(Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump final week reiterated his curiosity in taking management of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, which may very well be helpful for the U.S. due to its strategic location and wealthy mineral assets.
A 2023 survey confirmed that 25 of 34 minerals deemed “vital uncooked supplies” by the European Fee had been present in Greenland.
The extraction of oil and is banned in Greenland for environmental causes, and improvement of its mining sector has been snarled in purple tape and opposition from indigenous individuals.
Beneath are particulars of Greenland’s important mineral deposits, based mostly on knowledge from Greenland’s Mineral Assets Authority:
RARE EARTHS
Three of Greenland’s largest deposits are positioned within the southern Gardar province.
Firms looking for to develop uncommon earth mines are Essential Metals Corp, which purchased the Tanbreez deposit, Power Transition Minerals, whose Kuannersuit undertaking is stalled amid authorized disputes, and Neo Efficiency Supplies.
Uncommon earth components are key for everlasting magnets utilized in electrical autos (EV) and wind generators.
GRAPHITE
Occurrences of graphite and graphite schist are reported from many localities on the island.
GreenRoc has utilized for an exploitation license to develop the Amitsoq graphite undertaking.
Pure graphite is usually utilized in EV batteries and steelmaking.
COPPER
In accordance with the Mineral Assets Authority, most deposits have seen solely restricted exploration campaigns.
Particularly fascinating are the underexplored areas within the north-east and central-east of the island, it mentioned.
London-listed 80 Mile is looking for to develop the Disko-Nuussuaq deposit, which has copper, nickel, platinum and cobalt.
NICKEL
Traces of nickel accumulations are quite a few, in keeping with the Mineral Assets Authority.
Main miner Anglo American (JO:), was granted a five-year exploration licences in western Greenland in mid-2019 and has been on the lookout for nickel deposits, amongst others.
ZINC
is usually discovered within the north in a geologic formation that stretches greater than 2,500 km.
Firms have sought to develop the Citronen Fjord zinc and lead undertaking, which had been billed as one of many world’s largest undeveloped zinc assets.
GOLD
Essentially the most potential areas for gold potential are across the Sermiligaarsuk fjord within the nation’s south.
Amaroq Minerals launched a gold mine final 12 months in Mt Nalunaq within the Kujalleq Municipality.
DIAMONDS
Whereas most small diamonds and the most important stones are discovered within the within the island’s west, their presence in different areas can also be vital.
IRON ORE
Deposits are positioned at Isua in southern West Greenland, at Itilliarsuk in central West Greenland, and in North West Greenland alongside the Lauge Koch Kyst.
TITANIUM-VANADIUM
Recognized deposits of titanium and vanadium are within the south-west, the east, and south.
Titanium is used for industrial, medical and industrial functions, whereas vanadium is especially used to supply specialty metal alloys. Crucial industrial vanadium compound, vanadium pentoxide, is used as a catalyst for the manufacturing of sulfuric acid.
TUNGSTEN
Used for a number of industrial functions, tungsten is usually discovered within the central east and north-east of the nation, with assessed deposits within the south and west.
URANIUM
In 2021, the left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit celebration banned uranium mining, successfully halting improvement of the Kuannersuit uncommon earths undertaking, which has uranium as a byproduct.
($1 = 7.2705 Danish crowns)
