Focus on rare earth element deposits in the DR

[Dolores]

During his wrap up of the official visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Dominican Republic on 5 and 6 February 2025, President Luis Abinader said the focus had been security, migration and trade, in that order.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the other hand, opened his remarks making it clear he had come for business. His first mention was about the talks regarding the rare earth elements found in southwestern Dominican Republic. The karst bauxite deposits in Pedernales are reported to have a wealth of minerals today highly valued for their optical and electrical conductivity properties. Since 2023, the US Army Engineering Corps have been studying the potential for their assessment and exploitation. The Las Mercedes site in southwestern Pedernales is the most promising.

Rubio also highlighted the opportunities for the Dominican Republic and expressed support...

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[Trackerazuk]

Dont trust the US govt in trade issues ,they will destroy the environment not care. This administration is only interested in taking.not sharing wealth!

 

[Ecoman1949]

Dont trust the US govt in trade issues ,they will destroy the environment not care. This administration is only interested in taking.not sharing wealth!

True but the DR will never say no to another source of revenue developed with US money by US companies. More to the point, DR environmental regulations are lax and rarely enforced.

 

[slowmo]

If the DR has enough rare earth deposits, the US will offer to make the DR the 54rd state, right after Canada, Greenland and Gaza.

 

[jaguar86]

Here is the study.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11723596/pdf/pone.0315147.pdf

Luis says that we have around 100 millions tons of Rare Earth (total ore).
Another study needs to be done to determine the amount of actual Rare Earth Elements that can be commercialized. ChatGPT says that Rare Earth Elements is usually around 3% to 5% of the total ore. 3 million tons to 5 million tons is a economic value between 60 to 100 billion. This will place DR in the top 6 place of Rare Earth Elements in the world. Higher than the United States.

1. )China – 44 million tons

2.) Vietnam – 22 million tons

3.) Brazil – 21 million tons

4.) Russia – 12 million tons

5.) India – 6.9 million tons

6.) United States – 2.3 million tons

 

[jaguar86]

Here is the study.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11723596/pdf/pone.0315147.pdf

Luis says that we have around 100 millions tons of Rare Earth (total ore).
Another study needs to be done to determine the amount of actual Rare Earth Elements that can be commercialized. ChatGPT says that Rare Earth Elements is usually around 3% to 5% of the total ore. 3 million tons to 5 million tons is a economic value between 60 to 100 billion. This will place DR in the top 6 place of Rare Earth Elements in the world. Higher than the United States.

1. )China – 44 million tons

2.) Vietnam – 22 million tons

3.) Brazil – 21 million tons

4.) Russia – 12 million tons

5.) India – 6.9 million tons

6.) United States – 2.3 million tons

I underestimated the economic value. 5 million tons is currently worth around 275 billion. This may get countries interested in Haiti since this discovery is so close to the border, it makes since for Haiti to have some Rare Earth as well.

 

[fuchs4d]

I underestimated the economic value. 5 million tons is currently worth around 275 billion. This may get countries interested in Haiti since this discovery is so close to the border, it makes since for Haiti to have some Rare Earth as well.

Does this mean there soon will be an offer to buy the Dominican Republic?

Alexander Fuchs

 

[jaguar86]

Does this mean there soon will be an offer to buy the Dominican Republic?

Alexander Fuchs

That is what I am afraid of. DJT already said that he wants Ukraine's Rare Earth in exchange for the protection that he is giving them. We will probably need to change our name to the American Republic.

 

[La Profe_1]

No more US political allusions. They are off topic and not allowed.

 

[Ecoman1949]

I underestimated the economic value. 5 million tons is currently worth around 275 billion. This may get countries interested in Haiti since this discovery is so close to the border, it makes since for Haiti to have some Rare Earth as well.

First of all don’t place too much faith in the accuracy of the list of countries with rare earth resources. As of 2023, Canada had 15.2 million tons of proven reserves of rare earth oxide and more is being discovered. The DR reserves aren’t proven at this point.

