💥 HAL THINKS: The War Over the Elements Has Begun - Most Expensive Rare Earth Metals and America’s Strategic Discoveries 💎

The world runs on rare earths—and America’s just starting to dig. In this four-part HAL series, we expose the metals, the mines, and the mad valuations that Wall Street hasn’t quite clocked. Strategic supply chains? More like a treasure map.

But this isn’t just about exotic elements and obscure chemistry. It’s about power—military, industrial, and geopolitical. From stealth fighters to smartphones, these metals are the silent enablers of modern dominance. And right now, China owns the map. But not for long…

The world of rare earth elements isn’t just about obscure chemistry—it’s about dominance. From military hardware to electric vehicles, these metals are the hidden engines of 21st-century power. And right now, China owns the map. But not for long…

Let’s break down which metals are driving the money—and where the U.S. just struck gold (figuratively and literally).

💰 The World’s Most Expensive Rare Earth Elements

Among the 17 rare earths, a few are worth their weight in… well, more than gold.

🥇 Scandium— $3,261–$3,685/kg

Used in aerospace and high-performance alloys. Ultra-rare, ultra-valuable. One of the least available metals on Earth.

🥈 Terbium— $1,083–$1,088/kg

Key to high-temperature magnets. Recently doubled in price thanks to China’s export squeeze. Europe’s been hit hardest.

🥉 Dysprosium— $251–$297/kg

Absolutely vital for EV motors and wind turbines. Also under China’s export control, pushing global prices into the stratosphere.

Other heavy hitters:

• Thulium: $981.92/kg

• Lutetium: $709.01/kg

• Praseodymium: $83.29/kg

• Neodymium: $77.31/kg

These aren’t just lab curiosities—they’re what allow permanent magnets to function at 240°C, not just 60°C. That’s the difference between a drone and a fighter jet. Literally.

🇺🇸 America’s Strategic Earth-Shaking Discoveries

With China controlling 70–80% of the U.S.’s rare earth imports, Washington is finally waking up. And guess what—it turns out America’s been sitting on a treasure map all along.

🏔️ Wyoming: Halleck Creek—The Billion-Tonne Bombshell

American Rare Earths’ Halleck Creek project is a monster:

• 2.63 billion metric tons of rare earth ore

• 8.64 million tonnes of total rare earth oxides (TREO)

• 26% are magnetic rare earths like terbium & dysprosium

• Potential 20–50 years of production

• Target production: 2029

• $456 million Export-Import Bank interest + $7M Wyoming state grant

👉 Processing improvements could 10x the grade. This isn’t a mine—it’s a missile aimed at Beijing’s monopoly.

🤠 Texas: Round Top & the Lone Star Loadout

Round Top Mountain, Hudspeth County:

• Contains 16 of the 17 rare earths

• Estimated value: $1.56 billion

• Also holds lithium, beryllium, uranium

• Dysprosium oxide (99.1% purity) now being extracted

• Possibly America’s largest heavy rare earth deposit

🔎 Plus: A new find on a 353,785-acre ranch in Brewster County, owned by Texas General Land Office, is adding fuel to the fire. Still early days, but it’s big.

♻️ Coal Ash: The $8.4 Billion Black Gold Boom

Who knew America’s dirtiest waste held the cleanest secret?

University of Texas scientists found 11 million tons of rare earth elements hiding in coal ash:

• Worth up to $8.4 billion

• Appalachian Basin ash is the richest: 431 mg/kg

• Powder River Basin has 70% extractability

• Already burned = lower refining costs

• Could be 8x current known reserves

This isn’t mining. It’s recycling the Cold War.

🌄 California: Mountain Pass—Still Standing

Still the only operational rare earth mine in the U.S.

• Contributes 15.8% of global REE output

• 18.9M tonnes of ore at 7.06% grade

• Critical for light REEs

• But lacks the heavy stuff—terbium, dysprosium, etc.

Mountain Pass is the backbone. The rest of America is building the arms and legs.

🔄 Strategic Shift: Out of China’s Orbit?

Right now, the U.S. has 13% of the world’s reserves—but produces less than 1% of rare earths. China’s chokehold isn’t just market share—it’s a national security threat.

With:

• New heavy REE projects (Wyoming, Texas)

• Innovative processing tech

• Federal + state investment support

• Coal ash reprocessing

…America is finally constructing a full-stack supply chain, from extraction to refinement, on home soil.

⏳ China’s grip may be loosening, but the clock’s ticking. Export bans. EV wars. Taiwan tensions. Every gram of terbium matters.

🔜 Coming Next: Part 2 — The Most Undervalued U.S. Mining Firms Poised to Explode

We’ll reveal who’s holding the keys to this elemental empire—and who’s about to make investors very, very rich.

📎 HAL’s Note:

This isn’t just about metals—it’s about independence, defence, and the motherlode of geopolitical leverage. The war for rare earths won’t be fought in trenches—it’ll be fought with trade wars, technology, and trillions in capital.

🔍 Stay tuned for Part 2.