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American Rare Earths boosts oxides 10x


The Halleck Creek rare earths project in Wyoming. (Image courtesy of American Rare Earths.)

By: Staff Writer February 21, 2025

American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR) now has 10 times the total rare earth oxides (TREO) concentration at its Halleck Creek project in Wyoming.

The TREO jumped to 3.72% from 0.34% in a metallurgical milestone, the company said Thursday. It highlighted that 93.5% of non-rare earth material can be removed during early-stage processing. This means that only 6.5% of the mined ore will require further refining, which reduces processing costs.

“These results confirm exactly what we anticipated — Halleck Creek ore can be efficiently upgraded using simple, low-cost conventional processing methods,” CEO Chris Gibbs said in a release. “With these results in hand, we will issue an updated scoping study shortly, incorporating the resource increase announced earlier this month.”

Flowsheet

The critical mineral-focused company noted that is advancing metallurgical test work to optimize processing efficiency and conducting hydrometallurgical testing to refine the flowsheet.

The Halleck Creek project’s resource contains 2.63 billion tonnes at 3,292 parts per million total TREO and 7.48 million tonnes of contained TREO, including neodymium and praseodymium oxides. They’re used to make magnets for electric car motors.

Rusal to launch production of rare-earth metal scandium this year

Reuters | February 27, 2025 |

Russian aluminum producer Rusal said on Thursday it is setting up a 1.5 tonne-a-year production facility for the rare-earth metal scandium, with the capacity to increase to 19 metric tonnes a year.


The announcement came days after President Vladimir Putin called for Russia to step up its output of rare-earth metals, and as US President Donald Trump prepares to sign a deal with Ukraine on tapping mineral reserves that can be used in a wide range of sectors from defence to consumer electronics.

Investment in the project will amount to 500 million roubles ($5.73 million), Rusal said in a statement. Production will start this year at its Bogoslovsky aluminum plant, located near the Urals Mountains.

Scandium is used as an alloying agent with aluminum, providing alloys with such qualities as 10-15% weight reduction, higher strength and resistance to thermal shock.

The alloys could be used in shipbuilding and aviation, both civilian and military. The Soviet Union used scandium for MIG fighter jets as early as the 1980s.

Rusal said that it could be used in production of railway cars and 3D printing of high-tech prosthetics.

Rusal estimated global production of scandium oxide, the main form of the metal, at only 20-25 tons per year. The company said it will make scandium oxide from red mud, a by-product of alumina production, using technology it has developed.

Other international producers, including Rio Tinto, extract scandium oxide from the titanium processing stream.

Russia has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of rare earth metals and aims to become one of the top five rare earth metals producers with up to 12% of global market share by 2030.

Putin has offered the US the opportunity under a future economic deal to jointly explore Russia’s rare earth metal deposits. He also offered the US to supply up to 2 million tons of aluminum.

($1 = 87.2000 roubles)

Les États-Unis veulent exploiter les réserves de 100 millions de tonnes de terres rares découvertes en République- Dominicaine

10 fev 2025

Lors de sa visite officielle de 24 heures à Santo-Domingo du 5 au 6 février 2025, Marco Rubio, nouveau Secrétaire d’Etat nord-américain a tenu des discussions avec Luis Abinader, le président dominicain ainsi que le ministre des affaires étrangères dominicain.

L'un des sujets de grande importance était l’exploitation des terres rares, recherchées pour toutes les grandes puissances industrielles, qui se trouvent en grandes quantités dans le sous-sol de la République-Dominicaine.

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En République-Dominicaine, les estimations préliminaires s'élèvent à 100 millions de tonnes de réserves brutes de ces minéraux si convoités par les pays développés comme les États-Unis.

Depuis août 2024, sous la présidence de Joe Biden, les États-Unis collaborent avec Saint-Domingue sur les forages des terres rares qui se trouvent dans le sous-sol de la province de Pedernales située dans le sud du pays.
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Les terres rares, des métaux indispensables à l'économie de demain

AFP le 03 février 2025

Dysprosium, néodyme, cérium... les terres rares, que Donald Trump a mises lundi dans la balance d'un accord d'aide à l'Ukraine, sont des métaux stratégiques car indispensables à l'économie de demain, en particulier pour les grandes technologies de la transition énergétique.

