2013

http://www.mining.com/us-rare-earth-24257/

RRE are a major component in US weapons manufacturing | Creative Commons image by Expert Infantry

Kevin Cassidy isn't just digging up rare earths, he's unearthing a "national treasure."

As the CEO of US Rare Earths – an exploration company with properties in Montana, Idaho and Colorado – Cassidy says his company could be a "game changer" for the US in terms of jobs, American independence and weapons manufacturing.

US Rare Earths announced this week that it was extending its 2013 drilling program, with eight more holes expected before the winter.

Building on historic data for more than 25,000 acres of land, Cassidy says the company is confirming high concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) which will help the US wean itself off of Chinese REE imports. Properties include areas of land that have been examined by the US Geological Survey since the 1950s and by private companies in the 1980s, though little work has been done since.

"We're drilling to prove, not just because we think it's there," Cassidy said.



Lemhi Pass drilling

Earlier this month the company secured a $4 million financing arrangement to expand its operations. Cassidy believes they could have initial production by next summer.

Using old tunnels already in place, the company plans on crushing the rock on-site and taking the mineral concentrate off-site for separation.

Producing more than 95% of the world's REE, China has near-complete control over prices and supply – a fact which has made the US very uneasy as it depends on these materials for a variety of products, most importantly weapons. Cassidy believes the US Department of Defence (DOD) would be one of the company's biggest customers. "We intend to create a complete supply chain solution in the US," the CEO explained. "I want to be able to provide the US government with US created and refined rare earths."

According to a paper published in September by the Federation of American Scientists, a nonpartisan research group, the DOD currently uses less than 5% of domestically-produced rare earths. The same study states that the DOD has not publicly classified REE as "strategic or critical" materials.

But in an interview with Bloomberg last year, a DOD official told reporters that the Pentagon was "continuously monitoring" the market for rare earth materials, keeping an eye out for supply shortages which would trigger REE stockpiling by the US.

Recently at the World Trade Organization, Japan and several other countries successfully challenged China's restrictions on rare earth exports. But aside from taking the issue to court, no country has been able to upset the Asian giant's dominance in the market – the main issue being an expensive and complex production process.

Cassidy doesn't see this is a problem. If China can do it, he says, so can America.

"You really believe no one in American can separate REE? Eighty percent of it is literally crushing rock."

[onewhoknows2much]

Rumor has it UREE’s properties are loaded with thorium and the DOE has estimated that they may control about 40% of the world’s supply.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/hans-blix-nuclear-must-use-thorium-fuel-to-reduce-weapons-risk/33080
It’s time for the industry to change its uranium ways, says the UN’s former chief weapons inspector.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/hans-blix-nuclear-must-use-thorium-fuel-to-reduce-weapons-risk/33080
It’s time for the industry to change its uranium ways, says the UN’s former chief weapons inspector.

Hans Blix: Nuclear must use thorium fuel to reduce weapons risk
By Mark Halper | October 30, 2013, 1:49 PM PDT

Thorium ahead. Hans Blix says it's time to move on from uranium.
–
GENEVA - Hans Blix, the disarmament specialist best known for finding no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq a decade ago, has called on the nuclear industry to start powering reactors with thorium instead of uranium, a move that he said would reduce the chance of fashioning weapons from nuclear waste.

“Thorium fuel gives rise to waste that is smaller in volume, less toxic and much less long lived than the wastes that result from uranium fuel,” Blix said in a presentation at the Thorium Energy Conference 2013 here yesterday.

Uranium poses weapons proliferation risks at different stops along its value chain. The nuclear industry enriches natural uranium with enough of a uranium isotope that makes the fuel suitable for conventional reactors and that at a higher mix could also lead to bomb material (that’s the concern surrounding Iran’s nuclear energy program). At the other end of the uranium cycle, plutonium “waste” could also be used for weapons.

“Even though designers and operators are by no means at the end of the uranium road, it is desirable today that they use their skill and imagination to explore and test other avenues as well,” said Blix, who directed the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1981 to 1997 and who was the United Nation’s chief weapons inspector from 2000 to 2003.

