Gulf Coast Basin CORE-CM initiative final report
The Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin (UT-BEG) is leading the Gulf Coast Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative to assess the potential to produce critical minerals (CMs), including rare earth elements (REEs) from coal, coal ash, and produced water related to oil and gas production, and related materials (alumina processing waste [red mud], heavy mineral sands, graphite, and zeolite) within the Gulf Coast Basin. This project represents the first phase in a long-term program and provides reconnaissance data that will be foundational for future work by assessing resources and suggesting plans to be conducted in future work and expanding stakeholder engagement. The project includes several tasks designed to identify, characterize, and assess several necessary aspects for development of CMs and REEs in the Gulf Coast Basin.