Chapter 907 Rare earth minerals and natural gas
Somewhere in the country of Mo, there is a barren mountain.
Dozens of people walked onto this barren mountain. Most of them were fully armed. Only a few wore jackets and walking shoes. Among them was a woman. She was full of energy and could climb up the mountain faster than the men. She was not wearing a military uniform, but was wearing a white trench coat. She looked graceful and graceful, with her long hair flowing behind her, making her look stunning.
"What can be developed has been developed long ago. If this is a mountainous area covered with forests, we can cut down the trees and sell them for money. What's so good about this bare mountain?" Ivan couldn't help complaining next to the woman.
"Qin has pointed out to us that there is a treasure on this mountain. Of course we have to come." Vitalia said: "I believe Qin will never be wrong."
"He has never been here..." Ivan wanted to say something else, but after looking at Vitalia's face, he could only stop.
“This is it, let’s try drilling down from here.” One of the men in jackets said, they are all geological experts from the East.
"No need to drill, let's take a look at the rocks here first." One of the old men picked up a stone from the ground and held it in his hand.
This stone is very special. It is not a large piece, but is made up of small stones, just like rock candy. Each small stone is a cube with different colors, some are white, some are yellow. It looks very special.
When they saw the stone in the old expert’s hand, several other people were shocked: “This, this is an ionic rare earth mine!”
Rare earth elements are not earth. The kind of earth you see only appears after mineral processing. Under normal circumstances, rare earth elements exist in the mineral crystal lattice in the form of ionic compounds. It is the ore in front of you. Different colors represent with different minerals.
Is this mountain a rare earth mine?
“Rare earth? Is this thing valuable?” Vitalia asked curiously.
"Of course it's valuable, this is a rare metal!" The young man said: "The various rare metals contained in it can play a major role in industry. For example, in aircraft engines, rare earth elements are needed, even in automobiles. Glass is also doped with rare earth elements, which are also needed in motors and electronic components."
"In the past few years, we in the East exported a large amount of rare earths at very cheap prices. Our country sold the rare earths at a low price, and then purified them in the West and sold them to us at a high price. This method is very unfavorable to us, especially some private small businesses. A large number of mines were illegally mined, even accounting for 50% of exports. Later, Mr. Qin put forward relevant suggestions. All rare earth resources were nationalized and now under unified management by the state. The price of rare earths has risen. "The old expert said: "This is of great significance to our country. Mr. Qin has a very long-term vision. Now, we not only need to control domestic rare earth resources, but also control other rare earth mines in the world. Only in this way can we have absolute certainty. The right to speak."
"How valuable are these things?" Vitalia doesn't care about these strategic visions. She only cares about money. If there is no money, the Vana Group will have to disband.
"This cannot be concluded immediately. We have to explore carefully to determine the total reserves of the mining area here and how high the grade of these ores is. We need to do various tests."
“Then hurry up and set up a tent here!”
One day later.
“The total reserves of this mining area are 18.5 million tons, and the average grade is 4.8%. If we invest a lot of machinery and equipment, we can produce 30,000 tons of rare earth concentrate every year.”
“How much can these be sold for?”
“Our domestic selling price is about 80,000 per ton.” said the old expert.
"Dollar?"
“Renminbi.”
"How much is that?" Vitalia was immediately dissatisfied. Eighty thousand times thirty thousand, that's 2.4 billion, which is less than 300 million in U.S. dollars. Such a big mine can still make a profit in a year. Less than 300 million! Moreover, you have to pay taxes as required. If you pay taxes, you will get even less!
"The rare earth concentrate is indeed worthless. If we continue to process ore dressing and refining, the equivalent cost of praseodymium and neodymium oxide is 315,000 yuan per ton, and the market price is 895,000 yuan per ton. In this way, the gross profit per ton is 580,000 yuan per ton. The profit can be further Multiple times." said the old expert.
If it can be doubled a few times, it will be almost there. Vitalia's eyes sparkled: "Then let's continue refining."
"Well, the estimated investment is about 300 million." The old expert said: "The first is mineral processing. We need to crush the ore first, then grind and classify the ore on a conical ball mill, and then use a cylindrical magnetic separator to select the primary concentrate. Then the tailings continue to undergo flotation and magnetic separation to obtain a secondary concentrate. The rare earth elements are enriched in the flotation foam, and the grade can reach 20%. Then a shaking table is used to select the rare earth element oxides as Thirty percent rough concentrate and then continue refining.”
Vitalia said she didn’t understand what the old expert said, but as long as she knew that these things cost money, that was enough. Invest a year's income? Vitalia couldn't bear it.
“What if it’s not refined? Just mine it and sell it?”
"If mined directly, the ore would cost two thousand yuan per ton." The old expert said: "But as long as the transportation is smooth, five thousand tons can be mined a day, which is ten million yuan, so it will be more than thirty million yuan a year. billion, if converted into U.S. dollars, it would be about 500 million U.S. dollars.”