As I reported on my Weinberg blog yesterday, Blix noted:
“The civilian nuclear community must do what it can to help reduce the risk that more nuclear weapons are made from uranium or plutonium. Although it is enrichment plants and plutonium producing installations rather than power reactors that are key concern, this community can and should use its considerable brain power to design reactors that can be easily safeguarded and fuel and a fuel supply organizations that do not lend themselves to proliferation. I think in these regards the thorium community may have important contributions to make.”

Nuclear experts disagree over the extent to which thorium can reduce the weapons risk. Some enthusiasts say that thorium’s advantages would be optimized by using it in reactors that are altogether different from today’s, such as a molten salt reactor.
The four-day Thorium Energy Conference is taking place at international physics lab CERN. Earlier in the week Nobel prize winning physicist Carlo Rubbia - a former CERN director - also encouraged the use of thorium. Rubbia prefers a reactor type that is driven by a particle accelerator.

Photo of Hans Blix at Thorium Energy Conference is by Mark Halper

[onewhoknows2much]

In Search Of U.S. Rare Earths Independence

Oct 23 2013, 10:46 about: UREE, includes: MCP, REMX

Editor's Note: This article covers a micro-cap stock. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.

The United States, like most of the industrialized world, is currently engaged in a race to develop viable, non-Chinese sources of the rare earth elements that are so critical to modern technologies. We better move fast, or we will lose that race.

For the past two decades, global demand for rare earth elements has experienced an upward trend (Figure 1). This is projected to continue to grow as a result of the developing REE supply chain as more high-tech and green industry applications come into the marketplace. During this time, China has been the primary producer and refiner of rare earth elements. With China's dominance of the supply of REEs, the rest of the world (ROW) is currently dependent on Chinese exports to meet its own growing needs; however, recent behaviors have demonstrated a desire to retain more of the materials for internal consumption. According to the Industrial Mineral Company of Australia (IMCOA), Chinese export quotas are projected to gradually decrease by a third from 30,200 tonnes in 2011 to 22,000 tonnes in 2016. In 2011, ROW demand exceeded Chinese exports of REE by 4,800 tonnes.

By 2016, this gap is projected to widen to 34,000 tonnes indicating a need for a 2/3rds increase of ROW supply sources.

The ROW supply is projected to experience deficits of most REEs through 2015, with many of the light rare earths coming into balance during this time. A closer examination (Figure 3) of the projected supply and demand picture in 2016 shows several REEs are projected to continue to be in deficit. These REEs that have been identified as being particularly likely to experience future supply/demand deficits are termed by the Department of Energy as being critical rare earths or CREE.

Nations that control rare earth production own one of the most capable economic and national security levers in the modern world. Chinese leaders recognized this in the 1970's and moved to control the rare earth supply and use its domination as a tool; to attract high tech companies and manufacturing to China for growth of its economy and to create jobs. In 1992, Deng Xioping is quoted as saying "the Middle East has oil, China has rare earths." The Lemhi Pass and its CREO deposit represent a national treasure for America. Just as the United States has reestablished itself as the leading global energy producer, it is now time to reemerge as a leader in the production of rare earths.

One company that I believe is poised to lift America and the Free World from Chinese rare earth dependency is appropriately named U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. (OTC:UREE).

U.S. Rare Earths, Inc. controls more than 20,000 acres of mining claims across properties in Colorado, Montana, and Idaho including the rare earth resource rich Lemhi Pass region. Management at UREE has quickly and quietly been amassing a team of accomplished patriots who are strategically positioning the company as what might ultimately be the best domestic solution for rare earth independence in the free world.

In a short span of time, the Company has upgraded senior management with business and scientific experts, added key strategic Board members, obtained drill permits for each of its properties across three states, expanded its claims, initiated broad property wide exploration programs to include mapping, channel sampling and drilling, begun its N-43101 report and better capitalized the Company.

"US Rare Earths has been working at building a world-class company that can bring top quality jobs back to the US. As Americans, we cannot allow our fate to be left in the hands of a foreign monopoly which controls the production and distribution of rare earths. With General Franks, we have added a leader that understands the importance of rare earths and our country's need to have US production," said U.S. Rare Earths' Chairman of the Board, Victor Lattimore.

In addition to General Franks, the Company has added Governor and two-term Senator Bob Kerrey and Mark Crandall (co-founder of Morgan Stanley's commodities business) to its Board. The Company also has two of the most knowledgeable experts in rare earths and separation technology in Jim Hedrick and Sam Sinha, PhD on its Advisory Board. Hedrick and Sinha's efforts are well underway to develop a separation and processing plant.