The better deal for the DR would be mining the ore and shipping it to the US for processing. Less jobs for the DR but a significant reduction in the very toxic waste generated during processing. The US is leading the initiative and I don’t expect that to happen. Their objective is fast extraction and then, cut and run once the resource is depleted.

As I posted in another thread, parts of the US plan will not sit well with Abinader because his government has tourism development plans for the area and a mine with large tailings ponds filled with very toxic waste is not something he wants. It is a good way of strengthening the DR-US relationship but the DR will bear the bigger long term cost environmentally.

 

[bob saunders]

First of all don’t place too much faith in the accuracy of the list of countries with rare earth resources. As of 2023, Canada had 15.2 million tons of proven reserves of rare earth oxide and more is being discovered. The DR reserves aren’t proven at this point.

The better deal for the DR would be mining the ore and shipping it to the US for processing. Less jobs for the DR but a significant reduction in the very toxic waste generated during processing. The US is leading the initiative and I don’t expect that to happen. Their objective is fast extraction and then, cut and run once the resource is depleted.

As I posted in another thread, parts of the US plan will not sit well with Abinader because his government has tourism development plans for the area and a mine with large tailings ponds filled with very toxic waste is not something he wants. It is a good way of strengthening the DR-US relationship but the DR will bear the bigger long term cost environmentally.

Do you really know the Americans plan?

 

[Ecoman1949]

Do you really know the Americans plan?

Not hard to figure out Bob. China introduced an inexpensive publicly available AI system a few weeks ago that completely blindsided US AI developers and put a fire under them and Trump. Trump immediately enlisted the help of billionaires to finance US AI development and get ahead of the Chinese. On top of that he asked the Saudi’s to invest $660 Billion to help speed up US AI development and build supporting infrastructure. The main focus of Marco’s visit was the immediate need for US companies to start resource extraction in the DR. The US rush to develop AI and their need for rare earth resources is palpable.

Trump is eyeing countries that have or could have rare earth resources, Canada and now the DR, also Greenland for the same reasons. The Canada-US border and fentanyl issues are red herrings. Trump wants us to be the 51st state because he wants our resources, specifically oil ( third largest reserves in the world) and rare earth resources.

Assuming the US tariffs aren’t implemented against Canada, US money and expertise will be used to develop and start resource extraction in Canada. In the mean time the DR resource extraction plan is further along. 2026 is the start date target. It could start before that. It’s much quicker to mine the ore and do resource extraction on site. That’s the way it will be done in the DR first and in Canada eventually. US mining companies will need to meet stringent Canadian environmental regulations. The DR regulations and enforcement are very lax by comparison.

Normally before granting mining permits, governments negotiate an environmental remediation bond to cover reclamation and remediation costs when the companies depart. As far as I know, that’s never been done in the DR. The DR government and DR citizens will be left to deal with the environmental impacts of rare earth resource extraction. They’re already dealing with the impacts from the gold mining operations.

 

[bob saunders]

Not hard to figure out Bob. China introduced an inexpensive publicly available AI system a few weeks ago that completely blindsided US AI developers and put a fire under them and Trump. Trump immediately enlisted the help of billionaires to finance US AI development and get ahead of the Chinese. On top of that he asked the Saudi’s to invest $660 Billion to help speed up US AI development and build supporting infrastructure. The main focus of Marco’s visit was the immediate need for US companies to start resource extraction in the DR. The US rush to develop AI and their need for rare earth resources is palpable.

Trump is eyeing countries that have or could have rare earth resources, Canada and now the DR, also Greenland for the same reasons. The Canada-US border and fentanyl issues are red herrings. Trump wants us to be the 51st state because he wants our resources, specifically oil ( third largest reserves in the world) and rare earth resources.

Assuming the US tariffs aren’t implemented against Canada, US money and expertise will be used to develop and start resource extraction in Canada. In the mean time the DR resource extraction plan is further along. 2026 is the start date target. It could start before that. It’s much quicker to mine the ore and do resource extraction on site. That’s the way it will be done in the DR first and in Canada eventually. US mining companies will need to meet stringent Canadian environmental regulations. The DR regulations and enforcement are very lax by comparison.

