JAPAN AND THAILAND TO JOINTLY EXTRACT RARE METALS

  Japan's Agency of Natural Resources and
  Energy said it will begin experiments with Thailand at the end
  of March to start commercial production of rare metals in 1989
  under a joint project.
      An agency official said it will set up a 500 mln yen pilot
  plant in Bangkok which will extract high quality rare metals
  such as titanium and niobium from sand left over from tin
  production processes in Thailand.
      The plant wilq use about a tonne of sand per day, although
  it is unclear how much rare metal will be extracted, the
  official said.
  