Unlike Molycorp (MCP) and the rest of the pack in the U.S., Canada and Australia, U.S. Rare Earths' properties possess large amounts of Critical Rare Earth Elements ("CREOs") dysprosium, terbium, europium, neodymium and yttrium. In addition, unlike Molycorp and Lynas, U.S. Rare Earths is completely debt free and appears on track to build a cost effective, scalable rare earths separation plant under the guidance of Dr. Sinha, leveraging his 30+ years of expertise in rare earth extraction technology.
The Company recently reported drilling, channel and surface sampling results on the "Last Chance" vein located in the Lemhi Pass area of Montana. Company geologists have defined a critical rare earth mineralized vein, open to exploration on both ends and at depth, with a surface length (strike) of at least 2200 feet (670m) and down-hole vein intersections of 3-29 ft (1-9m) at depths between 200-460 feet. The diamond core drilling efforts, totaling 1500 feet (455 m) with nine separate qualified surface channel samples totaling 202 feet (61.5 m), are being utilized to define critical rare earth mineralization along the "Last Chance" vein now initially defined both at surface and depth.

U.S. Rare Earths holds nearly all of the historically known rare earth element mineralization occurrences in the Lemhi Pass District of East-Central Idaho and South-Western Montana. The Lemhi Pass area is ranked by Russian Academy of Sciences' Researcher, V. V. Seredin, as holding the richest critical rare earths in the continental U.S. The well known rare earth mineralized Lemhi Pass area covers approximately 120 Square Miles of terrain along the Idaho-Montana Border. The Company holds 97 mining lode claims in Montana and Idaho covering 1680 acres (680 hectares). Russia recently announced its commitment to invest $1 billion to develop its rare earth program. The Russian Academy of Sciences has identified UREE properties in Idaho and Montana, referenced below as "Lemhi Pass" as having the highest CREO ranking for the U.S., Canada and Australia.

The Company's CREO deposits have also been recognized by the Department of Energy ("DOE")

Through the work of the Russian Academy of Science and Seredin, the chart above ranks properties according to the amounts of CREOs they possess. UREE's Lemhi Pass region is the only property recognized by the Seredin report as having CREOs of significance. Properties controlled by Molycorp, Rare Element Resources (REE) and Avalon (AVL) fail to make the Seredin cut for CREOs.
In addition and importantly, each of the U.S. Rare Earths' properties are easily accessible and located close to proper infrastructure further advancing the Company's position in the race for REE independence.

U.S. Rare Earths' CEO Kevin Cassidy stated, "Based on the success of the Phase I season drilling, I have approved the request by our lead geologist, Howard Dunn, to initiate additional drilling in the Last Chance area of Lemhi Pass. Because this area is located in the continental US, with highways nearby, the area is perfectly positioned to meet the domestic demand for rare earths. The positive results from our drilling samples mean that we'll be able to secure significant amounts of much needed rare earths for domestic and global consumption without relying on mines in remote regions of the globe or be beholden to Chinese government policies."

Conclusion:

America has a problem and it's one that I believe U.S. Rare Earths might play a very material role in helping to solve.
The Company previously announced the results of its 2013 exploration in Lemhi Pass, Montana. The results confirmed that the company's properties have the highest accessible critical rare earth deposit in North America. The initial results of the sub-surface drilling in Phase I of the Lemhi Pass exploration, not only confirms historic data, but returned higher grades of rare earths than first reported.

Management is everything with any company and this Company has a literal dream team of American patriots ideally suited to address the current political climate, national defense, separation, processing and commodity trading of rare earths. Their bios speak for themselves. Clearly the Company is building itself into an institutional standard.

Specifically, Mark Crandall co-founded Morgan Stanley's energy business in the early 1980s. In 1993 he became a founding partner in Trafigura, an energy trading company, which grew to $30 billion in sales and 1,000 employees in 58 offices worldwide.
Bob Kerrey served as Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987, and was later elected to two terms as U.S. Senator from Nebraska, retiring in 2000. While serving in the Senate, he sat on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, which exercises oversight authority over all U.S. intelligence agencies including the military intelligence program.

General Tommy Franks, former Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command was appointed to the company's Board of Directors on August 28, 2013. General Franks is a retired four-star General. He was promoted to Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command in June, 2000.

