Bolivar Mining to Explore Potentially Major Rare Earth Elements Deposits
17 January 2008 - 2:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
VANCOUVER, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bolivar Mining Corp
(BOLV) announces the expansion of exploration discovery of several
potentially major economic Rare Earth Element (REE) mineral
deposits occurring in Grenvillian-aged (1.1 billion years old)
basement Charnockites, located in central Georgia, USA by our
exploration/technical team. The occurrences have been evaluated by
ground radiometrics plus soil and rock geochemistry. The deposits'
gamma radiation intensity locally exceeds the average background
gamma radiation by up to two orders of magnitude. The REE's occur
in monazite-allanite veins with accessory rutile, magnetite,
albite, quartz, apatite, and iron sulfides. Michael M. Ellis, BMC's
Chief Exploration and Mining Officer, states, "These deposits could
have a major impact on Bolivar Mining and its shareholders. I am
looking forward to completing our core drilling analysis and
tracing geographically the full extent of these deposits in central
GA." According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Rare Earth Elements
have not been mined domestically since 2002. The 2006 estimated
value of refined REE's consumed in the United States was more than
$1 billion USD. Currently, the U.S. Government's Strategic
Stockpile has no REE's in inventory...zero REE's in case of a war
or a national emergency. Based on the final 2005 reported data, the
estimated marketplace uses of REE's are as follows: 32% of REE's
were used in automotive catalytic converters; 21% of REE's consumed
were for metallurgical alloys and additives; 14% were used in
specialized glass polishing and ceramics; 10% were used as rare
earth phosphors for lighting, televisions, computer monitors, radar
and x-ray intensifying screens; 8% of REE's were used as petroleum
refining catalysts; 2% were used to produce powerful permanent
magnets; and 13% of the REE's used went into other high-tech
products. The trend for REE's is for a continued increase in many
applications, especially automotive catalytic converters, small
powerful permanent magnets, and rechargeable batteries. The demand
is growing for mixed rare-earth compounds and for rare-earth metals
and their alloys used in permanent magnets to drive powerful
miniature headphones, speakers, and automatic locks on cars,
base-metal alloys, super alloys, pyrophoric alloys, lighter flints,
and armaments. Uses for specific REE's are far too numerous to
completely list here, but some of the growing demand for thorium is
in quality glass optics; while the increase in demand for cerium
compounds is greatest in automotive catalytic converters. Yittrium
compounds have seen their demand grow tremendously for use in fiber
optics, lasers, oxygen sensors, phosphors for fluorescent lighting,
color televisions, electronic thermometers, x-ray intensifying
screens, pigments, and superconductors, to name only a few. Dr.
Robert Cook, BMC's Chief Mineralogist and Geologist, states, "The
mineralogy of the occurrences was established cooperatively with
personnel of the Smithsonian Institution. The deposit has important
similarities to the major Steenkampskraal deposit in South Africa."
For a glossary of terms and for more details on market uses of
REEs, visit our website http://www.bolivarmining.com/projects.php
and select Georgia Project. About Bolivar Mining Corp.:
--------------------------- Bolivar Mining Corp, is a metals mining
and exploration company engaged in global mining exploration in
over eight countries on four continents. By implementing efficient
operations and engineering excellence, BMC will have opportunities
to operate in areas where larger mining companies cannot operate
profitably or have overlooked, thus allowing access to bring rich
mineral reserves to the global market. Forward Looking Statement:
-------------------------- Certain information discussed in this
press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the federal
securities laws. Although BMC believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon
reasonable assumptions at the time made, it can give no assurance
that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking statements
are inherently subject to unpredictable and unanticipated risks,
trends and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the
continued mineral prices at historical rates, costs of operations,
delays, mineral reserves and revenues to be derived there from,
plans to mine additional mineral reserves, acquisition of
additional mineral reserves, maintaining mineral lease rights,
continued maintenance of the mines, mining operations and other
properties, price of minerals, marketing and sales of minerals
mined, government regulation, future financial and operational
results, competition, general economic conditions, and the ability
to manage continued growth. In addition, the Company's ability to
accurately forecast its operating results, and its ability to
achieve profitability or generate positive cash flow are uncertain.
BMC assumes no obligation to update or supplement forward-looking
statements that become untrue because of subsequent events. Readers
are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. To schedule an interview with Arshad Shah, please email
CONTACT: Bolivar Mining Corp., (604) 687-7492,
www.bolivarmining.com, DATASOURCE: Bolivar Mining Corp. CONTACT:
Bolivar Mining Corp., (604) 687-7492,
http://www.bolivarmining.com/,
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