
September 02, 2025
Critical Metals Corp. (Nasdaq: CRML) (“Critical Metals Corp” or the “Company”), a leading critical minerals mining company, today announced that Tanbreez Mining Greenland A/S (“Tanbreez”) is approximately 70% complete on the final stages of the Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for a 500,000 tons per annum mining and processing operation at the Tanbreez Rare Earth Project in South Greenland. The BFS is being led by Danish engineering firm NIRAS A/S (“NIRAS”), a globally leading multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy based in Denmark. The BFS remains on track for submission in Q4 2025. In addition, NIRAS has completed environmental fieldwork for the 2025 baseline sampling program.
Tony Sage, Executive Chairman of the Company, commented:
“The progress on the final BFS engineering and the completion of the 868 baseline sampling program represent a major milestone in unlocking the full potential of the Tanbreez Rare Earth Project. Our partnership with NIRAS ensures that both technical and environmental aspects are being addressed to the highest standards, reinforcing our commitment to responsible development.”
This final BFS phase includes:
• Completion of mine design and process plant engineering
• Tailings management and water treatment strategies
• Integration of environmental and regulatory inputs
• Preparation of documentation for submission to Greenland’s MLSA

Figure 1. Proposed plant and port site.
The engineering scope encompasses detailed design of the two open pit mining phases, including blasting and haulage logistics, crushing and magnetic separation circuits, slurry transport systems, and tailings deposition infrastructure at Lake Foster. It also includes port and haul road layouts, diesel power generation, and worker accommodation facilities. NIRAS is integrating hydrological modelling, dust dispersion controls, and closure planning into the final design to ensure long-term environmental compliance, operational efficiency, and alignment with Greenland’s regulatory framework.

Figure 2 – NIRAS engineers at the proposed Tanbreez port site 27/8/2025
Once completed, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, the BFS will form the central component of the Tanbreez updated Exploitation License documentation, to be submitted to the Mineral License and Safety Authority (MLSA) of Greenland, in accordance with the Greenlandic Mineral Resources Act and the specific terms of the granted exploitation license MIN 2020-54.

Figure 3 – NIRAS team undertaking August 2025 baseline marine sampling
This submission will support the progression of the project towards final approval to commence potential commercial mining operations.

Figure 4 - NIRAS FS finalization team
Completion of 2025 Baseline Sampling Program
In parallel, Critical Metals Corp confirms that environmental fieldwork for the 2025 baseline sampling program has officially been completed. This program—coordinated by NIRAS ran through August 2025 and was designed to close spatial and seasonal gaps in the existing baseline dataset.
Key components of the sampling campaign included:
- Bergerhoff dust monitoring
- All-year freshwater sampling across 19 stations
- Sediment coring in Lake Foster and Kangerluarsuk Fjord
- Arctic char population update via electrofishing
- Intertidal sampling of mussels, bladderwrack, and sea scorpion

Figure 5 – NIRAS team undertaking baseline marine fauna sampling August 2025
These efforts support the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and reinforce Tanbreez’s commitment to responsible development.
About NIRAS
With nearly 70 years of experience, NIRAS has grown from a Danish consultancy into an international leader in sustainable progress. Founded by visionary engineers Jørgen Kristian Nielsen and Konrad Rauschenberger in 1956, NIRAS’s early projects in Greenland laid the foundation for their expertise in resilient and innovative solutions. Their decentralized structure fosters local expertise, adaptability and collaboration across borders and disciplines, ensuring sustainable value creation for their clients and the communities they serve.
As a multidisciplinary consultancy company with more than 3,000 employees located in 62 offices across Europe, Africa, Asia, North, and South America, NIRAS work within multiple areas from processing plants and construction over energy, water, environment, and infrastructure to third world aid and urban planning. NIRAS have 8,000 ongoing projects in more than 140 countries and their trademark is the crosscutting approach, always grounded and tailored to achieve the best outcomes for their clients and communities.
About Tanbreez
The Tanbreez Rare Earth Project is one of the world’s largest hard rock rare earth elements (REE) deposits, located in southern Greenland near the town of Qaqortoq. The project is notable for its high concentration of heavy rare earth oxides (HREOs), which are critical for high-tech applications, clean energy, and defence industries. Unlike other major TREO deposits, Tanbreez contains very low levels of uranium and thorium, making it more environmentally and politically viable.
- Deposit Type: Kakortokite (a stratiform layered igneous rock rich in TREOs)
- Kakortokite Estimate: ~4.7 billion tonnes of REE-bearing mineralisation
- Heavy REE Content: ~27% of Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO)
- Location: Near Qaqortoq, southern Greenland
- Target drilling: ongoing to achieve Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources
- Project Stage: advanced Bankable Feasibility Study phase
Kakortokite host may not always contain any economic mineralisation of TREO.
About Critical Metals Corp.
Critical Metals Corp (Nasdaq: CRML) is a leading mining development company focused on critical metals and minerals, and producing strategic products essential to electrification and next generation technologies for Europe and its western world partners. Its flagship Project, Tanbreez, is one of the world's largest rare earth deposits and is located in Southern Greenland. The deposit is expected to have access to key transportation outlets as the area features year-round direct shipping access via deep water fjords that lead directly to the North Atlantic Ocean.
Another key asset is the Wolfsberg Lithium Project located in Carinthia, 270 km south of Vienna, Austria. The Wolfsberg Lithium Project is the first fully permitted mine in Europe and is strategically located with access to established road and rail infrastructure and is expected to be the next major producer of key lithium products to support the European market. Wolfsberg is well positioned with offtake and downstream partners to become a unique and valuable asset in an expanding geostrategic critical metals portfolio.
With this strategic asset portfolio, Critical Metals Corp is positioned to become a reliable and sustainable supplier of critical minerals essential for defense applications, the clean energy transition, and next-generation technologies in the western world.
For more information, please visit https://www.criticalmetalscorp.com/.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements may include expectations of our business and the plans and objectives of management for future operations. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this news release, forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” “designed to” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical facts. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” section in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this news release, and expectations, forecasts and assumptions as of that date, involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Critical Metals Corp.
Investor Relations: ir@criticalmetalscorp.com
Media: pr@criticalmetalscorp.com
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/88d85eb6-7ec7-4eb8-a7f1-9541d0ea1e07
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/78882267-a354-4f9d-bfc5-904be7463263
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2ee43546-681a-4bee-ab33-8753fe41123b
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b7e57a1-6ec0-45eb-b5c2-1fe2fc557de3
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e76ca157-f762-463b-a9ef-4b68773af474
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01 September
Critica Set to Produce First Rare Earths as Jupiter Project Progresses
Critica (ASX:CRI,OTC Pink:VTMLF) has delivered the first composite concentrate from its flagship Jupiter project to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) for independent leach testwork.
ANSTO will process the concentrate to produce mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC), while specialist consultancy Minutech will conduct hydrometallurgical programs to gauge processing routes.
Located in Yalgoo, Western Australia, Jupiter currently holds a global inferred resource of 1.8 billion tonnes at 1,700 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO), including 520 million tonnes at 2,200 ppm TREO.
On August 13, Critica confirmed the project’s standing as Australia’s largest and highest-grade clay-hosted magnet rare earth oxide (MREO) inferred resource by both total tonnage and contained MREO.
According to the company, mineralisation at Jupiter can easily be upgraded by over 800 percent via two beneficiation steps, which “points to a materially smaller wet plant and lower capital and operating intensity.”
Additionally, Jupiter contains low uranium and thorium levels, which could ease permitting and international offtake.
“ANSTO's independent leach test program, alongside Minutech's, will define the most effective chemistry to produce Jupiter MREC and directly inform our pilot work and staged duties,” Deysel said in an August 26 release.
With a focus on four key magnet rare earths — namely neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium — Critica aims to assist in the global energy transition. The company is also looking to support long-term demand from areas including the electric vehicle, wind turbine, medical and defence sectors.
“With infrastructure advantages and extensive additional targets across our tenure, Jupiter is shaping as a cornerstone of Australia’s rare earth supply chain," added Deysel.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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27 August
Ucore Strikes Rare Earth Offtake Deal With Critical Metals
Ucore Rare Metals (TSXV:UCU,OTCQX:UURAF) has moved to shore up future supplies of heavy rare earths through a preliminary offtake deal with Critical Metals (NASDAQ:CRML).
The Halifax-based company announced Tuesday (August 26) it had signed a non-binding letter of intent with Critical Metals, which plans to develop the Tanbreez rare earth project in Southern Greenland.
