A state better known for the mining of coal than of rare earth elements could in future be digging up more rare metals if the results of a new study are acted upon. Wyoming, home of the Powder River Basin where 90 percent of US producing coal mines are located, recently investigated the potential for Wyoming to expand into rare earths. In addition to coal, Wyoming also has substantial uranium reserves; the state produces 1.6 million pounds of uranium annually, about a third of all US production. A report from the Wyoming State Geological Survey summarized the findings of 289 samples from known or potential rare earths host rocks that were analyzed in a lab, together with 67 previously collected samples. WSGS said that while while REEs indeed occur in a variety of geologic settings across Wyoming, rare earths may be found in concentrations of economic significance.
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