- D'où viennent ces métaux?

Les terres rares sont composées de 17 matières premières, découvertes à la fin du XVIIIe siècle en Suède, et possédant chacune des propriétés différentes.

Ces éléments ont été regroupés sous une même appellation, car ils sont souvent présents dans les mêmes sols.

Une fois le minerai récupéré dans la terre, il doit faire l'objet d'un traitement de "séparation", le fait de distinguer les différents minéraux, par le biais d'opérations chimiques impliquant parfois des acides.

- Sont-elles vraiment rares ?

Elles sont en fait plutôt abondantes sur la planète.

Dans un bilan de 2024, l'US Geological Survey évaluait à 110 millions de tonnes les réserves mondiales, dont plus du tiers, 44 millions de tonnes, situées en Chine, 22 millions au Vietnam, 21 millions au Brésil, 10 millions en Russie et 7 millions en Inde.

"Plus la demande progresse pour ces matières premières, plus les gens en cherchent et plus ils en trouvent. Le problème est davantage dans la relation entre le coût d'extraction et le prix de marché", analyse John Seaman, chercheur à l'Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri).

Or la demande devrait continuer à augmenter. Pour atteindre la neutralité carbone en 2050, l'UE aura besoin à cette date de 26 fois plus de terres rares qu'aujourd'hui, a calculé l'université KU Leuven pour Eurométaux, l'association européenne des producteurs de métaux.

- Qu'ont-elles de si particulier?

Chacun de ces minéraux a son utilité pour l'industrie, entre l'europium utile aux écrans de télévision, le cerium destiné au polissage du verre ou le lanthane pour les catalyseurs dans les moteurs à essence.

On peut en trouver aussi bien dans un drone, une éolienne, un disque dur, un moteur de voiture électrique, une lentille de télescope ou un avion de chasse.

"Certains de ces éléments sont plus ou moins irremplaçables, ou alors à des coûts élevés", note John Seaman auprès de l'AFP.

Irremplaçables parce que leurs propriétés sont parfois uniques, ils sont par exemple privilégiés pour fabriquer les aimants permanents des éoliennes en mer, grâce aux qualités du néodyme et du dysprosium. Une fois installés, les aimants nécessitent peu d'entretien et affichent de fortes performances, facilitant le fonctionnement de ces equipements installés loin des côtes.

- La Chine en pointe, l'Occident à la traîne ?

La Chine est richement dotée mais sa domination est "l'aboutissement d'une politique industrielle à long terme" et due aux "avantages tirés d'un retard dans la régulation des industries extractives", souligne Jane Nakano, chercheuse à Washington au Centre international d'études stratégiques (CSIS).

Pékin a su, au fil des années et d'investissements publics massifs, maintenir un large réseau de raffinage des matériaux bruts, amenant aujourd'hui de nombreux producteurs sur la planète à y exporter leurs minerais.

La Chine a par ailleurs déposé davantage de brevets dans les terres rares que l'ensemble du reste du monde réuni, signale Mme Nakano. Cette domination s'est faite toutefois au prix d'un lourd tribut environnemental.

- Relocaliser, pourquoi ?

Entre divergences commerciales et géopolitiques, les tensions entre la Chine et l'Occident sont nombreuses. Bruxelles et Washington sentent l'urgence à diversifier leurs approvisionnements sur ces matières premières essentielles.

Les craintes de blocages reposent d'ailleurs aussi sur un douloureux précédent: Tokyo avait vu son robinet de terres rares coupé par la Chine en 2010 en raison d'un conflit territorial.

Le Japon a depuis diversifié ses approvisionnements, en passant des accords avec l'entreprise australienne Lynas en Malaisie et en développant sa filière de recyclage.

