Believed to hold untapped mineral and oil reserves, Greenland "could be a vital player," says Thomas Varming, a geophysicist and senior consultant at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), which estimates the territory to contain 36.1 billion tonnes of rare earths. Demand for these metals, vital in tech, is expected to surge in the future. According to GEUS, Greenland's rare earth reserves -- those that are economically and technically recoverable -- amount to about 1.5 million tonnes. While modest in comparison to China's 44 million tonnes, it could be sufficient enough to attract manufacturers looking to diversify from China's dominance over supply. See also - Greenland stockshots 36XL2VY. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES