Just getting reliable data around what is in the ground requires extensive drilling, meaning costly investment in heavy machinery and crews. The process is known in the industry as “greenfield exploration.” Zumwalt-Forbes said mining executives call greenfield exploration “the world’s worst casino.”
For a material like lithium, said Abigail Hunter, a critical minerals expert at SAFE, a group that advocates for energy and supply-chain security, there is little incentive for U.S. companies to look to Ukraine. Its reserves are modest compared with those in more stable countries, she said in an email, while Ukraine’s most promising deposit is in Russian-occupied territory.
“Beyond the ongoing security threats, damaged infrastructure (power generation, roads, rail, and ports) drives up development costs and can erode investor returns,” Hunter wrote.
Read the full article: “Ukraine minerals will be slowed by high risks and Soviet-era maps“