Aux Etats-Unis, une autre alerte s'est produite en mai 2019. En pleine guerre commerciale avec Washington, le président chinois Xi Jinping avait effectué une visite dans une usine de traitement de terres rares, laissant ainsi planer la menace d'un blocage par la Chine des exportations de terres rares raffinées.

American Rare Earths grows Halleck Creek resource by 12%

Staff Writer | January 29, 2025

American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR) has announced a significant increase in resource at its Halleck Creek project in Wyoming, further establishing what is already one of the largest rare earth deposits in North America.


The new JORC-compliant resource estimate now exceeds 2.63 billion tonnes, representing a 12.2% increase over the previous estimate. The resource has an average grade of 3,292 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO), containing 8.65 million tonnes of TREOs.

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A major component of the project is the Cowboy State mine, the first phase of development within the Red Mountain area. Its resource total grew by 29.4% to 543 million tonnes, along with a 2.7% increase in TREO grade to 3,438 ppm.

The resource growth, says American Rare Earths, highlights the “transformational scalability” of the project.

Mining Intelligence in 2023 ranked Halleck Creek as one of the world’s top 10 rare earth projects measured in TREOs. Due to the strategic importance of rare earths, the project is being considered for a loan of $456 million from the US Export-Import Bank to support its phased development.

“This resource update demonstrates the continued growth, scale and strategic importance of Halleck Creek as a cornerstone project for the US rare earth supply chain,” American Rare Earths CEO Chris Gibbs said in a news release Wednesday.

Gibbs also highlighted the project’s “remarkable” upside potential, given the current resource covers only about 16% of the greater Halleck Creek surface area, and the deposit remains open at depth and along strike.

The updated resource, according to American Rare Earths, is expected to have a positive impact on Halleck Creek’s project economics. The company is now integrating the resource data into a new scoping study, set to be released next month, as well as a pre-feasibility study, which it aims to complete later this year.
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Sweden’s LKAB could meet 18% of Europe’s rare earth metal demand
The new processing facility in Lulea, northern Sweden, is expected to be operational by 2026.

January 29, 2025


LKAB’s expansion plans target full operation in the 2030s, with development separate from the Per Geijer find. Credit: LKAB.

Swedish state-owned mining company LKAB announced that it can meet around 18% of Europe’s rare earth metal demand in the long term if its Per Geijer mine in the Arctic begins production.

The company made the announcement during the start of construction on a new processing facility in Lulea, northern Sweden, reported Reuters.

The project involves an investment of Skr800m (approximately $73m) and is expected to be operational by 2026.

The strategic importance of rare earths is underscored by geopolitical tensions and the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA).

The EU’s focus on securing its supply of critical raw materials including rare earths essential for green technology is part of its broader strategy to meet climate goals.

LKAB’s efforts align with this strategy, providing a more secure supply chain for rare earth metals within Europe.

The Lulea facility will process mining waste to produce rare earth concentrate, phosphoric acid and gypsum, with full operations expected to commence by the 2030s. The plant will initially focus on waste from the Malmberget mine in Gallivare.

The facility’s development is independent of the Per Geijer find in Kiruna, one of Europe’s largest rare earth element deposits.

The Per Geijer deposit, primarily an iron ore deposit with estimated resources of around 1.7 million tonnes of rare earth oxides, could take a decade to develop.

LKAB special products business area senior vice-president Darren Wilson said: “We see our first stage for phosphates at around 6% (of European demand) and rare earths about 2.5%.”

“When we expand fully and exploit the potential of Per Geijer, we see that being up to around 18% (of rare earths).”

LKAB needs to secure an environmental permit and other regulatory approvals before commencing commercial operations at the deposit.

The company has applied for a processing licence to develop the deposit exclusively and for strategic project designation under the EU’s CRMA.

Deputy Mayor Luleå municipality Fredrik Hansson said: “I am very pleased that LKAB has chosen to build a demonstration plant for critical minerals in Luleå. This strengthens our city as a hub for innovation and sustainable development while building on the historical ties with Gällivare and the Malmbanan railway.

