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Saturday, November 25, 2023

Penang has nearly RM100bil in rare earth elements, state reveals


FMT:

Penang has nearly RM100bil in rare earth elements, state reveals



Four areas are rich in REE deposits, the Penang assembly hears.



Sundarajoo Somu said state mineral laws would have to be passed before any exploration can be considered. (Facebook pic)


GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has announced that it has discovered nearly RM100 billion worth of rare earth elements (REE) deposited across the state.

The mineral and geosciences department identified four areas – Teluk Bahang, Balik Pulau, Bukit Mertajam and Bukit Panchor (Nibong Tebal) – with significant non-radioactive REE deposits, totalling about 1.7 million metric tonnes.

State executive councillor Sundarajoo Somu said the findings were based on an inferred resource method and that any decision would hinge on a detailed survey.

An inferred resource refers to an estimate of a natural resource based on geological evidence, but with less certainty than other categories of estimates. It is a term often used in the context of mining or energy exploration.

“Any plans to mine REE is contingent on a detailed study of geological aspects, such as the thickness of the weathered profile and the zones of REE enrichment,” he said in a state assembly reply.

Other factors to be taken into account are if the area to be mined are forest reserves, environmentally sensitive, and are water catchment areas.

Sundarajoo said state mineral laws would have to be passed as well before any exploration can be considered.

He was responding to Lim Guan Eng (PH-Air Putih) over a question on Penang’s REE potential and regulatory considerations that need to be followed before starting exploration.

In 2020, Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor claimed that a Kuala Lumpur-based company had found RM62 billion worth of REE in Sik, Ulu Muda and Baling in the state.

In 2019, the federal government revealed that the country has a reserve of minerals worth RM732 billion, including coal, tin ore, iron ore, gold, manganese, silica sand and kaolin.

1 comment:

  1. PENANG START MAKING ALL SCHOOLS JENIS KEBAGSAAN INGGERIS OR ENGLISH LIKE THOSE TAMIL AND CHINESE...SCHOOLS....PLEASE START SPITTING ON THE HAMAS ISAM TERRORIST MOOLAYU KEBANGSAAN KRAP SCHOOLS.....THE CONSTITUTION GURANTEE THE ENGLISH MEDIUM.....SPIT ON THE STUPID BM BIAS SCHOOLS LIKE SARAWAK AND SOON SABAH WILL SPIT ON ON THE USELESS LANGUAGE PROMOTED BY ANWAR AND TUN MATI TAK LAMA LAGI....

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