Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bonanza

[ice berg]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

Let me spell it out, Chinese reserves depleting, French Polynesia reserves 1000x greater. Get the picture?

Weasel words, reserves. Let me spell it out. What is current production volume? The price? Size of the market? What about other types of rare earth?

 

[SADAKHUSH]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

Just proves how amateurish Chinese planners are. What were they thinking when they decided to use rare earth metals to blackmail Japan, US, etc? They think that people will just bow to them?

They were not thinking that is why they shot themselves in their foot. It is not the the end of Japanese and Western ingunity. As, I write this post the research is under way in some of the leading companies engaged in manufacturing of electronic's to do away with use of rare earth metals altogether. It also creates an opportunity for us to explore for the commodity in other parts of the world which are friendly towards Japan and West.

 

[CCTV]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

Good news for the western world. They can import rare earth from Japan now.

 

[Razor]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

Quick Q: A good deal of the area shown to have resources is in international waters. Who has the right to extract the resources here ?

 

[SADAKHUSH]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

http://inhabitat.com/new-nano-material-could-replace-rare-earth-min...

www.engineerlive.com/Design...rare-earth.../24112/

http://www.chamber.ca/images/uploads/Reports/2012/201204RareEarthElements.pdf

@iceberg and Satish007:

I am giving you three links to help you to prepare yourself before stating your case. The world will not come to standstill if your nation does not export a commodity. Arabs tried that in 1970 only to be outgunned by our determination to improve the efficiency and explore for the resources in other parts of the world so it is time to get off the High Horse that your leadership has been riding and smell the coffee.

 

[asianobserve]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

Quick Q: A good deal of the area shown to have resources is in international waters. Who has the right to extract the resources here ?

I have no concrete basis, I assume if the deposit is found in international waters then the finder should have the right to extract it. But from the map shown of the deposits the deep sea mud are found in the waters around Hawaii and Tahiti which are respectively part of American and French territories. And if those deep sea muds do not fall completely within the territorial waters of those countries I think most of those areas will fall at least on their 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones. Although there will be a conundrum with the US since at to now it has not yet ratified the UNCLOS.

 

[Razor]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

I have no concrete basis, I assume if the deposit is found in international waters then the finder should have the right to extract it. But from the map shown of the deposits the deep sea mud are found in the waters around Hawaii and Tahiti which are respectively part of American and French territories. And if those deep sea muds do not fall completely within the territorial waters of those countries I think most of those areas will fall at least on their 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zones. Although there will be a conundrum with the US since at to now it has not yet ratified the UNCLOS.

If it is within the EEZ then yes I believe the nation has the right to extract. But just look at the pic certainly a vast area is outside the EEZ in the case of Hawaii (the US) and a good deal is outside for French Polynesia too.

Lets do some rough calculations:

EEZ = 200 n mi = 1.852*200 = r
Assume Hawaii and Tahiti (?) to be points.
=> Area of EEZ = 3.14 * sq(r) = 431014 sq. km = roughly 1/20 th of 8.8 million sq. km (as mentioned in fig.)

Now suppose finders have the right to extract then, did University of Tokyo just hit jackpot ?

EDIT: Just did some searching and total EEZ of Hawaii is around 2.47 million sq. km (it seems EEZ can be extended in some cases and also the 'point' assumption is not a very good one ) but still some 70% lies outside the EEZ.

 

[badguy2000]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

well, I heard that those rare earth is 5000 meters under seasurface...good news

 

[asianobserve]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

EDIT: Just did some searching and total EEZ of Hawaii is around 2.47 million sq. km (it seems EEZ can be extended in some cases and also the 'point' assumption is not a very good one ) but still some 70% lies outside the EEZ.

Who will question the US if they decide to unilaterally impose a bigger claim that what an EEZ would normally permit them under the UNCLOS? There's really a reason why until now the US refuses to be tied up to UNCLOS dimensions...

 

[asianobserve]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

well, I heard that those rare earth is 5000 meters under seasurface...good news

Provided the economics of extracting that deep sea mud will permit then that 5000 meters dept will not be an issue.

 

[amoy]

Re: Japan breaks China's stranglehold on rare metals with sea-mud bona

Is rare earth rare?