Rare earths are, of course, a critical component for the production of high performance permanent magnets. The procurement of rare earth elements for magnets and other applications is these days a hot topic, given that demand is predicted by many to outstrip supply within the next 3-5 years.

The conversation with Ed and Jack was certainly lively and we covered a range of subjects, including:

• The history of US Rare Earths and the reasons for its recent name change from Thorium Energy;
• An update on the company’s Lehmi Pass and Diamond Creek properties;
• The value of thorium as a rare metal;
• Why Jack thinks that Diamond Creek is one of the most accessible, undeveloped rare earth resources with significant heavy rare earth elements in North America;
• The value of being a US-owned company when dealing with the Department of Defense;
• The current level of understanding of rare earths in Washington;
• The critical & strategic nature of rare earths at the present time;
• The effects of the global financial crisis on the ability of junior miners to raise capital;
• A recently proposed national rare earth processing facility;
• And plenty of other stuff too.

I had a chance to take the audio of the one hour of discussions with Ed and Jack, and transcribed it into an 11-page article, now available for download from the Terra Magnetica Web site via:

http://www.terramagnetica.com/papers/hatch-us-rare-earths-discussion.pdf.

Enjoy!