Your Gallium Play

Gallium is not found in free standing form in nature, but is extracted from gallium compounds found in zinc and bauxite ore, and as a by-product in the production of aluminum. Therefore, the best way to participate in the growing demand for gallium would be to invest in zinc and bauxite miners and aluminum producers. Such as:

• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) – mining bauxite, which is refined into alumina, which is in turn used to make aluminum, with gallium as a by-product.

• Rio Tinto Group (NYSE: RIO) – "mining and production of aluminum products, including bauxite, alumina, and aluminum; copper, gold, silver, and molybdenum; diamonds, borates, salt, and titanium dioxide feedstocks, as well as purity iron, metal powders, zircon, and rutile; thermal and coking coal, and uranium; and iron ore". (Yahoo! Finance)

• BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP) – primarily a petroleum producer, the company "also produces and supplies primary aluminum, alumina, nickel, and manganese ore and alloys... and produces copper, silver, lead, uranium, zinc, and iron ore". (Yahoo! Finance)

• Glencore Xstrata PLC (LSE: GLEN.L) – primarily a producer of oil, gas and coal, it also produces zinc and gallium by-products.

• Teck Resources Limited (NYSE: TCK) – "its principal products include copper, including copper concentrates and cathode copper; steelmaking coal; and zinc, which comprise refined zinc and zinc concentrates"... "lead, molybdenum, silver, and specialty and other metals; chemicals and fertilizers; and germanium dioxide, indium, cadmium, copper compounds as metal co-products, and sulphur products". It also "holds interest in oil sands projects in the Athabasca region of Alberta; and explores for copper, zinc, and gold". (Yahoo! Finance)