“The investment brings new job opportunities and contributes to a sustainable future – not only for Luleå and the region but for all of Europe. We look forward to following this important project and the positive impact it will create.”

MP Materials produces rare earth metal in Texas

Northern Miner Staff | January 22, 2025

MP Materials (NYSE: MP) has kicked off commercial production of neodymium-praseodymium metal at its Independence facility in Texas along with trial production of neodymium-iron-boron magnets, the company announced Wednesday.


The facility in Fort Worth will use feedstock from the company’s Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California to build the first fully integrated rare earth metal, alloy and magnet manufacturing facility in the US.

MP Materials expects to produce about 1,000 tonnes of finished neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets a year and gradual production ramp-up will begin later this year. First deliveries of the automotive-grade, sintered magnets are on track for year-end and a significant amount will go to General Motors.

“This milestone marks a major step forward in restoring a fully integrated rare earth magnet supply chain in the United States,” James Litinsky, MP Materials’ founder, chairman and CEO, said in a release.

In midday trading in New York, shares of MP Materials were up 2.5% to $21.38, giving it a market cap of about $3.5 billion.

Mountain Pass


MP Materials’ Mountain Pass rare earths mine in southern California is the only rare earths producer in the United States. Credit: MP Materials

Last year the open-pit Mountain Pass mine produced 45,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides (REO) contained in concentrate — an all-time high for primary production in the US. The company also posted a midstream production record of about 1,300 tonnes of NdPr oxide.

NdFeB magnets are essential in electric vehicles, robotics, electronics, aerospace, drones and defence systems but for decades the US has relied almost entirely on imports.

By contrast, China produced an estimated 300,000 tonnes of NdFeB magnets in 2024, up from 280,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Ellie Saklatvala, senior editor nonferrous metals at Argus, in a Jan. 15 update.

The powerful and efficient magnets are critical in the green energy transition and the development of low-carbon technologies.

Demand for rare earth permanent materials will continue to increase, forecasts commodity consultants Wood Mackenzie.

“As we move into 2025, with the improvement of the global economic condition, it is expected that the rare earth market will continue to improve,” it said in a Jan. 10 report.

Un gisement super-large de terres rares découvert au Yunnan, en Chine, contenant plus de 470,000 tonnes de terres rares clés telles que Pr-Nd, dysprosium et terbium.

janv. 18, 2025,

La Chine découvre un gisement de terres rares de très grande envergure au Yunnan, contenant plus de 470,000 tonnes de terres rares clés, dont Pr-Nd, dysprosium et terbium


Le 17 janvier, il a été appris auprès du Bureau géologique de Chine du Ministère des Ressources naturelles que, grâce au soutien important du Ministère des Finances, le Bureau géologique de Chine du Ministère des Ressources naturelles a découvert un gisement de terres rares adsorbées par ions de très grande taille dans la région de Honghe, dans la province du Yunnan, avec des ressources potentielles atteignant 1,15 million de tonnes. Parmi celles-ci, des éléments clés des terres rares tels que Pr-Nd, le dysprosium et le terbium dépassent 470,000 tonnes. Cela marque une autre avancée majeure dans l'exploration des terres rares adsorbées par ions en Chine depuis la première découverte de ces minerais dans le Jiangxi en 1969. Il est prévu que ce gisement devienne le plus grand dépôt de terres rares moyennes-lourdes de Chine, jouant un rôle significatif dans le renforcement des avantages en ressources de terres rares de la Chine, l'amélioration de la chaîne industrielle des terres rares et la consolidation de l'avantage stratégique de la Chine dans le secteur des ressources en terres rares moyennes-lourdes.

Le gisement de terres rares adsorbées par ions découvert est principalement un gisement de terres rares moyennes-lourdes. La Chine est riche en ressources de terres rares légères, principalement réparties à Bayan Obo, en Mongolie intérieure, et à Maoniuping, dans le Sichuan, mais les ressources en terres rares moyennes-lourdes sont relativement rares. Ces ressources ont des champs d'application plus larges et sont des matières premières clés indispensables pour les véhicules électriques, les nouvelles énergies, la sécurité nationale et d'autres secteurs, ainsi que des métaux critiques pour le développement des industries de haute technologie.