Under the proposed 10 year arrangement, Critical Metals would deliver a rare earth carbonate or oxide product to Ucore, starting in 2027 or upon commercial production, whichever comes later.
The feedstock is slated for processing at Ucore’s Strategic Metals Complex in Louisiana, a facility backed by both the Pentagon and the state of Louisiana. Smaller volumes will be processed first at Ucore’s demonstration plant in Kingston.
“Critical Metals Corp’s Tanbreez offers tremendous opportunities for Ucore given the significant concentration of heavy rare earths it contains, which are essential for the production of rare earth permanent magnets,” Ucore Chief Executive Pat Ryan said in a statement. “Both Critical Metals Corp and Ucore share a vision to lessen China’s grip of the rare earth ecosystem in the West, and we look forward to our partnership.”
Critical Metals’ executive chairman Tony Sage also said the collaboration would help fill gaps in Western supply chains for strategic minerals.
“These materials are critical to a number of western defense and consumer applications and we look forward to teaming up with Ucore and their exceptional team to support the development of a robust supply chain in America that isn’t reliant on China,” he said.
Rare earth elements, particularly the heavy segment such as terbium and dysprosium, are crucial for high-performance magnets used in fighter jets, missiles, radar, electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.
China currently controls the vast majority of mining and separation capacity, leaving Western nations exposed to potential export restrictions and supply chain disruptions.
Incidentally, the offtake announcement comes weeks after Ucore recieved a US$18.4 million Phase 2 award from the US Department of Defense to scale up its Louisiana refining complex.
The project builds on an earlier US$4 million Phase 1 program in which the company successfully demonstrated the separation of terbium and dysprosium at its Ontario pilot facility.
In addition, the Pentagon funding supports the installation of the company’s proprietary RapidSX separation technology at commercial scale. Ucore said the award will culminate with the construction of a first commercial RapidSX machine at the Louisiana site.
Pentagon officials have repeatedly warned that China’s dominance in the sector poses a strategic vulnerability, and have stepped up efforts to seed alternative supply chains in North America.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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22 August
Top 5 Australian Mining Stocks This Week: Kaili Resources Shares Surge on Drilling Update
Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly round-up of the top-performing mining stocks listed on the ASX, starting with news in Australia's resource sector.
Various companies were on the move this week, with their focuses ranging from rare earths to oil and gas.
Making headlines in the sector was Peabody Energy (NYSE:BTU), which said it will not be purchasing Anglo American's (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) steelmaking coal portfolio, cancelling the US$3.78 billion deal.
Peabody made the decision after an "ignition event" at Anglo's Moranbah North mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin; in response, Anglo said the incident “does not constitute a material adverse change” under their agreements.
Elsewhere, Highfield Resources (ASX:HFR) said China Minmetals and its subsidiary have decided not to proceed with a proposed strategic transaction amounting to an approximately US$300 million equity subscription in Highfield.
In other news, Victory Metals (ASX:VTM) was chosen as the recipient of a Mineral Research Institute of Western Australia research grant, with the total amounting to AU$250,000. It will use the funds to pursue scandium oxide production.
Market and commodities price round-up
The S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) had a record-breaking week, passing the 9,000 mark for the first time on Thursday (August 21). The index ended Friday (August 22) below that level at 8,973.8.
Gold demonstrated a 0.2 percent decrease in US dollars, going from US$3,336.30 per ounce on Monday (August 18) to US$3,329.49 by the close of Australian trading on Friday. The metal saw a significant increase in Australian dollars, going up 1.18 percent, from AU$5,126.49 to AU$5,187.26, over the same period of time.
Silver largely remained flat in US dollars, starting the week at US$38.03 per ounce and closing at US$38.01. In Australian dollars, the metal went from AU$58.43 to AU$59.22, a 1.35 percent increase.
Top ASX mining stocks this week
How did ASX mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Australian mining stocks below as the Investing News Network breaks down their operations and why these companies are up this week.
Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. AEST on Thursday using TradingView's stock screener and reflects price movements between Monday and Thursday. Only companies trading on the ASX with market capitalisations greater than AU$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
1. Kaili Resources (ASX:KLR)
Weekly gain: 427.78 percent
Market cap: AU$159.19 million
Share price: AU$0.19
Kaili Resources is an explorer with an all-Australian asset portfolio.
