Highlights

• Global rare earth exploration is concentrated in:
  • Australia
  • Africa
  • Latin America
• Increasing focus on high-value magnet metals.
• Emerging 'three-rare' deposits containing:
  • Rare earthsRare metalsRare dispersoidssignal potential super-deposits critical for energy and defense.
• Research challenges existing exploration models by identifying:
  • Iron-rich volcanic systems as previously underappreciated rare earth reservoirs.

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A major state-backed review published in China Mining Magazine (Dec 2024, Vol. 33, No. 12) by Yan Weidong, Lin Bolei, Hu Bojie, and Zhao Yun of the Information Center at China’s Ministry of Natural Resources outlines an aggressive and evolving strategy in global rare earth exploration. Titled “Mineralization Theory Research and Prospecting Progress of Rare Earth Deposits in the World”, the paper distills mineralogical trends, deposit models, and geopolitical focus areas shaping the next generation of rare earth supply—and signals China’s strategic watchfulness on developments in the West and Global South.

Key Findings

Global rare earth exploration is gaining momentum post-COVID, though budgets remain less than half of their 2012 peak. The search is now sharply concentrated in Australia (42.9%), Africa (23.2%), and Latin America (10.1%), reflecting rising Western Hemisphere activity and drawing strategic scrutiny from China.

A growing priority for explorers is the content of high-value magnet metals—praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium (MREOs)—which are critical to defense and green tech supply chains. At the same time, exploration is expanding beyond traditional ionic clays and carbonatites to include alkaline intrusion and newly targeted skarn-type deposits.

Key discoveries underscore the geological diversity of global targets: Tanbreez and Kvanefjeld in Greenland (alkaline, with differing uranium profiles), Kangankunde in Malawi (carbonatite), Gyttorp in Sweden (skarn), and Caldeira in Brazil (ionic). This evolving portfolio signals a shift toward multi-resource, multi-type rare earth provinces with strategic implications for global supply chain resilience.

Strategic Implications

The Chinese study hints at a tectonic shift: so-called “three-rare” deposits—those containing rare earths, rare metals, and rare dispersoids—can co-exist in a single formation, as seen in Tanbreez. This convergence raises the stakes for nations like the U.S., Brazil, and Australia, where geological intersections could produce super-deposits vital for energy and defense supply chains.

The review also identifies iron-rich volcanic systems as previously underappreciated sources of rare earth elements, with cerium playing a catalytic role in the formation of Cu-Au-Ag-U mineralization. If validated, this theory could significantly reshape global exploration models and challenge China's current monopoly.

Limitations

While the Chinese study presents a sweeping and ambitious overview, it is more strategic than quantitative. Specific resource estimates are sparse, and the review omits political and permitting constraints faced in regions like Greenland or Africa. Moreover, it assumes that global cooperation will remain stable amid intensifying competition.

Summary

This research represents a bold recalibration of rare earth mineralization theory and prospecting direction. By identifying multi-commodity “three-rare” superdeposits and placing magnet oxides at the center of exploration strategy, it serves as both a scientific guidepost and a strategic wake-up call. As China watches Australia, Brazil, Africa, and the U.S. ramp up critical mineral efforts, this paper signals Beijing's evolving lens—and its intent to maintain leverage in an increasingly multipolar mining landscape.

SOURCE:

Yan Weidong, Lin Bolei, Hu Bojie, Zhao Yun (2024). Mineralization Theory Research and Prospecting Progress of Rare Earth Deposits in the World. China Mining Magazine, Vol. 33, No. 12, pp. 24–30. DOI: 10.12075/j.issn.1004-4051.20242631shu