Le Bureau géologique de Chine a combiné des enquêtes géologiques avec des recherches scientifiques, établissant un réseau national de référence géochimique au cours de plus d'une décennie de travail, acquérant une énorme quantité de données géochimiques et réalisant des percées significatives dans les théories de prospection minière et les technologies d'exploration. Cet effort a comblé le vide dans la technologie d'exploration géochimique pour les terres rares adsorbées par ions, établissant un système de technologie d'exploration rapide, précis et écologique. Il fournit des informations précieuses pour réaliser des percées rapides dans la prospection minière dans d'autres zones d'enrichissement en terres rares moyennes-lourdes en Chine.

Colorado start-up raises $5.1m to advance critical mineral separation with biochemistry

Staff Writer | January 7, 2025 |

Alta Resource Technologies, a Colorado-based start-up focused on efficient extraction of critical minerals, has raised $5.1 million in an oversubscribed seed round co-led by DCVC and Voyager Ventures, with participation from Orion Industrial Ventures, Overture and WovenEarth Ventures.


Alta has developed a biochemistry platform that leverages technology licensed from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and is co-developed with collaborators including researchers at Pennsylvania State University.

With its first products, Alta aims to increase supplies of rare earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium — essential for electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and defense technologies — by cost-effectively separating them from abundant low-grade sources and end-of-life products that cannot be processed using conventional methods.

Alta said its technology uses custom-designed proteins that act like microscopic robots to separate high-purity rare earth elements and other critical minerals with unprecedented selectivity and cost-effectiveness.

The company has also secured nearly $1 million in grant funding from the federal government, including the Department of Defense’s DARPA, and the State of Colorado. Earlier funding was provided by Baruch Future Ventures and Climate Capital (now Juniper).

Rare earth metals demand is projected to increase at 10.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2024-2033. There is currently only one producing rare earths mine in the US: MP Materials’ Mountain Pass in California.

The Department of Defense has implemented a strategy to develop domestic supply chains to ensure continued access to the rare earth materials needed to manufacture the permanent magnets used in US military weapons systems, as domestic shortages of rare earth elements and could derail the energy transition, stunt economic growth, and potentially undermine national security.

“Biology has solved the problem of ultra-selective mineral separation over billions of years, but translating that into practical applications has been elusive – until now,” Alta CEO Nathan Ratledge, PhD, said in Tuesday’s news release.

“Our technology leverages specially engineered proteins that can bind to specific metals with unprecedented selectivity, even at low concentrations in complex mixtures.

By deploying these proteins in a continuous, scalable process, we can unlock vast untapped mineral resources here at home, strengthening our supply chains and national security while setting a new standard for environmentally responsible mining.”

USA Rare Earth produces first batch of magnets at Oklahoma plant

Staff Writer | January 8, 2025

USA Rare Earth reached a major milestone this week with the successful production of the first batch of sintered permanent rare earth magnets at its new plant under development in Stillwater, Oklahoma.


The production plant — called Innovations Lab — represents part of USA Rare Earth’s vertically integrated rare earth element magnet supply chain, leveraging what it hails as “the only scalable, sintered neo-magnet manufacturing system in the Western Hemisphere.”

The company also controls the mining rights to the Round Top deposit in West Texas, which contains a significant endowment of heavy rare earths such as dysprosium, terbium, gallium and beryllium. The mine is currently in its engineering phase, targeting first production in 2025/2026, USA Rare Earth has said.

In the meantime, the company will also use rare earth feedstock from other suppliers. To date, it entered into supply agreements with multiple parties including Australian Strategic Materials (ASX: ASM) (ASM) and American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC).

The Innovations Lab, once fully commissioned, will produce prototype rare earth magnets for the company in support of customer sales, product quality management, and advancement of new innovations in rare earth magnet production, USA Rare Earth said in a press release Tuesday.

