Website Publish Date: July 13, 2025
In a groundbreaking development, the Brook Mine in Wyoming has opened its doors as the first new coal mine in the state in half a century. The mine, however, is not just your average coal mine - it's pioneering a new approach by extracting valuable rare earth elements (REEs) from the coal.
The mine's significance lies in its rich reserves of REEs, including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, gallium, scandium, and germanium. These elements are crucial for manufacturing permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles, electric and hybrid car batteries, and various military applications such as targeting devices.
The mine is believed to hold the nation's largest unconventional deposit of REEs and critical minerals sourced from coal. This offers an alternative to traditional hard rock mining, with lower processing complexity and costs, as the mineral deposit is soft and contains negligible radioactive elements.
A Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) by Fluor Corporation projects a robust financial outlook for the Brook Mine. The PEA estimates a net present value (NPV) of approximately $1.2 billion and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 38% pre-tax. The mine could produce over 1,200 tons annually of rare earth oxides, which are vital to advanced technologies.
This project is strategically important in reducing U.S. dependency on China, which currently supplies about 90% of the world’s rare earths. It reflects recent policy priorities to establish domestic rare earth production, addressing concerns over economic and national security.
Meanwhile, in California, Summit Interconnect, a quick-turn PCB manufacturer, is making waves in the electronics industry with its hands-on manufacturing process. The company specializes in low-volume, quick turnaround prototype work.
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Despite their name, rare earth elements are not actually rare but are difficult to recover due to their widespread distribution. However, with innovative projects like the Brook Mine, the future of REE extraction looks promising, offering a potentially more sustainable, economically viable, and strategically crucial source of rare earths for the U.S. technology and defense industries.
The Preliminary Economic Assessment by Fluor Corporation highlights a strong financial future for the Brook Mine, with a projected net present value of around $1.2 billion and an internal rate of return of 38%.
The rare earth elements extracted from the Brook Mine, such as neodymium and scandium, are crucial for various advanced technologies, including wind turbines, electric vehicles, electric and hybrid car batteries, military targeting devices, and permanent magnets.
Meanwhile, Summit Interconnect, a quick-turn PCB manufacturer in California, is making strides in the electronics industry, renowned for its low-volume, quick turnaround prototype work.
