Prospects look bright for Kazakh rare earth project
Will Kazakhstan be able to find enough deposits of rare earths to become a significant global player as prices soar? It seems likely. And if that happens, do not expect Kazakhstan to compete with China. Look instead for Kazakhstan to reach a highly profitable cartel agreement to share the global market with its giant eastern neighbor. China has dominated the rare earths global supply, but now it is drastically curtailing exports, throwing high-tech economies and major corporations in the United States, Germany, Japan and South Korea into panic. Rare earths are exceptionally rare elements and minerals that are essential for many high-tech industrial processes. They are vital, for example, to produce Blackberrys, televisions and hybrid cars. Rare earths can be produced from uranium tailings, which means countries rich in uranium are the most likely places to find them, or the minerals and elements from which they can be extracted. And that automatically moves Kazakhstan to the top ...