> > > Quest’s current resource estimates for Strange Lake is based on only a part of their claims. In addition Quest has entered into a joint venture on several claims owned by Alterra which is a subsidiary of Search Minerals. In addition to the claims of Quest and Alterra, there is a large area adjacent to those claims which is likely to host rare earths. The following is from Dr. Miller of Search Minerals:
>> The Mineral Exempt Lands at Strange Lake are presently controlled by the Newfoundland and Labrador Government and are also claimed by the Inuit Government in Nain. Once the two governments have settled any issues and agree that the mineral exempt lands should be made available for development, then a procedure will be published for a company to acquire the mineral rights. This procedure, in the past, has been for companies to make a development proposal for the area in question and then the Government chooses which proposal best suites the interests of the people etc. <<

Then just 5 km to the south, Midland Exploration has a rare earth project named Ytterby which they have entered into a 50/50 jv with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC).

The totality of all of those claims makes the Strange Lake Peralkaline Granite complex one of the world's largest rare earth resources. The far north remoteness makes development a very capital intensive venture, but the size has the potential to attract the interest of a large large mining company (or a sovereign government). How many years such a move could take is the big investment question. < < <

Let me add one other note. A year or so ago, Search Minerals had a cross-section of the Strange Lake geology on their website. It was removed when they did a major re-do of their website. I am aware that the cross-section was an extrapolation of the likely geology, but enough is known of the complex that the extrapolation is likely correct. My reading of the cross-section is that it showes a massive volume of granite that is enriched with the exotic minerals that Quest has proven to exist in the B-Zone. This massive volume of enriched granite is in a down-dipping formation which resides primarily under the "mineral exempt" lands. Perhaps Dr. Miller would share the cross-section with Gareth to check if my memory of the drawing is correct.

@Jim: I have made field visits to each of the projects being developed by Tasman Metals and Quest Rare Minerals (and which I have written up here at the TMR web site in the past). There are a number of promising heavy-rare-earth projects out there, and I’d include Tasman’s Norra Kärr and Quest’s Strange Lake among them. I try not to get into the “whose is best?” game so I’m not going to comment on that.

As for raising capital, it’s easy to make sweeping generalizations on who will and who won’t be able to raise the money to complete their projects. There are way too many factors associated with each individual project to be able to make predictions at this point.

@Gennady: thanks for the links :-)

Thanks for the describes/ discussions after your visit to the Quest Rare Minerals mini-pilot plant in Ontario.
Gen&Kap

Thanks for the describes/ discussions after your visit to the Quest Rare Minerals mini-pilot plant in Ontario.

-Amar Acharjee