【Ferro-alloys.com】：Australian miners continued to advance key projects over the March quarter, delivering strong exploration results, technical milestones and development progress across the rare earths sector.

From technical milestones to project development steps, companies are positioning assets to support future supply across critical minerals markets.

Technical breakthroughs advance North Stanmore

Victory Metals delivered a series of standout results from its North Stanmore project in Western Australia during the March quarter, highlighting the asset’s potential as a globally significant heavy rare earth development.

The company reported outstanding leaching results from North Stanmore flotation concentrate, returning high-value heavy rare earth elements including 70.9 per cent dysprosium, 70.2 per cent terbium and 75.1 per cent yttrium.

Exploration success was underpinned by a record-breaking intercept, with the highest total rare earth oxide (TREO) grade recorded at the project to date. The result of 11,565 parts per million from 15m depth represents a world-class outcome for a clay-hosted heavy rare earth system.

Metallurgical work also progressed, with first-pass sighter flotation successfully upgrading a representative composite to a peak concentrate grade of 5.9 per cent TREO.

Further testwork delivered a 2600 per cent upgrade in hafnium oxide (HfO?), increasing from 4 parts per million to 108 parts per million in zircon and baddeleyite-bearing concentrate.

Victory also strengthened its pathway towards development, partnering with Curtin University to support studies required to advance the North Stanmore project towards commercial production. The collaboration will include co-development of a pilot plant.

The company bolstered its technical capability during the quarter, appointing Ken Baxter, Scott Atkinson, Dr Ludovic Dumée and Peter Hedley to its leadership team, joining Technical Director Professor Ken Collerson and Chief Technical Officer Dean O’Keefe.

Victory ended the March quarter with approximately $12.56 million in cash.

Located in Western Australia, North Stanmore is positioned as one of the largest clay-hosted heavy rare earth projects globally, with potential to supply critical minerals including dysprosium, terbium and yttrium.

ABx builds rare earth and bauxite momentum

ABx Group progressed multiple workstreams across its rare earths, fluorine chemicals and bauxite businesses during the March quarter, with a focus on advancing its northern Tasmania rare earths program.

The company reported strong progress in customer engagement, particularly across North America, as it seeks to position its Deep Leads resource within Western supply chains.

Initial feedback on ABx’s mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) was received from Rare Earth Technologies (RETi), which confirmed the product was of exceptional purity and an ideal feedstock for its process.

A second MREC sample was produced by ANSTO from the Deep Leads resource for further assessment by prospective customers, while in-house leaching tests identified several new areas of ionic adsorption clay rare earths with high extraction potential.

ABx continued to advance discussions with potential partners and customers, including Ucore Rare Metals, with which it has a memorandum of understanding to develop a supply pathway for mixed rare earth carbonates.

Managing director Dr Mark Cooksey participated in an Australian critical minerals delegation to Canada and the US during the quarter, presenting the Deep Leads project at the PDAC Convention in Toronto and engaging with potential investors in New York.

Beyond rare earths, ABx progressed its ALCORE fluorine chemicals project, with design and construction of a continuous pilot plant proceeding on schedule at the ALCORE Technology Centre in Bell Bay. An Environmental Effects Report was submitted to EPA Tasmania, with feedback expected in April, and two senior process engineers commenced in late April.

In Queensland, preliminary ecology studies were completed at the Sunrise bauxite project, with the tender process for a Site-Specific Environmental Authority underway. Due diligence work is also being conducted on the Taralga project in New South Wales.

ABx is targeting bauxite production for customers in 2026.

ASM lifts production and progresses Energy Fuels transaction

Australian Strategic Materials advanced its mine-to-metals strategy during the March quarter, alongside ongoing work to implement its proposed transaction with Energy Fuels.

The company reported a more than 70 per cent increase in neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) alloy deliveries from its Korean Metals Plant (KMP), dispatching 42 tonnes during the quarter.

Heavy rare earth capabilities also progressed, with 10kg of terbium metal produced and a next-generation pilot-scale heavy rare earth metallisation furnace installed, with cold commissioning underway.

Expansion works continued at the KMP, with civil foundation works completed to support an increase in the number of furnaces from four to 12.

At the Dubbo project, ASM progressed its mixed rare earth hydroxide precipitate concept study in parallel with heap leach option pre-feasibility study work.

The company also advanced activities required to implement its proposed Schemes with Energy Fuels, including regulatory processes and associated documentation.

ASM managing director and chief executive officer Rowena Smith said the proposed transaction aligns with efforts by governments in Australia and the US to support alternative rare earth supply chains.

“During a quarter when both the Australian and US governments announced major investment vehicles to secure strategic critical minerals, ASM’s proposed Schemes with Energy Fuels strongly align with the objectives of these governments to deliver the alternative rare earth supply chain the Western world is demanding,” she said.

Smith highlighted the establishment of Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve and the US Government’s Project Vault initiative, as well as international collaboration efforts through the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial.

“What is clear across all these developments is that ASM’s strategic position is directly aligned with this emerging global policy architecture – including our proposed combination with Energy Fuels,” she said.

• [Editor:Alakay]