Talk:Ore Bodies

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This may be a bore, but the entire success or failure of the lunar settlement will turn on this concept.

Thanks, --Jriley 16:04, 15 March 2007 (PDT)



What about KREEP? -- Jarogers2001 21:14, 15 March 2007 (PDT)

KREEP

KREEP is certainly widely distributed, but does it have a concentration of anything of commercial value?

If you can make the case that KREEP is ore, go ahead.

--Jriley 09:45, 16 March 2007 (PDT)


It's one of the closest things the moon has that we currently know of. All of the lunar minerals suck in terms of use as ores due to the lack of water in lunar geologic processes. We may have little choice but to lower our standards in order to make settlement viable. KREEP is a source of chlorine, fluorine, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, zirconium, thorium, uranium, and rare earth elements. All of these are extremely useful and if mined will not have to be imported from earth. Kreep may prove profitable, or it may simply be used for cost reduction (not having to pay shipping etc). The only other semi-prominent ore bodies may be asteroid fragments. The problem is PGM mining is only viable as a byproduct of nickel and other mining operations due to low concentrations. Rhodium currently averages $5996.58 per troy ounce for march 2007. -- Jarogers2001 13:03, 16 March 2007 (PDT)