The lab was initially slated to enter production in 2024, targeting 1,200 tonnes of per year initially, then ramping up to its nameplate capacity of 4,800 tonnes. Its primary equipment is modified from the one Hitachi previously used at its magnet production plant in North Carolina.

The company previously said it plans to invest more than $100 million in developing the manufacturing facility in Oklahoma.

“Our new Innovations Lab, which we will finish building out in the coming months, is already flexing its muscles, helping us achieve a key step in our company’s evolution,” USA Rare Earth CEO Joshua Ballard said in the release.

“We will soon begin producing customer prototypes in support of future sales as we work towards starting commercial production at our manufacturing facility in 2026.”

BMW, Yamaha Motor back US rare earths startup Phoenix Tailings

Reuters | December 31, 2024

BMW and Yamaha Motor have invested in US-based rare earths processing startup Phoenix Tailings, the latest move by manufacturers to boost production of the strategic metals outside of China.


Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion for electric vehicles, cell phones and other electronics.

The existing standard to refine these minerals, known as solvent extraction, is an expensive and dirty process that gradually became unpopular in the United States after it was developed in the 1950s but one that Chinese rivals have spent the past 30 years mastering.

Beijing has taken steps in recent months to curb exports, a move that has fueled a scramble across the West for replacement technologies. Phoenix says its process can produce rare earths from mined ore or recycled equipment with little to no emissions.

BMW and Yamaha’s venture capital investment divisions are among several investors – including venture capital funds Envisioning Partners, MPower and Escape Velocity – in Phoenix’s $43 million Series B funding round, which closed on Dec. 20, Phoenix CEO Nick Myers told Reuters in an interview.

Phoenix declined to disclose each investor’s funding.

The company will use the funding to build a $13 million facility in Exeter, New Hampshire, that can produce 200 metric tons of rare earths annually and should open by June 2025, Myers said.

The remaining funding will be used for research, engineering and business development.

The Massachusetts-based company, which has 33 employees, says it has signed supply contracts worth more than $100 million, although it declined to say with whom. If the Exeter facility is successful, Phoenix plans to build larger processing facilities elsewhere in the US.

That could help the company achieve its goal of going public within three to five years, Myers said.

MP Materials and Lynas Rare Earths are two of the largest non-Chinese rare earths miners and processors, although both have struggled amid Chinese competition.

Myers said he believes Phoenix can succeed because it does not operate a mine. The company is applying for US government loans and grants.

Myers added that he believes Donald Trump, who will become US president on Jan. 20, will be a “very strong benefit for onshoring manufacturing” and critical minerals companies.

Phoenix closed a $10 million Series A funding round in August 2021.

Brazilian miner Serra Verde plans to ramp up rare-earth production
By 2026, the business is planning to produce 5,000t of rare-earth oxide annually.

January 3, 2025

Brazilian mining company Serra Verde Group is planning to increase its production of rare-earth metals amid growing trade tensions between the US and China, reported Bloomberg.

The company commercial concentrate production of mixed rare-earth concentrate from phase one of its Pela Ema deposit in Minaçu, in the Brazilian state of Goiás in January last year.

Pela Ema is characterised as a large, long-life ionic clay deposit rich in high-value heavy and light rare earth elements, including neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium, which are said to be crucial for the energy transition.

Serra Verde Group chief operating officer Ricardo Grossi was cited by the news agency as saying that the company is targeting an annual delivery of 5,000 tons (t) of rare-earth oxide by 2026.

Grossi said that the planned increase in output is set to occur alongside an expansion in capacity.

Serra Verde is also considering strategic partnerships with potential companies to further its rare-earth metals production and processing capacity.

Grossi believes the company has the potential to become a key supplier of such critical minerals to Western countries, particularly if China tightens export controls on more metals.

Backed by Denham Capital, Serra Verde has also received support from the Energy and Minerals Group in the US and the UK’s Vision Blue Resources.

Grossi said: “The investment can be made by a new partner or by our current investors.”

The company is currently in talks for another round of funding.

Plans for expanding operations in Brazil are also being assessed, which could potentially double production by 2030.