Highlighted Projects: Rare Earths, Graphite and Nickel
Gaining momentum as key pillars of the United States security
“Our Bear Lodge project has been extensively drilled, with over 500 core holes totaling over 285,000 feet of core. It is rich in the materials essential for producing high strength permanent magnets, predominantly neodymium and praseodymium. In 2014, we completed a pre-feasibility study that showed a 30 years LOM. We have collected a bulk sample from the Bear Lodge mineral deposit for purposes of advancing our technology into a demonstration scale processing and separation plant. We plan to produce up to 10 t of neodymium praseodymium oxide at a high purity of 99.5%. In addition, we will also produce lanthanum, SEG, as well as heavy rare earth element concentrate for further refining.”
Brent Berg, President and CEO, Rare Element Resources
“In January 2023, at Stillwater West we expanded our mineral resources by 62%, reaching 1.6 billion lb of nickel, copper and cobalt; and 3.8 million ounces of palladium, platinum, rhodium and gold. This milestone was achieved through a relatively modest drill program, underscoring the rich mineralization of the district, where mineralization begins at the surface, resulting in cost-effective additions to our reserves. We are currently drilling, focusing on the Chrome Mountain target area, with a specific aim to extend the DR/Hybrid deposit areas located on the western edge that yielded a very impressive 13.2 m intercept of 2.3% nickel, along with significant PGEs, copper and cobalt.”
Michael Rowley, President and CEO, Stillwater Critical Minerals
“The assay results from four of the eight drilled holes at the Nikolai project in Alaska confirmed our hypothesis and aligned with historical drilling. The zone is approximately 300 m thick in the initial drilled area, precisely exhibiting the mineralization concentration indicated by prior drilling—around 0.35% nickel equivalent. While not a high-grade deposit, it boasts continuity, homogeneity and a consistent grade across each drilling, including copper, cobalt, platinum and palladium. This wide and consistent nature aligns with the preferences of significant investors seeking large and stable deposits.”
Gregory Beischer, President and CEO, Alaska Energy Metals
“We have successfully executed drilling on the Coosa graphite project in Alabama to determine the mine life, with results indicating a robust supply of graphite to our processing facility for over 30 years. We are in the final stages of completing the PEA for the project, which is scheduled to be finalized in December 2023. Our following milestones involve securing financing to commence the development of the mine and make it operational by 2028. This will enable us to domestically source graphite for our processing plant, establishing a fully vertically integrated graphite production in the US. Additionally, we are exploring the upside in the vanadium segment as part of our development plans.”
Frank Bakker, President and CEO, Westwater Resources
“Our REE projects encompass approximately 18,000 acres distributed among our three projects. The exciting part about the central Idaho area where they are located is the renowned Idaho Cobalt Belt which hosts one of the highest-grade largest cobalt deposits in the US. However, parallel to that is the Idaho Rare Earth Element - Thorium trend that has not received much recognition but has been acknowledged by the Idaho Geologic Survey and the USGS. This underexplored trend stretches 70 miles, surpassing the size of the Idaho Cobalt Belt, and our three projects span the southern to the northern regions of this trend, offering substantial potential for REE exploration.”
Travis Swallow, Stakeholder and Corporate Development, Idaho Strategic Resources