This month in Sheridan, Wyoming, something remarkable happened. Ramaco Resources hosted a ribbon cutting and groundbreaking ceremony for its Brook Mine Carbon Ore Rare Earth project, the first new rare earths mine in the United States in more than 70 years and the first new coal mine in Wyoming in more than 50 years.
The event brought together U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis, U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman, and former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin. The ceremony celebrated the future of coal, minerals and American strength. The ribbon cutting also signals our desire to reclaim our energy and materials security.
Miners have said for decades that the path to security and industrial leadership begins beneath our feet. The Brook Mine is proof.
Rare Earths and the New National Imperative
Rare earth elements (REEs) are essential to modern defense systems, electric vehicles, wind turbines, semiconductors, advanced medical technologies and most anything with a button, like car starters, dishwashers, washing machines and even F-35 fighter jets. Today, China controls more than 85 percent of global rare earth processing capacity, including most magnet production used in defense and EV applications (U.S. Geological Survey, 2025; DOE Critical Materials Assessment, 2023). That dominance has become a geopolitical lever, and China has shown a willingness to pull it. Beijing’s recent export restrictions on REEs and magnets exposed how fragile the global supply chain has become.
That is what makes the Brook Mine so significant. With an estimated 1.7 million tons of rare earth oxides, this deposit is not only large, it’s strategic. The project aligns with the Trump administration’s focus on reshoring mineral supply chains and reducing foreign dependence. By extracting REEs from unconventional coal and adjacent materials, Ramaco Resources is demonstrating that American innovation can counterbalance global overreach.
The message to America’s miners is clear: our expertise matters more than ever. To remain a global leader, we must mine smarter, process domestically and expand the ways we access minerals.
A Case Study in Innovation
The Brook project redefines what coal can mean in a modern energy economy. Ramaco’s approach is pioneering, extracting medium and heavy rare earth elements from unconventional coal seams and adjacent clays. Backed by early research from the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and a $6 million matching grant from the Wyoming Energy Authority, Brook is more than a first. It is a model.
Average concentrations at Brook are about 550 parts per million, which is well below traditional sites like Mountain Pass. But this is about the value per ton, not just the parts per million. With innovative processing and proximity to domestic refining infrastructure, Brook offers unique economic and strategic potential. Ramaco expects to complete pilot operations by 2026, followed by construction of a commercial facility.
The timing here is important. The U.S. has virtually no rare earth refining capacity, and supply chains remain vulnerable to geopolitical leverage. The Department of Energy and Department of Defense have prioritized reshoring, and Brook is fully aligned with that strategy. Former Senator Manchin, now on Ramaco’s board, has long pushed for new ways to create value from coal and helped shape these policies.
A Broader Opportunity for U.S. Mining
Brook is not an isolated success. It is a proof of concept. Across coal basins in Appalachia, the Illinois Basin, and the Powder River Basin, similar carbonaceous formations are being reassessed for their rare earth potential. According to the NETL, these materials could provide meaningful supply if supported with the right technology (NETL, 2024).
Challenges remain. Environmental reviews, permitting, capital requirements, and refining infrastructure are not yet fully developed. But Brook has political, technical and financial momentum, and shows that legacy mining assets can help meet the demands of a modern, secure economy.
What’s Next
The opportunity for American mining is enormous. This is a strategic step toward restoring American control over the materials that power our future. Brook shows what is possible when innovation, industry and national purpose come together.
Federal and state policymakers must expand funding for pilot extraction technologies, streamline permitting for mineral projects and prioritize domestic refining infrastructure. Let’s build on Brook’s momentum, invest in American ingenuity and make mining the backbone of U.S. energy security again.
Brook is more than a new mine. This is a new beginning.