China offers to help explore for rare metals

MANILA, Philippines - The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) is set to meet with a team from Chinese government-owned entity China Geological Survey (CGS) next month to discuss a planned exploration of rare earth elements in the country this year, an official said.

“They (CGS) wrote to us and they proposed that we discuss the details of the exploration in May in China,” MGB director Leo Jasareno said in an interview.

He said earlier that the MGB had asked assistance from China for the exploration of rare earth elements since China has the expertise on the matter.

Jasareno said the meeting with CGS next month is for the preparation of the terms of reference (ToR) of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the exploration work.

The MoA, he said, would have the details on how as well as when and where the exploration would be conducted.

“We are looking at joint exploration where we will have our own staff and they will have their people as part of the exploration,” he said.

He said the MoA would also determine the amount of funding and equipment that would be needed for the exploration work.

“Our target is to start the groundwork this year,” he said.

In October last year, he said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje directed the MGB to launch an exploration for rare earth elements.

The government, he said, is looking to venture into rare earths as China, which produces at least 90 percent of the world’s rare earths, has been reducing its output and exports of the elements since 2009.

China has moved to cut its exports of rare earths to prevent excessive mining and protect the environment.

“We want to develop the resource if we have it here since it is a strategic resource,” Jasareno said.

Rare earths are a group of 17 elements composed of scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides.

Rare earth elements are used in cars, computers and other electronic devices.

Jasareno said the country could potentially have some of the principal sources of rare earths like bastnasite and monazite, as these are usually found close to porphyry copper deposits.