More about molybdenum

Kitsault was originally built as a town to support the nearby molybdenum mine. Otherwise known as ‘moly’, this hard, silvery-white metallic element is used to toughen alloy steels and soften tungsten alloy. It is an essential trace element in plant nutrition, and is used in fertilizers, dyes, enamels, and reagents.

The First World War saw the demand for molybdenum rise dramatically as alloyed steels used for transportation and armor plating increased with the war effort. Demand for molybdenum initiated an intensive search for new sources to insure a reliable supply.

The mine itself was first opened in 1967 but shut down in 1972. It re-opened again in the early 80’s, as the people moved to Kitsault, but shut 18 months after it opened when prices crashed. The mine was recently bought by Avanti and prices of Moly are once again around $17 US a pound. Avanti engineers estimate there are 200 Million pounds of Moly in the area they’re exploring.