This is the point where you might ask, “What do these types of contracts typically look like and how are they negotiated?” Well, that is the topic of this month’s article.

The metal is expensive, not because it is rare but because of the expense to produce and work it. The minerals mined for titanium are all oxides, unlike many base metals that are mostly mined as sulfide minerals.

Critical minerals are products that the government has designated as critical to our national interest because of both their potential military and industrial applications.

There is no question the economy will not always be as good as it is now. There is also no doubt that someday the lack of exploration and the ore in existing mines running out will come home to roost.

There are currently about 170 commercial-scale placer operations in Alaska. Most of these are small operations with just a few people working; they are often family affairs that operate seasonally only during favorable weather.