[SMM] Linus Mt Weld Mine: may become the largest rare Earth supply Base in Foreign countries

SMM11, 15 March: recently, foreign media said that the Linus rare earth smelter in Malaysia may be shut down by the Malaysian government due to environmental factors. The Malaysian public, communities and non-governmental organizations are opposed to the storage of Linus waste in the country because of the harm to public health and the ecological environment caused by radiation and toxic waste from rare earths.

(Linus rare Earth smelter in Malaysia)

It is reported that Australia's Linus rare Earth Company, located in Guandan on the east coast of Malaysia, is the world's largest rare earth refining plant worth more than A $1 billion and the largest rare earth supply base outside China. So, what is the scale of this rare earth base, which is known as the largest rare earth base in foreign countries?

Mount Weld (Mt Weld) is a mountain and mine in Western Australia, about 30 km (19 miles) south of Laverton and 120km (75 miles) east of Leonora. It is one of the most abundant major rare earth deposits in the world.

(Mount Weld) in Western Australia

The rare earths of the mine are included in secondary phosphate and aluminum phosphate and are presumably derived from weathered Proterozoic Welder carbonate. The main commercial interest is for oxides and other niobium and tantalum deposits in Mount Weld where carbonate rocks invade the tube, which are about 3km (1.9mi) in diameter. The main sediments are located in the soil and weathered layer, covering the entire carbonate rock, and forming a shallow lens within a surface of 60 meters (200 feet). The most important rare earth oxide deposits, central lanthanide deposits, chemical liquid phase deposits, are located in the center of carbonate rocks, and niobium / tantalum and other deposits are usually located on the outer edge. Chemical liquid phase deposition, discovered in 1988, represents the spectacular concentration of rare earth sediments. The deposit is considered to be the largest and highest grade deposit of its kind in the world.

The mine, owned by Linus (Lynas Corporation Ltd), in Australia, is expected to become the largest source of rare earth elements outside China once the, Mount Weld mine is put into operation. SMM collated its ore reserves, based on Linus' 2018 results.

Ore reserves within the boundary of a mine:

Ore reserves ore:

Total ore reserves:

Status of rare earth mineral resources in MT WELD as of 2018:

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