The 100-ton king can carry more than 100 tons. These 5,000 tons are only the transportation capacity of fifty vehicles. Even if the road here is not good, it can only carry 50 tons. Then there are hundreds of vehicles for transportation. That's enough, it's not a problem at all. For mining, you only need to use a large electric shovel, and a vehicle can be loaded in a few minutes.
"What else is there to say? Then just mine it and sell it!" Vitalia said, and then thought of something: "We announced to the outside world that this is ordinary ore, and a ton only sells for tens of dollars, so Once we do that, we can lower the taxed price, yes, that’s it!”
Vitalia has already made up her mind. There is still a big difference in tax between two thousand yuan per ton and several hundred yuan per ton. Even if the secret is exposed in the future, she can say that she doesn't know and just sell it as ordinary ore. dropped.
This requires the help of the Mingzhou Group. We only need to mine it and sell it to the Mingzhou Group!
"In this case...we are not responsible for these things, you should talk to Mr. Qin." The old expert will not take the blame.
"Well, I know. I will tell Mr. Qin personally, where is he now?"
“It should be the capital.”
“Then let’s go to the capital to find him!”
"Your Excellency Vitalia, after all, we have done some things before. Is it dangerous to go directly to the capital?" Ivan was a little anxious on the side.
"It was before, and now is now. We are already legal merchants, why can't we go to their capital? If they dare to do anything to me, then we will drive directly into their capital and kill all those who are unfavorable to us! Make your mark in Africa!”
"yes."
Qin Tao felt aggrieved in the villa.
He couldn't see anything around him, and Xu Zhengyang wouldn't let him go out. He remembered something from a certain text: He could only see the sky at the four corners of the yard.
Just as he was feeling frustrated, several high-end cars came by and stopped at the intersection outside for inspection. A report came from the radio intercom.
“The person in charge of Varna is here.”
"Really? Invite them in! No, I'd better go out to greet them." Qin Tao was of course very happy to hear that someone came to see him.
Xu Zhengyang frowned, but didn't say anything.
"Weina, why did you come here so quickly?" Zhao Ling followed Qin Tao to greet him. After meeting, he greeted him warmly. Anyway, the security guards around him were all his own, so there was no need to worry about the relationship between the two parties being discovered.
“Well, I’m here to see Qin. I have a business deal to discuss.”
“Okay, let’s go in and talk.” Qin Tao said.
"Qin, you are so awesome! Sure enough, we found the rare earth mine in the place you mentioned." Vitalia said: "The reserves are still very rich and the prospects are promising. Considering various problems, we, Vana, decided not to do it. Any selection, sell the mined ore directly to you Mingzhou Group, we are only responsible for transporting it to the port, and leave the rest to you."
“Okay.” Qin Tao nodded immediately.
“Why don’t you ask me why I don’t build a mineral processing plant there?” Vitalia was curious.
Qin Tao smiled: "You must have your own reasons for doing this, so I won't worry about it. I'm only responsible for cooperating with you."
“Ore dressing is too expensive, so it’s easier for us to mine it directly.” Vitalia said: “Moreover, we decided to declare to the outside world that this is just ordinary ore and sell it to you Mingzhou Group.”
Qin Tao nodded again: "Okay."
“You still don’t ask why?”
Qin Tao smiled again: "You must have your reasons for doing this, so I won't worry about it. I'm only responsible for cooperating with you."
Vitalia was moved in her heart. This was an old friend of more than ten years who was willing to do anything for her! Even if you have to bear some consequences!
“On the surface, exporting for tens of dollars per ton can save a lot of taxes. In fact, we use another account and sell it to Mingzhou Group at the normal price.”
Qin Tao nodded: "Okay. Not only this kind of mine, but other mines discovered in the future, we can also follow this method."
“Are there any other mines?”
"Yes, there must be more, but you must stabilize this rare earth mine before it can continue to develop. It's easy to overwhelm if you eat too much in one bite." Qin Tao said: "In the future, we will dig out all other minerals. Your Vana Group will definitely not encounter a financial crisis."
Rare earth minerals were discovered in 2012, so no one knows now. It is completely possible to cover it up with ordinary ores. At the same time, there are some other minerals here that need to be developed slowly, so don’t be too anxious.
“Qin, knowing you is the best choice in my life.” Vitalia said with emotion.
Zhao Ling on the side smiled: "Weina, we are lucky to know you."
Vitalia smiled: "Yes, it's you and your wife, Zhao. I really envy you for having such a good husband. By the way, since I'm here, I must have a good time. Let's get drunk tonight." How about Hugh?"
Zhao Ling nodded. She was not worried because Qin Tao drank much more than Zhao Ling.
Moreover, after drinking this time, we have to separate again. I don’t know when we will meet next time.
Vodka was placed on the table. Vitalia opened the lid boldly and blew a few sips directly into her mouth, just like drinking water.
Qin Tao on the opposite side could only open the wine bottle and start blowing... the boiled water had already been replaced by Zhao Ling.
“Qin, what do you think we should do next after we have established a firm foothold in Mo Country?” Vitalia asked.
