Prices Turn Positive for Rare Earths, Lithium, Magnesium and Fertilizer

TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Strategic technology consultants TRU says as global prices for rare earth elements, lithium chemicals and magnesium metal bottom out, the fall in the natural gas price in USA provides a game-changing boost for key industries.

"These high-value but non-commodity metals have unique considerations for the development of new mines and the selection of extraction technologies," says TRU's John Roumeliotis, VP Frontier Industries. "More than two-thirds are produced in only three countries and at a handful of sites. The feasibility of new projects is contingent on the ability to competitively produce these metals and develop robust market forecasting on both demand and price." Roumeliotis will be presenting at the Conference of Metallurgists in Montreal October 27, 2013.

TRU president Edward Anderson says, "The outlook for strategic material prices has stabilised. Average rare earth prices may have levelled off at around $20,000 per t for 2013 following the steep declines in recent years while lithium carbonate was up only 4% over 2012 at $4,700 per t for 2013." We expect magnesium metal to average $2,850 per t for this year.

Price stability will be aided by the much more competitive natural gas market. We see not only stability but important structural changes as the United States wakes-up to the opportunities that exist in the natural gas user industries and downstream gas chemicals sector. Industrial natural gas prices in the United States are even better than available in Qatar so the USA could challenge Middle East producers in urea and ammonia nitrate fertilizers for example. The practice of "fracking and coal-gasification have been key technical developments worldwide in achieving this change."

TRU Group Inc are technical engineering consultants with a strong capability focused on strategic niche industry segments, developing sectors, new processes - game changing or disruptive - and innovative products. Rare earth elements REE, lithium, magnesium and gasification and gas (Natural and Coal) chemicals are core TRU Frontier Industries.

The TRU website is trugroup.com and more information on TRU Frontier Industries capability can be viewed at the link http://trugroup.com/tru-frontier-industries.shtml

Contact:
Edward R. Anderson, President& CEO
B.Sc.(Hons)., Dpl.(Marketing Research)., MBA., FCIArb
TRU Group Inc
Website: trugroup.com
Email [email protected]
Tucson 520-575-0674
Toronto 416-935-1754
Cell 1-520-229-7836

We are scientists, technologists and engineers: TRU has a distinctive capability in technology intensive industries and it is one of our core objectives to have the capability to undertake the most challenging technical assignments - especially the foundation process development, pilot testing and front-end state-of-the-art engineering design package.

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SOURCE TRU Group Inc.