2026-06-15 ミシガン大学
＜関連情報＞
- https://news.umich.edu/can-north-america-mine-enough-rare-earth-elements/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092134492600251X
北米におけるレアアース採掘の国内回帰 Onshoring North American rare earth mining
Stephen Kesler, Gregory Keoleian, Christian Hitt, Jacob Cieply, Hyung Chul Kim, Robert De Kleine, James E. Anderson
Resources, Conservation and Recycling Available online: 13 June 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.109027
Graphical abstract
Highlights
- North America has 28 drill-tested deposits that could help onshore rare earth mining.
- These deposits have a rare earth resource of 35 Mt, 90x more than current world production.
- Deposit grades and tonnages are similar to those in Australia, Greenland and China.
- Mountain Pass and Jessup mine production falls short of estimated current demand.
- Production may be augmented rapidly by mining Atlantic Coastal Plain placer deposits.
Abstract
We evaluated 28 drill-tested North American (NA) rare earth element (REE) deposits and their suitability for commercialization to supply domestic end-use demand. Tonnages and grades (total rare earth oxide, TREO), as well as thorium contents of NA deposits are similar to deposits of interest in Australia, Greenland, and China (except Bayan Obo). Total NA resources (35 Mt TREO) are 90x greater than present world production (0.39 Mt/year). NA production from the Mountain Pass and Jesup mines (0.045 Mt TREO/yr) can be augmented rapidly by increasing production from soft-rock placer deposits in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, including Ti-Zr and kaolin sand deposits. Light REEs could come from hard-rock deposits, Bear Lodge in the U.S. or the Canadian Niobec and Wicheeda carbonatite deposits, with heavy REEs from Round Top in the U.S., although Strange Lake and Nechalacho in Canada are more attractive. Cooperative production agreements and relief from low-grade mining costs could come from policy assistance.
