Science Museum Lecture Series: Rare Earth Elements in WY
Join us for another season of fascinating Science Museum Lectures starting Wednesday, Sept. 17, 7:00 pm – Mars Ag Center Room 201, or via zoom. Critical Minerals and the Brook Deposit: Unlocking a New Source of Rare Earth Elements in Wyoming Free. With Alex Moyes, Ph.D., Director of Critical Minerals, Ramaco Resources, Sheridan, WY
Abstract: Critical minerals are the backbone of modern technology and clean energy systems, yet the U.S. remains heavily dependent on foreign supply chains for many of these resources. Among the most strategically significant are the rare earth elements (REEs), which play an essential role in high-tech applications ranging from defense systems to renewable energy and advanced electronics. Today, most REEs are mined and processed overseas, creating vulnerabilities in our domestic supply.
At Ramaco’s Brook Mine in Sheridan, Wyoming, we are advancing work on an unconventional rare earth element deposit hosted in carbonaceous sediment. Unlike traditional hard-rock deposits, this system offers a new geologic model for how REEs occur and can be developed. Through drilling, core logging, and geochemical analysis, we are uncovering unique mineralization patterns and gaining insights into the processes that concentrated these critical elements in our basin.
Our efforts are not only expanding scientific understanding of REE occurrence in sedimentary environments but also hold real promise for strengthening U.S. supply security. The Brook Deposit has the potential to fill a significant gap in domestic rare earth production and contribute to a more resilient supply chain. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of critical minerals and their importance, share what we are learning geologically from this unconventional deposit, and discuss our plans for advancing this work to support national security.
Biosketch: Dr. Alex Moyes is currently the Director of Critical Minerals for Ramaco Resources, where he leads resource characterization of the Brook Mine rare earth element deposit in Sheridan, Wyoming. Before joining Ramaco Resources, Dr. Moyes served as the Vice President of Economics and Planning at Freyr Battery, where he played a pivotal role in advancing the techno-economic framework for their US gigafactory. His extensive career includes over a decade at Dominion Energy in various strategic roles such as the Director of Innovation, where he spearheaded initiatives in rare earth element extraction from coal ash, carbon capture and sequestration, and subsurface hydrogen generation. Additionally, as the Director of Geoscience and Engineering, he was instrumental in the exploration and development of natural gas and oil fields throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Alex holds a PhD in Mining Engineering, an MBA, a Master’s in Geology, and a Bachelor’s in Geoscience, all from the University of Utah.
