No Metal To U.S.? China is a potential investor in Pebble, and a more-than-likely recipient of its mineral resource
NDM has long argued that mining the Pebble deposit is a way for the U.S. to become resource independent, especially for a long-term domestic supply of copper. Lately it has been touting Pebble’s supply of rhenium, which is on the USGS list of critical minerals. In describing his company’s expertise, Thiessen notes in Pebble Tape #14 that, “we operate the second largest copper mine in Canada…It produces about 135 million pounds of copper a year in concentrate. Most of that concentrate is shipped to China.”
According to EIA Global, Thiessen and Collier believed they were speaking with potential investors from China. As we noted in our recent fact sheet on Mineral Independence and the Pebble mine, NDM plans to ship Pebble concentrate to Asia as well. The Pebble tapes make it clear that Asian investors are being courted by the company. Neither of these facts support the argument that the Pebble deposit will contribute to resource independence for the United States.
https://pebblewatch.com/new-pebble-tapes-highlight-plan-for-state-subsidy/