A local mining company in Utah has announced the discovery of rare earth minerals crucial for technological development at a mine in Provo. This discovery is expected to have a positive impact on the Trump administration’s efforts to rebuild the rare earth supply chain and break China’s monopoly.
According to reports from the Salt Lake Tribune and ABC4 News, Ionic Mineral Technologies (Ionic MT) is a company dedicated to building a complete supply chain from mineral extraction to processing and delivery. The company currently operates a permitted mine in Provo and a processing facility.
On Thursday, Ionic MT announced the discovery of a “large high-grade rare earth and critical minerals deposit” at the Silicon Ridge mine. Independent tests have confirmed that the deposit contains ion adsorption clay (IAC) rich in elution.
IAC is a geological structure that supplies over 70% of the world’s heavy rare earth elements, including gallium, germanium, rubidium, cesium, scandium, lithium, vanadium, and tungsten. These elements are used in developing energy technologies, magnets, electric vehicles, satellites, and semiconductor chips.
The mining site is located less than 20 miles from Utah’s technology hub, Silicon Slopes.
The newly discovered deposit is expected to support the United States in leading the world in artificial intelligence, promoting electric transportation, enhancing national defense, and reducing dependence on foreign markets like China.
The Silicon Ridge mine is situated at the southern end of the Lake Mountains, which is a small mountain range west of Utah Lake, and the mining area is leased from the State Trust Lands Administration.
In their search for more mineral sources, Ionic MT began exploring the Silicon Ridge area and were surprised to find more minerals than expected, surpassing expectations from traditional hard rock mining.
“The critical minerals and rare earth deposits at Silicon Ridge are found within clay, making extraction easier than from hard rock,” said CEO and founder Andre Zeitoun. The clay contains 16 key minerals, including gallium and germanium used in electronic products, fiber optic cables, and lasers.
“We have found that every sample we tested contained the same distribution of these metals,” Zeitoun stated. “We initially thought… it might be an issue with the equipment.”
Further testing confirmed the rich presence of gallium, germanium, rubidium, cesium, scandium, lithium, vanadium, tungsten, niobium, and other metals in the region. The formation of the Silicon Ridge deposit is similar to rich deposits in China, stemming from the same type of ancient volcanic geological structure.
The company claims they can extract these minerals with minimal waste generation. Zeitoun emphasized that no explosives or chemicals will be used at the mining site.
“We truly see ourselves as representatives of the next generation of mining and responsible mining,” Zeitoun said.
China is a major producer of these minerals and other rare earth elements, recently imposing export bans on these minerals, prompting American companies to search for new supply sources.
China currently produces approximately 60% of global rare earths and controls 90% of the processing segment.
Zeitoun noted that similar deposits exist in Brazil and Australia, but the Silicon Ridge mine is the only known similar deposit in the United States.
Katie Potter, a professional geologist and practical professor at Utah State University, believes the Silicon Ridge discovery could pave the way for finding more rare earth elements throughout Utah.
“This discovery marks a turning point for U.S. resource independence. We now have a variety of critical mineral resources domestically available for immediate extraction, all of which can be extracted through faster, cleaner processes than traditional hard rock mining and extraction,” Zeitoun stated. “With our mining permits and processing facilities in hand, we can swiftly commence production, reducing a critical vulnerability in American strategy.”
“Utah once again proves that we have the most abundant resources, vision, and determination to power America’s future,” said J. Stuart Adams, President of the Utah State Senate.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox hailed the new mine as a “huge victory for Utah and the entire nation.”
For years, Beijing has used rare earths as a geopolitical tool. As far back as 2010, China restricted rare earth exports to Japan amid a diplomatic dispute and has since added antimony, germanium, and tungsten to the export control list.
In April this year, China further expanded export controls, encompassing seven rare earth elements and magnets made from three of these elements. On October 9th, China escalated its restrictions, announcing comprehensive measures covering all products containing trace rare earth elements.
President Trump criticized China, stating that these actions “pose a threat not only to the United States but to the entire world.” He emphasized America’s efforts to collaborate with democratic countries in building a secure and stable critical minerals supply chain.