America's Strategic Vulnerability

Supply Chain Realities & Emerging Solutions

Trade tensions, export controls, and supply chain weaponization by foreign governments have made domestic mineral independence a matter of immediate national security.

The Numbers

The Dependency Crisis

90%+
Global REE Processing
China controls over 90% of global rare earth element processing capacity, including the NdPr oxide critical for defense magnets.
90%
Global Niobium Supply
Brazil produces approximately 90% of the world's niobium — a single-source dependency for steel alloys and aerospace applications.
36%
NdPr Supply Shortfall
Global NdPr oxide supply is projected to fall 36% short of demand by 2030, threatening EV, defense, and electronics supply chains.
700%
NdPr Demand Growth
Surging demand from EV motors, wind turbines, and advanced military systems is driving unprecedented NdPr demand growth.
CN
China — Rare Earth Elements
China dominates global REE mining, processing, and refined product export. Export controls on gallium, germanium, and REEs have been deployed as geopolitical leverage against U.S. allies and defense contractors.
Rare Earth Elements (NdPr) — Demand Outpacing Supply

$15.4B market by 2033. Every EV motor, wind turbine, and advanced military guidance system requires NdPr permanent magnets. No substitutes exist at scale. Supply projected to fall 36% short of demand by 2030.

RU
Russia / Ukraine — Titanium
U.S. aerospace has historically relied on Russian titanium sponge. The Ukraine conflict exposed deep structural vulnerabilities, accelerating demand for domestic titanium sourcing for fighters, submarines, and spacecraft.
Titanium — Demand Outpacing Supply

$57B market by 2035 growing at 6.43% CAGR. Required in every U.S.-made fighter jet, submarine hull, and next-generation spacecraft. Domestic supply is classified as a top national security priority.

BR
Brazil — Niobium
CBMM of Brazil controls approximately 85% of global niobium output. Any disruption to Brazilian supply — political, logistical, or intentional — would directly impact U.S. high-strength steel production for infrastructure and defense.
Niobium — Demand Outpacing Supply

$3.2B market by 2032 growing at 6.0% CAGR. Used in high-strength steel alloys for infrastructure, aerospace, and superconducting applications. U.S. produces virtually none domestically.

Policy Tailwinds

The Federal Response

A broad coalition of federal initiatives is actively driving capital and policy support toward domestic critical mineral projects.

Executive Orders on Critical Minerals
Presidential executive orders mandate domestic sourcing for all DoW critical mineral applications and direct agencies to streamline permitting for priority projects on federal lands.
DoW Critical Mineral Stockpile Program
The Department of War operates direct government offtake vehicles for NdPr, Nb, and Ti — providing non-dilutive capital pathways for qualifying domestic projects under DPA Title III.
USGS Earth MRI Program
Federally funded USGS Earth MRI airborne geophysical surveys have confirmed the Powderhorn District — home to Project Dry Powder — as a top-priority domestic REE/Nb/Ti zone.
Federal Funding & Finance Programs
Multiple federal programs offer grants, loans, and loan guarantees specifically for critical mineral mining, extraction, processing, and recycling — available to qualifying U.S.-domiciled projects.
Research & Technology Programs
DoE and DoW research programs provide financial support for development of new extraction and processing technologies, reducing technical and financial risk for domestic projects.
Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III
The DPA Title III program allows the U.S. government to invest directly in domestic production capacity for materials critical to national defense — including all three of Origin's target minerals.
Why Colorado

The Right Place

Project Dry Powder is located 21 miles southwest of Gunnison, Colorado — within the Colorado Mineral Belt, one of the most important mineral-producing districts in North America. Gunnison County has 559 historically producing mines, making it one of Colorado's most active and permitted mining jurisdictions.

Colorado's established mining infrastructure, proven regulatory framework, and world-class talent base — anchored by the Colorado School of Mines — make it an ideal jurisdiction for a flagship critical minerals project.

See the Project
$7B+
Annual Mining Contribution to Colorado GDP
57,000
Direct & Indirect Mining Jobs in Colorado
BLM
Active Federal Land Claims — Clear Permitted Path
HWY 114
Year-Round Road Access to Project Site

Origin Minerals Is the Answer

Project Dry Powder sits on the largest known carbonatite complex in the United States — confirmed by 70+ years of exploration data from DuPont, Teck, USGS, and Origin's own field campaigns.

View Project Dry Powder