"They've got a total heavy mineral content in them, which is ilmenite, rutile, zircon, " he explains.

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Alberta, Canada is site of the world's largest extraction operations from oil sands, heavy earth laden with bitumen, a hydrocarbon-rich mineral.

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On Friday, one day after announcing it had pinpointed the source of the leak, Total detailed its dueling approaches to stop it: blocking the outflow with "heavy mud" (consisting of a mixture that contains mineral compounds) and drilling a pair of relief wells.

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Australia holds the world record, with some privately operated mineral trains exceeding 25, 000 tonnes, the equivalent of 500 heavy lorries.

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My mention of mineral resource vulnerability may surprise some but I should point out the heavy dependency of rare earth minerals in technology such as mobile devices and consumer electronics, and the limited supply we have.

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