$300,000 Research Fund Allocated for Rare Critical Mineral Indium Found in Utah

The federal government will invest $300000 in a three-year study on the Utah-based deposits of the critical rare mineral indium.

Federal funding has been allocated to the Utah Geological Survey to carry out a three-year study of the country's sole established resource of a critical mineral, which is only found in Utah's Juab County.

The state organization will also use the funds for research on additional important minerals in the area.

Because it is used to create touch screens for windshields and cellphones, indium is crucial. It is essential for anyone who wants to install solar panels. There are additional industrial uses for it as well.

The Utah Geological Survey's senior geologist Stephanie Mills expressed the excitement of her team for the opportunity to examine the unique geology of this deposit and learn more about why so many critically important mineral resources are concentrated in Utah. Mills is the principal investigator of this study.

$300000 Study

The Utah deposit, according to researchers, has enough indium to satisfy the entire domestic demand for the next ten years even though no indium was obtained in the United States for the previous year. The West Desert also has resources for copper, one of the most crucial materials for electric vehicles and effective energy grids, as well as zinc, a critical mineral that is a necessary component for a large number of metal alloys.

For its collaboration with the deposit's owner, American West Metals, the Utah Geological Survey received a grant of $300000. The study grants the state agency unrestricted access to the area so they can conduct important mineral mapping and additional research there.

The survey claims that American West is a mining company dedicated to creating low-footprint resources to aid in the world's energy transition.

Utah is home to many different rare earth elements and important minerals and is essential to domestic US production.

Read also: 15-Year Study on Various Minerals Shows Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life  

Mineral Needs

Every US citizen born will require over 3.19 million pounds of minerals, metals, and fuels over the course of their lifetime. The average needs of an individual include 950 pounds of copper, 2,692 pounds of aluminum, and 282,444 pounds of coal, according to the Minerals Education Coalition, Desert News reports.

The Biden administration has an aspirational plan to transition the entire nation to clean energy, but as protesters have opposed new or planned projects, a political impasse has arisen due to the need for increased domestic production rather than relying on powerful foreign players, like China, Reuters reports.

The Department of Interior under President Joe Biden terminated two leases for a copper mining project in Minnesota in January.

According to AZ Central, Biden declared in 2020 his opposition to uranium mining near the Grand Canyon at the time that he was the presumed Democratic nominee for president of the United States. However, as nearly half of the US supply happens to come from Russia and its allies, his administration stepped up efforts for more domestic uranium production after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Related article: Natural Recipe: How the Earth Managed to Create Thousands of Minerals Vital for Survival