There is no need to talk about friendship anymore. Needless to say, the friendship between the two parties is all in the wine. Vitalia knows how powerful Qin Tao is, so she hopes to hear Qin Tao's next plan.
“You definitely want to develop northward and open up the line in East Africa. If you can go sideways in East Africa, you will have succeeded.” Qin Tao said: “Especially when you go to Somalia.”
somalia!
This is a place that attracts the attention of the whole world. Countless pirates gather, causing misery to passing ships. Although there are already navy escorts, there are still lone merchant ships being attacked. As long as one ship is robbed, the pirates will become excited again. , eagerly waiting for the next opportunity.
That is the most profitable place.
“You mean, we are pretending to be pirates?” Vitalia said brightly.
Qin Tao quickly shook his head: "Of course not, pirates are a group of guys who destroy the world order, just like rats crossing the street, everyone shouted. However, pirates also have their breeding ground. It is precisely because of the constant turmoil in Somalia that A group of pirates have appeared who make a living by robbing. As long as you can help restore peace there, you can make the pirates disappear without a trace and make the pirates obedient."
All countries fight against piracy at sea, especially on the high seas. Once they enter Somalia's territorial waters, they can no longer take action. Although the Somali government is a softie, they represent sovereignty. As for going directly to the pirates' lair on land , that would be even more out of bounds.
Qin Tao does not recommend this, or in other words, Qin Tao only provides solutions. What Vitalia wants to do in the future is her own choice. Anyway, for her, constantly looking for excitement is her whole life.
At this time, after hearing Qin Tao's words, Vitalia's eyes lit up and asked the pirate to obey! That's right, it's about making the pirates obey!
"Your development must be hidden and covered with legal cover. You can also register multiple companies outside and let different companies control different mines. This will avoid attracting trouble. If someone discovers that you have suddenly developed into a behemoth, he said They may be targeted.”
Vitalia nodded: "Yes, we will. Qin, our current equipment is still a bit backward, and we use second-hand goods from Damao. When we make money in the future, can we purchase it from you? Some munitions?”
The arms you have here? Definitely not a warship, because these people don't need a navy, they are kings of the land.
Wait a minute, is it? Qin Tao quickly shook his head: "Vitalia, our stealth machines are only sold to regular national armies and must not fall into the hands of local armed forces. Besides, that kind of high-precision equipment is not suitable for the environment here. You If you want to play air force, the MiG-21 is actually enough to be the king here."
There are no tigers in the mountains, and monkeys are kings. In Africa, which is one or two eras behind the outside world, fighters like the MiG-21 are really enough. A few countries have aircraft like the MiG-29 and Su-27. I also asked Lao Maozi to fly. Even after it got into the sky, the missile would have problems, and it ended up becoming a machine-gun battle.
Vitalia smiled: "Qin, you just said that we are good friends, and now you don't even do such a small favor?"
“This is really not possible.”
“Okay, then we don’t want your fourth-generation stealth aircraft, but we can just get some drones, right?”
“This shouldn’t be a big problem. It’s not produced by our Mingzhou Group anyway. But you can only buy civilian models.”
“Civilian model? Is there a modification manual?”
While Qin Tao and Vitalia were drinking and talking about mountains in distant Mozambique, a group of people in Mingzhou Group were having a headache.
“How can this be done? This is obviously taken for granted!” After reading the technical requirements, Yang Dawei immediately shook his head: “There is no such thing in the world!”
"Yes, the requirements are too high. Needless to say, it is already impossible to extract natural gas from seawater two thousand meters below. Not to mention that this device not only extracts natural gas, but also completes natural gas production. The liquefaction needs to be stored and transported to other LNG ships! This clearly requires us to build an offshore oil and gas aircraft carrier!" Zhao Fang, another engineer in charge of the research and development of offshore drilling platforms, said: "Which one is this? A request from a layman?”
Everyone's eyes turned to Cong Ju, who said lightly: "Mr. Qin."
When she got the request for this project, Cong Ju had the same idea as them at first. It was clearly an unreasonable request put forward by an outsider. But when she knew it was made by Mr. Qin, she immediately changed her attitude. Since Qin If you always say you can do it, you can definitely do it!
Everyone stopped talking.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Dawei said: "We have a lot of experience in building LNG ships. The natural gas storage part of this offshore oil and gas aircraft carrier can be built by us. In order to deliver liquefied natural gas to the natural gas ship normally, I think this ship The storage part must have at least 200,000 cubic meters of natural gas. However, we are not familiar with the process of natural gas extraction and liquefaction."
Zhao Fang also spoke: "The extraction of natural gas can be left to us. Although the water depth is two thousand meters, it is difficult, but we can still do it if we find a way. However, will the vibration during extraction affect the storage of natural gas?" , we don’t know. Also, is this a boat model or a well model?”
Cong Ju lamented: When I mentioned Mr. Qin, these people immediately stopped complaining and started thinking of ways to solve the problem! Mr. Qin's charm is so great.
(End of this chapter)