Uses and Facts

• valuable alloying agent, as it contributes to the hardness and toughness of quenched and tempered steels.
• used in certain nickel-based alloys which are heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant to chemical solutions.
• electrical and nuclear applications and as a catalyst in the refining of petroleum.
• There are significant molybdenum resources around the world with an average price of US 25 per pound according to UGSG mineral summary, 2006.

Occurrences in Guyana

• Molybdenum has been found in significant quantities, during drilling, geochemical soil and sediment survey at following four regions: (1) Yakishuru Hill, Barama (2) Eagle Mountain, Potaro District (3) Ianna Hill, Barama (4) Jubilee – Million Mount, Puruni.
• For Eagle Mountain, mineralization is generally associated with the eagle mountain granite porphyry.
• For Yakishuru Hill, Molybdenite mineralization occurres as veinlets and disseminations in leucocratic granite (“alaskite”) stock which intrudes feebly molybdeniferous intermediate basic volcanics. 
• For Ianna Hill, There are mainly two types of anomalous zones in Ianna area, they area Eastern and Western Anomalous zone, both the zones contains molybdenum soil anomaly.
• For Jubilee – Million Mount, Soils over rather leucocratic porphyry carry up to 50 ppm. Molybdenum on a back ground of less than 7 ppm. Unchecked soil values nearly reach 130 ppm. Only a small part of the porphyry area has been examined.