John Victor Lattimore, Jr.: Mr. Lattimore was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors on June 27, 2011. Since 1996, Mr. Lattimore has served as President and Chairman of the Board of Lattimore Properties, Inc. of Plano, Texas. From 1986 to 2011, he was President of Lattimore Materials Company, LP, whose operations included seven aggregate mines, twenty-six manufacturing plants, four rail terminals and over 400 mixer and haul trucks. Lattimore Materials was a fully integrated supply chain operation, which employed more than 1,600 people. Lattimore Materials was the largest privately held concrete and aggregate company in the Southwest.

Mr. Kevin M. Cassidy was a Founding Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Archeus Capital Management, LLC, a multi strategy hedge fund that managed in excess of $3.0 billion in assets. Mr. Cassidy was responsible to optimize the use of the firm's Capital Balance, which regularly exceeded $1 billion by deploying an effective treasury and cash management strategy at the firm. Mr. Cassidy also served as the Chief Operating Officer for Bank Julius Baer (BJB), based in Zurich. BJB at that time was the largest privately held Bank in Switzerland. Previously, Mr. Cassidy was President and Managing Director of UBS Securities Swaps Inc.

Dr. Sam P. Sinha: Sam Sinha's graduate thesis was a study of the Solvent Extraction behavior of the Ternary Complexes of the Lanthanides and their Spectroscopic Studies. Dr. Sinha has worked with various aspects of the rare earths chemistry and technology for the last five decades and has a unique interdisciplinary research, academic and corporate world background. He possesses the ability to contribute to a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers and organize task force for large scale projects. Dr. Sinha has broad experience in participative and consensus management. Dr. Sinha maintains high visibility in his field through his research, work with the government officials, corporate executives and academic and industrial scientists.
Mr. Hedrick was appointed as Chairman of the Company's Advisory Board on December 15, 2010. Mr. Hedrick recently retired from his position as the Rare Earth commodity specialist for the U.S. Geological Survey after 31 years of service where he studied all aspects of the Rare Earth elements sector for the U.S. Government. His responsibilities included the preparation of the U.S. Government's Rare Earths reviews and writing publications on a variety of minerals and metals. He continues to write articles for the minerals industry and has chaired various sessions on Rare Earths and strategic and critical minerals in the United States and Europe. Mr. Hedrick has worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (civilian) and the U.S. Bureau of Mines, followed by his position with the U.S. Geological Survey. Within those roles, he has researched strategic deposits, prepared cost feasibility studies, and reviewed environmental impact statements. He has also published over 300 articles and professional papers on mineral commodities.

When it comes to investing, there's a lot to be said for investing in those who have proven skills, a track record of success, and the necessary resources at their disposal. The biographies above can only be considered a strong affirmation of U.S. Rare Earths having all of the above.

Of course, with any development stage mining company there are risks. Special attention should be paid to make sure the company is in a mining friendly location that is politically stable, has proven management, and is adequately funded to prove up resources. These factors can greatly influence the overall success of any project.

The race to U.S. rare earth independence is on. Who will ultimately win the race remains up for debate, but one thing is certain in my mind, U.S. Rare Earths has undoubtedly positioned itself as a viable front runner.

[onewhoknows2much]

Rare Earths in the United States

Monday July 29, 2013, 4:25am PDT

By Staff Writer - Exclusive to Rare Earth Investing News
The rare earth elements are a group of 17 elements on the periodic table composed of the lanthanides, yttrium and scandium. They are typically discovered together but are considered rare because they are not often found in large, commercially viable concentrations.

Rare earth elements are used for manufacturing high-tech products like MRI scanners and cell phones. China has thus far been the largest supplier of rare earth elements, but analysts from the US Geological Survey (USGS) recently determined the United States is sitting on a sizable untapped reserve of them in the west part of the country. New extraction techniques will allow companies to access this rare earth in old mine tailings, ABC reported.

Currently, mining company Molycorp operates the only site in the United States that produces rare earth elements, according to ABC. Its Phoenix Project is located in California. Otherwise, the USGS recognizes Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Colorado as some of the locations of economically viable rare earth deposits.

