Replies to post #16197 on ~*~Mining and Metals Du Jour~*~

[Dr. King Schultz]

It may be more complicated than refining some other metals.
But nonetheless it is doable, as shown by Iamgold and their Niobec mine.
Advantage of Sarissa is also: They have agreements with the first nations already, and it will be cost-effective open-pit mining, not underground.

[cbmm]

I was reading about CBMM and the family that created it. This is an interesting excerpt. Do you think the difficulty of the refining process and the fact it is a closely guarded secret would affect these small miners like SRSR and NIOBF ? If what they say is true it would be tough to compete with 'just' a mining operation.

>>>> It`s a interesting question. Secret is the power of CBMM on thriving on Niobium field. The good thing is, now it`s not secret anymore. there`s huge confidential documents leaked at twitter @niobiocbmm (URL twitter.com/niobiocbmm) and you can find a lot of answers. You can even email to [e-mail] that he`s providing for free secret files about CBMM and their financial stuff and technology research.



CBMM’s techniques are such a closely-guarded secret that the Asian steelmakers that bought a stake -- including China’s Baosteel Group Corp. and Japan’s Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp (5401). -- have never been allowed to carry out technical due diligence work.

>>>>> Correct. chinese japanese korean bought 30% of production of niobium but they are not allowed to see how things really works.


“CBMM is not a mining company, but a technology company,” Carneiro said. The metal is not rare, he said. “What is rare is the market.”

The process is so complex and capital-intensive that, while there are 300 known niobium deposits around the world, there are only four working mines. It requires multiple refining stages to turn powdery brown earth with just 3 percent niobium content into an iron alloy with 66 percent purity, which is what global steelmakers buy.


>>>>>>>>>>> Now it`s not complex anymore. the twitter @niobiocbmm released huge leak about how it works the extraction of rare earth.