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Article: Discovery of rare earth minerals could lead to new industry: fifty years ago, no one could have guessed that a seemingly worthless black mineral would become one of the most valuable inputs for high-technology and environmental applications.(KEY ECONOMIC SECTOR: MINERAL EXPLORATION)
- Article from:
- SaskBusiness
- Article date:
- May 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Sunrise Publishing Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Hoidas Lake Rare Earth Project, based in Saskatoon, is North America's most advanced rare earth element property in development according to its owner, Great Western Minerals Group Ltd. (GWMG). The site has the potential to supply at least 10 per cent of North American demand.
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Today, rare earths are vital to technologies that include hybrid vehicles, fibre optic networks, computer monitors, energy-efficient fluorescent lamps and precision lenses.
Rare earth elements are not really rare, says Gary Billingsley, chairman and chief financial officer of GWMG. "Any chunk of granite will have rare earths in it," he says. ...