Molycorp (NYSE:MCP)

With headquarters in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Molycorp claims to be one of the leading manufacturers of custom engineered rare earth and rare metal products in the world. The company produces materials from 13 different rare earths, plus yttrium, at a purity level of nearly 100 percent.

Currently, Molycorp is operating the Project Phoenix at its Mountain Pass site in California, which is a rare earth resource and production facility. The project, an expansion and modernization of the Mountain Pass mine, is intended to transform the asset into a technologically advanced rare earth production facility.

Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV:UCU)

Based in Canada, the company is in the development phase and focuses on rare metal resources with near-term production potential. Ucore owns multiple properties across North America, but its primary asset is its 100-percent-owned Bokan-Dotson Ridge Project in Alaska.

According to the company website, this property is rich in heavy rare earth elements, such as dysprosium, terbium and yttrium. It is the only rare earth element deposit in the world that has immediate deep-water access, and it also has the highest grade of NI 43-101-compliant heavy rare earth element resources in the world.

US Rare Earths (OTCBB:UREE)

The mineral exploration, mining and claims acquisition company is based in Plano, Texas, and was formerly known as Colorado Rare Earths. It has rare-earth mining properties in Colorado, Idaho and Montana, which together span more than 16,000 acres.

One of its assets, the Diamond Creek Project in Idaho, was recently evaluated for its estimated resources. Researchers found a number of individual rare earth elements present in notable quantities, including cerium, neodymium, lanthanum and yttrium.

Rare Element Resources (TSXV:RES)

Rare Elements Resources is a mineral resource company based in Lakewood, Colorado. Its main asset is the 100-percent-owned Bear Lodge Project located in Wyoming. According to the company website, this property has one of the largest disseminated rare earth element deposits in North America. Bear Lodge hosts both high-grade, light rare earth and heavy rare earth.

A 2012 study of the project determined its measured and indicated resources have increased by 65 percent since the previous year to reach 14.7 million tons at an average grade of 3.22 percent total rare earth oxides. Additionally, the inferred resource estimate rose to 31.4 million tons at 2.68 percent total rare earth oxides.
Texas Rare Earth Resources (OTCMKTS:TRER)

Based in El Paso, Texas Rare Earth’s flagship project is named Round Top. A preliminary economic assessment done in 2011 describes a tertiary rhyolite intrusion containing both heavy and light rare earth elements. Total rare earth element oxides (REO) are pegged at 299,500,000 kilograms of rare earth oxides graded 0.064 percent in the measured and indicated categories, with an inferred resource of 430,598,000 kg. The company announced a heap leach scoping study in July 2013 confirming recoveries of up to 79.9 percent.

Niocorp Developments Ltd. (TSXV:NB)

Niocorp, formerly Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp., is developing the Elk Creek Carbonatite, which according to Niocorp, is the only primary niobium deposit in the United States. While niobium is not a rare earth element, the deposit also contains a high-grade rare earth deposit 2.5 kilometers from the niobium deposit. Historic total rare earth oxide (TREO) intercepts include 54.9 m of 3.30 percent, contained in 155 m of 2.70 percent.

[EZ2]

Been on watch list --- but, must ask ----- WHY? is there no volume on this stock?

Tempting --- but, sitting on hands!

[Strategictimes]

Mark A. Smith Molycorp's former CEO is as of last week NioCorp's CEO. NIOBF-OTCQX or Nb-TSXV

NioCorp's Elk Creek was a Molycorp project in the 80's

Elk Creek sits on $30 billion worth of Niobium.

Mark is putting a lot of his own money into the project...

He must know something that the rest of us don't

[onewhoknows2much]

TOP NEWS
Tue, Sep 10 05:36 AM EDT

By Gleb Stolyarov

MOSCOW (Reuters) Russia will invest $1 billion in rare earths production by 2018 in a bid to become less dependent on China, which controls more than 90 percent of global supply of the elements used in sectors including defense, telecommunications and renewable energy.

The United States, Japan and the European Union have complained to the World Trade Organization about China's efforts to control the sector, saying China is trying to use its stranglehold over supply to drive up prices and gain a competitive advantage.

Rostec and IST group, an investment company belonging to Russian tycoon Alexander Nesis, have agreed to invest $1 billion in rare earths production by 2018, they said in a statement on Tuesday.

Rostec aims to cover Russian demand for these raw materials by 2017, the company added.

