Ramaco’s Rare Earth Claims Draw Fierce Scrutiny From Geologists, Short

RANCHESTER — The clouds parted and the sun came out for Ramaco Resources this past summer.

On July 11, the horizon dawned gray and rainy, but by the time a crowd of mining industry insiders and political dignitaries assembled for the grand opening of the Brook Mine, the sun was shining and the audience was treated to a dose of blue sky.

"What we have discovered beneath this soil are enough rare earths that we may be able to supply this country for well over the next 100 years,” Randall Atkins told the crowd.

As a founder of Ramaco and the face of the operation, Atkins played master of ceremonies for a gathering that included U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Gov. Mark Gordon and Wyoming’s entire congressional delegation.

There were coal miners too, there to witness the start of an