New Huge Rare-Earth Mineral Deposit Discovered in the United States

Ionic Minerals Technology (Ionic MT) has found that its Silicon Ridge mine is rich in critical minerals and rare earth elements. According to Andre Zeitoun, the CEO and founder of Ionic MT, this newly discovered supply could play a key role in electrifying transportation and strengthening defense efforts, all while reducing the United States’ dependence on foreign markets.

Silicon Ridge’s deposit of these critical and rare earth minerals is embedded in clay rather than hard rock, making extraction easier. The clay contains 16 vital minerals, including gallium and germanium, which are used in electronics, fiber-optic cables, and lasers. The mine also holds a large supply of halloysite, a mineral used to build better batteries. China currently produces the majority of critical minerals, and when it recently restricted their exports, U.S. companies were left scrambling for new sources.

“Over the last 20 years, we’ve kind of put ourselves in a situation,” Zeitoun said, “where we’ve allowed ourselves to become overly reliant on imports of these metals that power our lives.”

The discovery at Silicon Ridge could open the door to finding more rare earth elements throughout Utah, says Katie Potter, a professional geologist and professor at Utah State University.

“It may spark a halloysite gold rush,” Potter said.

Zeitoun added that his company is able to extract the materials with almost zero waste and without using explosives or chemicals. “We really see ourselves as part of the next generation of mining,” he said, “and of responsible mining.”

The Silicon Ridge mine is located to the west of Utah Lake, in the heart of Utah County, about an hour south of Salt Lake City. Ionic MT leases the land from the State Trust Lands Administration and has a permit with the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining, although the terms remain confidential, according to state officials.

“We are excited about the ongoing progress of the project,” said Mick Thomas, director of the Trust Lands Administration, “and the potential it represents.”

Rare earth minerals are essential for green technologies like wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries. Ionic MT was founded in 2020 and initially mined halloysite from clay deposits in Juab County, near the town of Eureka. Halloysite, an aluminum-silicon mineral, is being used by electric vehicle manufacturers to enhance battery performance, enabling faster charging and longer-lasting batteries.

“You can charge a vehicle as quickly as it takes to fill up a gas tank,” Zeitoun said, “which is considered one of the key enablers of mass EV adoption.”

The company processes the mineral using a patented procedure at its 74,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Provo. Looking for additional supplies, Ionic MT started exploring Silicon Ridge, but was surprised to find much more than just halloysite.

“Our machine came back showing the same distribution of these metals in every sample,” Zeitoun said. “At first, we thought there might be a mistake.”

Third-party testing confirmed the discovery of abundant metals, according to the CEO. The Silicon Ridge deposit is believed to come from the same type of ancient volcanic formation that formed rich deposits in China, which currently produces about 60% of the world’s rare earth minerals and controls 90% of processing.

Similar deposits exist in Brazil and Australia, but Silicon Ridge is the only known analogue in the United States.

The halloysite in Utah was formed around 30 million years ago from volcanic activity, says Potter. The ash settled near hot springs, creating unique clays with tube-like structures that are capable of absorbing rare earth elements and other critical metals like lithium, preventing them from being washed away.

Silicon Ridge’s location is also ideal for mineral development due to its proximity to roads, power lines, and a workforce, Potter notes. “We also have climate change and the need to shift away from carbon-emitting energy sources,” she said. “If we don’t extract these minerals here, where we have strong environmental regulations, they will be extracted in other countries with weaker regulations.”

In 2023, Ionic MT leased 4,053 acres of land at Silicon Ridge. After more than 100 boreholes and trenches confirmed the presence of rare earth minerals, the company returned to the Trust Lands Administration in August seeking an additional 3,700 acres.

Under the lease agreement, the state will earn $13 per acre annually and $1.60 per ton, or 10% of the gross value of the mined clay—whichever is greater. All revenue from the lease will go to Utah schools.

With state permits and a processing facility already in place, Zeitoun says his company is ready to begin extracting the minerals. The project could create hundreds of local jobs.

The federal government has also expressed interest in supporting the mine, according to Zeitoun, though he declined to share further details. The Trump administration has moved to secure more diverse supplies of rare earths following trade disputes with China.

State leaders are also seeing the potential in Ionic MT’s discovery. Senate President Stuart Adams and House Speaker Mike Schultz, both Republicans, see Silicon Ridge as a sign that Utah could become a leader in clean energy.

“Our state is uniquely positioned to lead the transition to cleaner energy,” Adams said in a statement. “By developing next-generation resources right here in our backyard.”

Governor Spencer Cox, also a Republican, called the new mine “a huge win for Utah and the nation,” adding that it aligns with his “Operation Gigawatt,” an initiative to double the state’s energy production in the next decade. "Source: Futura-sciences"