"The (Russian) President (Vladimir Putin) and the government have set a task to expand rare earths production as Russia's stocks are almost depleted," a source in state industrial and defense conglomerate Rostec told Reuters on Tuesday.

"Stocks need to be replenished as the main producer, China, has increased prices sharply," the source said.

TriArkMining, a joint venture (JV) between Rostec and IST, has won the right to acquire 82,653 tonnes (1.1023 tons) of monazite concentrate, stored in warehouses of state-owned Uralmonatsit in the Sverdlovsk region of Russia's Urals.

The JV plans to extract about 40,000 tonnes of rare earths from the monazite concentrate stored in the warehouses over the course of seven or eight years starting from 2015, the companies said.

The stock is rich in heavy rare earths, such as dysprosium and terbium, crucial for high-power magnets needed by the auto, defense and clean energy industries.

Heavy rare earths are scarcer than cerium and other light rare earths, making them much more valuable.

Russia consumes about 1,500 tonnes of rare earths per year and annual demand is expected to reach 6,000 tonnes by 2020, Rostec said.

The company, which has eight firms producing a wide range of defense products, sees rare earths as a strategic raw material.

China will cap rare earth production at 93,800 tonnes for 2013 as part of efforts to rein in unlicensed production in the sector, it said last week.

"Russia accounts for only 2 percent of the world's rare earths production. Without new projects, its share in world output would fall below 1.5 percent in the coming years," Sergey Chemezov, Rostec's chief executive, said in the statement.

"Besides that, Russia's high-tech industry will be protected against fluctuations in the rare earths global market."

The ICT group will be a managing partner in the JV, using its experience in industrial engineering and construction of mineral processing and hydrometallurgical plants.

[onewhoknows2much]

Appointment of General Tommy Franks to the Board of Directors

On August 28, 2013, the Company announced that it had appointed General Tommy Franks to its Board of Directors.

General Franks is a retired four-star General. General Franks was promoted to Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command in June, 2000. The world knows General Franks best following the culmination of an almost four-decade military career that saw him lead American and Coalition troops in two strategically unprecedented campaigns in two years as Commander of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.

General Tommy Franks was born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, and grew up in Midland, Texas, where he graduated from Robert E. Lee High School. After two years at the University of Texas, Mr. Franks joined the United States Army, and in 1967, as a distinguished graduate of the Artillery Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and sent to Vietnam.

Mr. Franks service in Vietnam earned him six awards for Valor and three Purple Hearts. This assignment was the start of a long and distinguished career which would take him from one world hot spot to another, from West Germany at the height of the Cold War to the Demilitarized Zone in Korea, to the deserts of Arabia where Mr. Franks gained the knowledge and experience which would prepare him for the leadership role that would mark his place in the annals of American history.

General Franks attended the University of Texas, Arlington, where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, and Shippensburg University where he graduated with a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Mr. Franks is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the Army War College.

The General's awards include five Distinguished Service Medals, four Legions of Merit, four Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts in addition to numerous foreign awards. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by order of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on May 25, 2004. President George W. Bush awarded Mr. Franks m the Nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on December 14, 2004.

General Franks has received honorary degrees from a number of universities including his alma mater, Shippensburg University, and his wife's alma mater, Oklahoma State University.

Since Mr. Franks retirement from the military in 2003, General Franks has traveled the world, speaking on leadership, character and the value of Democracy. His autobiography, American Soldier debuted as Number 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list in August 2004.

General Franks serves on the boards of the University of Texas, Arlington and William Penn University. He is Co-Chair of the Flight 93 memorial foundation and serves as an Advisor to the Military Child Education Coalition, Operation HomeFront Oklahoma, and the Southeastern Guide Dog Organization.

There are no related party transactions between Mr. Franks and the Company.

[onewhoknows2much]

I think the reputations of those involved here really speak for themselves. Ultimately I don't know what role the General plays, but it's not hard to make a logical assumption that the US is going to need to alleviate its dependence on foreign sources of rare earths. Our military simply cannot continue to be dependent on China.

Bottom line, the board here is not what you would generally find with any company, let alone a small company like US Rare Earths.

Their involvement speaks volumes, their reputations everything.

Not one would dare compromise those reputations, built on decades of honored sacrifice, for any business opportunity if it didn't too have some positive implications for the very country they've so heroically served virtually their entire lives.