Name: Mountain Pass mine.
Location: Mountain Pass, in California, US.
Mine Owner/s: MP Materials.
Brief Description: Mountain Pass is the only rare earth mining and processing site of scale in the western hemisphere and currently produces about 15% of global rare earth content. It also has one of the highest-quality known deposits in the world.
Brief History: Mountain Pass mine started production in 1952 and was a major source of rare-earth minerals in the world in the 1990s until the previous owners exited the industry.
MP Materials acquired the mine in 2017.
Primary Metals/Minerals: Rare earths – neodymium and praseodymium oxide
Secondary Metals/Minerals: Rare-earth oxides – lanthanum and cerium.
Geology/Mineralisation: Primarily bastnaesite ore.
Resources and Reserves: Mountain Pass contains more than 800 000 t of recoverable rare-earth oxides with an average 8% ore grade.
Mining Method: Openpit.
Major Infrastructure and Equipment: Mountain Pass comprises mining, milling, separations and finishing, all at one site.
The mine has been designed as a zero-discharge facility, featuring a dry tailings process that allows for the recycling of about 95% of the water used in the milling and flotation circuit, as well as a chlor-alkali facility that allows for the manufacture of reagents used in MP Materials’ rare earth separation and processing.
Prospects: MP Materials is undertaking a three-stage business plan to restore the full rare earth supply chain to the US. The Stage 1 production of rare earth concentrate is complete. Stage 2 involves the production of separated rare-earth oxide, expected in 2022. Stage 3 will involve the production of neodymium and praseodymium magnets, expected in 2025.
Contact Details:
MP Materials
Tel +1 702 844 6111
Email info@mpmaterials.com
Website https://mpmaterials.com