Advances in the Spatial Equilibrium Modeling of Mineral and Energy Issues

Spatial equilibrium programming methods are increasingly being applied to modeling regional mineral and energy issues. Spatial equilibrium models have been developed to analyze regional commodity trade problems in a national and international context. Mineral models deal with nonfuel minerals and energy models with fuel minerals. Recent modeling efforts focus on conventional fuel and nonfuel mineral trade problems, recognizing the importance of transport costs and political constraints in formulating an equilibrium that approximates competitive trade. Other recent efforts focus on the engineering processes required to transform primary mineral ores or fuels to their more useful processed stages. This paper reviews the theoretical approaches of spatial equilibrium models, compares them to other methods, introduces new modeling advances, and provides a perspective on future modeling directions.