North Bay Resources Inc (NBRI)

[Cee-It]

Well, maybe in another hundred years someone will decide to open another Niobium mine, MAYBE NOT... (read at the bottom)

Where is Niobium Found? Niobium does not occur freely in nature. It is primarily found in pyrochlore, a niobium-rich, complex mineral of calcium and sodium that also contains iron, titanium, rare earths and other elements. Pyrochlore, in the form NaCaNb2O6F, is the most important mineral for niobium extraction and production. As niobium and tantalum are similar elements, they occur together in nature. Niobium can also be found in columbite, which is a niobate of iron and manganese that can be processed directly into a ferroniobium-tantalum alloy with a 10:1 to 12:1 ratio of niobium to tantalum.

Over three-quarters of the world’s niobium production currently comes from Brazil, with most of the remainder coming from eastern Canada. The rest is made up by small amounts of production from Western Australia, China and Central Africa. There are also large, yet unexplored reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Colombia and Russia. A relatively large amount of niobium is recovered in recycling, primarily as a by-product of recycling other metals associated with niobium. Niobium is not generally shipped as a mineral concentrate, but it is instead converted to ferroniobium (FeNb), an alloy of iron and niobium.

Brazil: The world’s largest deposit of pyrochlore is located at Araxá, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, and is owned by Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM). CBMM’s mine, with grades running between 2.5 - 3.0% Nb2O5, is operated as an open-pit, without much need for drilling or explosives. The Araxá deposit contains about 460 million tons, enough reserves to supply current world demand for about 500 years. Production at Araxá today supplies between 65% and 70% of the world demand for niobium products.

It's like a spigot.. they turn it up or down to get the best price..