Firm enlists expert for propsed $300 million mine in southeast Nebraska

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Paul Hammel

LINCOLN — A Canadian firm has enlisted one of the world's foremost authorities in mining rare metals to help develop a $300 million mine proposed in southeast Nebraska.

Quantum Rare Earth Developments Corp. announced Monday that Mark A. Smith has joined the company's advisory board, and that the firm's name will be changed to NioCorp Developments Ltd.

The company wants to mine niobium, a valuable steel-hardener, found in deposits 500 feet deep near Elk Creek, Neb.

Drilling of test bores in that area, 70 miles south of Omaha, ceased last summer. A Quantum Rare Earth official said Monday that $10 million to $20 million must be raised to restart testing to verify deposits they label as “the highest grade undeveloped niobium deposit in North America.”

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20130225/NEWS/702269948/1685#firm-enlists-expert-for-propsed-300-million-mine-in-southeast-nebraska

[TwilightGardener]

1. Interesting. Would not have thought Nebraska would have the geology for mining anything like that.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

2. the gt-grandsons and gt-granddaughters of those that left the east to escape the mines

will soon figure out why moving west was a good idea.

[DallasNE]

3. Thanks For This Story

How would they mine this? At 500 feet it is pretty shallow so would it be an open pit mine? It seems like water could be a big problem with mining in this location. It will be interesting to see the follow-up on this story.