Normally before granting mining permits, governments negotiate an environmental remediation bond to cover reclamation and remediation costs when the companies depart. As far as I know, that’s never been done in the DR. The DR government and DR citizens will be left to deal with the environmental impacts of rare earth resource extraction. They’re already dealing with the impacts from the gold mining operations.

Better check the agreement between Barrick and the DR government. You will see there is a requirement for remediation of the environment. The Drug issues RE NOT A RED HERRING. The US also has plenty of undeveloped Rare Earth Resources. https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5220/pdf/SIR2010-5220.pdf#page=82

 

[Ecoman1949]

Better check the agreement between Barrick and the DR government. You will see there is a requirement for remediation of the environment. The Drug issues RE NOT A RED HERRING. The US also has plenty of undeveloped Rare Earth Resources. https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5220/pdf/SIR2010-5220.pdf#page=82

I’m aware the DR has remediation requirements in their legislation. They are not enforced. They don’t require companies to post remediation bonds as part of their permitting process. Toxic waste from the settling ponds has leached in the soil and watercourses well beyond the mine site. Barrack is reactive not proactive addressing pollution problems.

The drug issue is definitely a red herring. Less than one percent of the total illegal fentanyl crosses from Canada into the US. Latest CBSA research indicates most of the illegal fentanyl produced in illegal Canadian labs is actually sent to Australia, not the US.

Total number of illegal immigrants crossing the Canada-US border last year, 190,000. Mexico 2.5 million. Less than one tenth. We have a bigger problem with illegal guns and drugs coming into Canada from the US.

The US has 1.9 million tons of proven rare earth resources, 7th highest in the world but the US ranks second in the world for the production of rare earth metals. They are quickly depleting their rare earth resources. That’s why they are eyeing the resources in other countries.

 

[bob saunders]

I’m aware the DR has remediation requirements in their legislation. They are not enforced. They don’t require companies to post remediation bonds as part of their permitting process. Toxic waste from the settling ponds has leached in the soil and watercourses well beyond the mine site. Barrack is reactive not proactive addressing pollution problems.

The drug issue is definitely a red herring. Less than one percent of the total illegal fentanyl crosses from Canada into the US. Latest CBSA research indicates most of the illegal fentanyl produced in illegal Canadian labs is actually sent to Australia, not the US.

Total number of illegal immigrants crossing the Canada-US border last year, 190,000. Mexico 2.5 million. Less than one tenth. We have a bigger problem with illegal guns and drugs coming into Canada from the US.

The US has 1.9 million tons of proven rare earth resources, 7th highest in the world but the US ranks second in the world for the production of rare earth metals. They are quickly depleting their rare earth resources. That’s why they are eyeing the resources in other countries.

They aren't even touching most of their resources. They have one working mine, in California. You can be an ostrich if you want to be, but the facts, and deaths say fentanyl is a serious issue in Canada. Barrick was required to and did clean up the mess left by the previous operators of the Rosario gold field.

 

[Ecoman1949]

They aren't even touching most of their resources. They have one working mine, in California. You can be an ostrich if you want to be, but the facts, and deaths say fentanyl is a serious issue in Canada. Barrick was required to and did clean up the mess left by the previous operators of the Rosario gold field.

No question fentanyl is a serious issue in Canada Bob but we’re talking about what crosses from Canada into the US. Hardly a reason for a 25% tariff threat. Canada has committed to a 1.2 billion border security package. More border security personnel, new dedicated helicopters for faster response and our new Fentanyl czar was just appointed. All good and it may eliminate or reduce the tariff threat but the US still wants our resources. The tariff threats are a negotiating tool to get us to the bargaining table to gain access to our resources.

 

[La Profe_1]

Let's "wander back" to the real topic - rare earth element resourced IN THE DR!