1
24-078
Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Other Critical Minerals in Late
Cretaceous Coal and Related Strata in the San Juan and Raton
Basins, New Mexico: Preliminary Observations
Virginia T. McLemore
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral
Resources/NM Tech, Socorro, NM
Evan J. Owen
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral
Resources/NM Tech, Socorro, NM
Megan Badonie
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Devlon Shaver
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM and
Jakob Newcomer
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
ABSTRACT
Critical minerals are becoming more important in our
technological society because they are used in many of our
electronic devices, batteries, and magnets. In New Mexico,
low to moderate concentrations of critical minerals are
found in Late Cretaceous coal and related strata in the San
Juan and Raton Basins. These rocks are being characterized
as part of the DOE’s CORE-CM (Carbon Ore, REE, and
Critical Minerals) program. The New Mexico coal, humate,
and clinker deposits are relatively low in REE (325 ppm
TREE), Li (90 ppm), V (168 ppm), Co (51 ppm), Ni
(108 ppm), Zr (557 ppm), and many other critical min-
erals compared to normal economic deposits. Some of these
rocks are enriched in Al2O3 (40%) and Sr (3740 ppm),
both critical minerals. Common minerals hosting the criti-
cal minerals in these rocks include clay minerals, zircon,
and rutile/anatase. As the demand for some of these ele-
ments increases because of increased need and short sup-
plies, the dollar value per ton of ore rises, enhancing deposit
economics. Ultimately, economic potential will most likely
depend upon production of more than one commodity,
maybe even from coal, humate, and clinker deposits.
INTRODUCTION
The demands of our technological society will require
additional mineral resources production, especially critical
minerals. Critical minerals are mineral commodities that are
essential to the economic and national security of the U.S.,
and is from a supply chain that is vulnerable to global and
national disruption. In the mining industry, minerals refer
to any rock, mineral, or other naturally occurring material
of economic value, including metals, industrial minerals,
energy minerals, gemstones, aggregates, and synthetic mate-
rials sold as commodities. Thus, the term mineral includes
all inorganic substances, as well as hydrocarbons, such as
oil and natural gas, and carboniferous deposits, including
coal and humate.
Coal is mined and primarily used in generating elec-
tricity in power plants, but coal also is essential in the man-
ufacture of steel, production of cement, carbon fibers and
foams, medicines, tars, synthetic petroleum-based fuels,
and home and commercial heating. Coal also can be a
potential source of carbon fiber, coking coal, and graphite.
New Mexico has a wealth of mineral resources, includ-
ing coal (McLemore et al., 2017), and some of these criti-
cal minerals are associated with various mineral deposits in
the San Juan Basin in New Mexico (McLemore, 2017a, b
2018 John and Taylor, 2016). But there has not been a
systematic evaluation of their location and resource assess-
ment. This project is one of 13 CORE-CM (Carbon Ore,
Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals) projects funded
by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to identify and
24-078
Rare Earth Elements (REE) and Other Critical Minerals in Late
Cretaceous Coal and Related Strata in the San Juan and Raton
Basins, New Mexico: Preliminary Observations
Virginia T. McLemore
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral
Resources/NM Tech, Socorro, NM
Evan J. Owen
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral
Resources/NM Tech, Socorro, NM
Megan Badonie
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Devlon Shaver
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM and
Jakob Newcomer
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
ABSTRACT
Critical minerals are becoming more important in our
technological society because they are used in many of our
electronic devices, batteries, and magnets. In New Mexico,
low to moderate concentrations of critical minerals are
found in Late Cretaceous coal and related strata in the San
Juan and Raton Basins. These rocks are being characterized
as part of the DOE’s CORE-CM (Carbon Ore, REE, and
Critical Minerals) program. The New Mexico coal, humate,
and clinker deposits are relatively low in REE (325 ppm
TREE), Li (90 ppm), V (168 ppm), Co (51 ppm), Ni
(108 ppm), Zr (557 ppm), and many other critical min-
erals compared to normal economic deposits. Some of these
rocks are enriched in Al2O3 (40%) and Sr (3740 ppm),
both critical minerals. Common minerals hosting the criti-
cal minerals in these rocks include clay minerals, zircon,
and rutile/anatase. As the demand for some of these ele-
ments increases because of increased need and short sup-
plies, the dollar value per ton of ore rises, enhancing deposit
economics. Ultimately, economic potential will most likely
depend upon production of more than one commodity,
maybe even from coal, humate, and clinker deposits.
INTRODUCTION
The demands of our technological society will require
additional mineral resources production, especially critical
minerals. Critical minerals are mineral commodities that are
essential to the economic and national security of the U.S.,
and is from a supply chain that is vulnerable to global and
national disruption. In the mining industry, minerals refer
to any rock, mineral, or other naturally occurring material
of economic value, including metals, industrial minerals,
energy minerals, gemstones, aggregates, and synthetic mate-
rials sold as commodities. Thus, the term mineral includes
all inorganic substances, as well as hydrocarbons, such as
oil and natural gas, and carboniferous deposits, including
coal and humate.
Coal is mined and primarily used in generating elec-
tricity in power plants, but coal also is essential in the man-
ufacture of steel, production of cement, carbon fibers and
foams, medicines, tars, synthetic petroleum-based fuels,
and home and commercial heating. Coal also can be a
potential source of carbon fiber, coking coal, and graphite.
New Mexico has a wealth of mineral resources, includ-
ing coal (McLemore et al., 2017), and some of these criti-
cal minerals are associated with various mineral deposits in
the San Juan Basin in New Mexico (McLemore, 2017a, b
2018 John and Taylor, 2016). But there has not been a
systematic evaluation of their location and resource assess-
ment. This project is one of 13 CORE-CM (Carbon Ore,
Rare Earth Elements and Critical Minerals) projects funded
by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to identify and