China rare earth breakthrough in icy northeast could cement country’s dominance

A new type of deposit in Heilongjiang and Jilin promises easier, cheaper mining than in southern clay-rich areas, say scientists

The discovery of the new deposits “could potentially rewrite the ‘heavy in the south, light in the north’ pattern of rare earth resources in China”, a team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ (CAS) Institute of Geology and Geophysics and the Heilongjiang Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources said in a paper published in the Chinese journal Acta Petrologica Sinica last month.

Rare earth elements are a group of 17 critical minerals – including cerium, neodymium and dysprosium – that are used to produce electronics, large magnets, superconductors, and green and defence technologies.

Source: News - South China Morning Post