Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 28, Ramaco Resources, a U.S. producer of coal and critical minerals, has approved a plan to establish what it describes as the first national strategic stockpile of rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals at its Brook mine in Wyoming. The proposed Strategic Critical Minerals Terminal (SCMT) will be developed in partnership with a nationally recognized commodity structuring and financial adviser to serve both public and private sectors. The facility aims to ensure secure and reliable access to REE and other minerals considered essential to U.S. industry and defense applications.

According to Ramaco, the stockpile will be managed as a modern terminal, providing long-term storage and inventory management for critical materials. The company plans to process its own rare earths and minerals while offering tolling services for third-party producers to reinforce domestic supply chains. “The SCMT stockpile will provide long-term strategic stockpiling, storage, and inventory management solutions for Ramaco’s broad basket of critical minerals and rare earths,” the company said in a statement.

The Brook mine, located near Sheridan, Wyoming, benefits from direct access to a BNSF railroad line and its proximity to an interstate highway, enabling efficient transportation to defense contractors and industrial users nationwide. The project is expected to underpin Ramaco’s downstream capital investment and financing through offtake agreements. The company noted that the initiative could generate stable, recurring cash flows and serve as an important national infrastructure asset.

Ramaco’s Brook mine covers approximately 6,394 hectares, with 1,821 hectares currently permitted for development. The company intends to seek additional approvals to expand mining operations across the remaining area and has secured nearby land to support future storage and infrastructure expansion.

The mine is considered one of the few primary global sources of scandium, gallium, and germanium, and also contains heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium, along with light rare earths including neodymium and praseodymium. These elements are vital in high-technology manufacturing, renewable energy systems, and advanced electronics.

Ramaco’s board has approved plans to increase projected oxide production to 3,400 tons per year, representing a 174% rise from the 1,240 tons per year estimated in a preliminary economic analysis by Fluor. This expansion aligns with Ramaco’s plan to boost coal production from two million to five million tons annually, further diversifying its output portfolio.

A technical report summary by Weir estimates that the Brook mine contains around 1.4 million tons of total rare earth oxide resources within the currently permitted area, including scandium, gallium, and germanium. Ramaco expects this figure to increase as further exploration progresses.

Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, Ramaco operates four metallurgical coal mining complexes across Central Appalachia. The company is advancing the Brook mine as an integrated coal, rare earth, and critical minerals project aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains and supporting the long-term development of the U.S. critical minerals sector.