Lifton says Russia not ready for REE exports till 2020

[Sparty]

Russian deposits, while ranked third-largest globally, are largely undeveloped. Output remains limited to one Soviet-era plant in the Murmansk region.
"I would say if they start now you would see that at the end of this decade they could be producing," said Jack Lifton, founder of the industry consultancy Technology Metals Research.


"We are not looking for (Russian) production to happen anytime soon."


Read full article


Snippets:
Beijing's unilateral quota triggered a hysterical reaction and also prompted a search for alternatives.

The REE crunch, however, may provide Russia an opportunity. Currently, it has almost no REE production; rare earth metals are mostly produced as a byproduct.

In northern Russia, for instance, the Lovozersk integrated mining-and-processing plant (IMPP) mines loparite ores (which contain a wide array of REEs: Tantalum, niobium, zirconium, lanthanum, cerium, etc.) and the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant (SMP) processes those concentrates. But these facilities focus on magnesium production?the REE business is merely auxiliary.

Russia has the second largest explored REE reserves in the world (~30%) and the world's largest anticipated reserves. A good example is the Lovozersk deposit, which consists of three main minerals in about equal shares.

The second gem is the Tomtor deposit in Yakutia, where REE content in ores reaches a phenomenal 12%. Moreover, its proven reserves total 150 Mt., while possible reserves may exceed all global reserves combined.

Finally, another promising source?apatite ore?is mined on a massive scale to produce phosphorus fertilizers. Comprehensive processing of the apatite raw material might produce ~40,000 tons of rare earth metals per year, according to experts.

Unlike fertilizers, REEs are exceptionally expensive and rising, so Russia is well placed to leverage its mining capabilities and infrastructure. Supplying semi-finished products to developed countries might be a good start for establishing an advanced REE production chain in Russia.