It is currently focused on the advancement of its Limestone Coast rare earths projects in South Australia, alongside the pursuit of its gold, rare earths and base metal assets in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
On August 15, Kaili received drilling approval for three tenements at its Limestone Coast projects, namely Lameroo, Karte and Coodalya. After opening the week at AU$0.036, the junior explorer turned heads with an 8,700 percent increase in its share price during trading on Monday, peaking at AU$3.15 around 3:30 p.m. AEST.
Trading was halted shortly after, by which time shares had pulled back to AU$1.08.
That day, the company addressed the spike in response to an ASX price query, saying that its only recent update is the approved drilling for Limestone. “(This) may have drawn investors’ interest to KLR in view of current market high interest in critical minerals,” Kaili states in its response to the ASX. A report by Livewire Markets notes that the ASX “declined to comment beyond what it has already publicly detailed” in its Monday query to Kaili.
Kaili recommenced trading on Thursday following a response to further inquiries from the ASX. While its share price pulled back over the period, it still ended the day up significantly from the start of the week.
2. iTech Minerals (ASX:ITM)
Weekly gain: 117.24 percent
Market cap: AU$12.3 million
Share price: AU$0.063
Founded in 2021, iTech Minerals' two main assets are the Eyre Peninsula graphite project in South Australia and the Reynolds Range copper-gold-lithium project in the Northern Territory.
On Tuesday (August 19), iTech identified antimony zones at Reynolds Range. The company reported two separate zones of up to 300 metres, with rock chip results including 30.6 percent antimony and 2.5 grams per tonne (g/t) gold.
The day before the announcement, iTech shares saw a spike in trading volume, prompting an ASX price query. The company responded on Tuesday morning, saying its only pending announcement was the Reynolds Range news.
On Friday, the company shared new geophysics targets at Reynolds Range, with a dipol-dipol induced-polarisation survey discovering a significant chargeability anomaly, and a rock chip sample at a separate zone returning grades of 15.4 percent g/t gold and 3.3 percent copper.
Shares of iTech peaked on Tuesday and Wednesday (August 20) with a close of AU$0.072.
3. TMK Energy (ASX:TMK)
Weekly gain: 50 percent
Market cap: AU$30.67 million
Share price: AU$0.003
TMK Energy is a gas exploration company with a focus on Mongolia.
Its flagship project is the Gurvantes XXXV project, an approximately 8,400 square kilometre coal seam gas exploration initiative in Mongolia’s South Gobi Basin. Six active coal mines are within its boundaries.
On Thursday, TMK announced that the pilot production well at Gurvantes has been completed and is currently undergoing final commissioning activities. Once it enters production, which the company said would happen in the coming days, it will bring the total number of online pilot production wells at the site to seven.
“With the help of additional production data acquired from LF-04, LF-05 and LF-06 since early 2025, we are gaining a better understanding of the reservoir and placing a renewed emphasis on the overall reservoir management plan with the objective of maximising both water and gas production in the near term and ultimately proving commerciality of the resource," CEO Dougal Ferguson commented in the company's press release.
Now that drilling operations have concluded, TMK outlined its next steps, including a search for project partners to co-fund the next development stage of Gurvantes XXXV. After closing at AU$0.002, shares of the company climbed mid-week, peaking at an AU$0.003 close on Wednesday and Thursday.
4. Latrobe Magnesium (ASX:LMG)
Weekly gain: 47.06 percent
Market cap: AU$71.13 million
Share price: AU$0.025
Latrobe Magnesium is a magnesium company known for developing what it claims is the world’s first-of-its-kind magnesium extraction production process combining hydrometallurgical and thermal reduction.
Its flagship asset is a portfolio of projects in Latrobe Valley, Victoria. This includes a Stage 1 demonstration magnesium plant, which is expected to start production later this year.
“In the Latrobe Valley, magnesium metal will be extracted from fly ash produced by brown coal power plants,” the company states on its website. “This low emission process produces other valuable by-products such as supplementary cementitious material (SCM), silica and iron oxide using almost 100 percent of the fly ash resource.”
On Monday, Latrobe said that the Environmental Protection Authority had updated and reissued its pilot project licence, with an extension granted until February 2027. This step will allow it to begin hydrometallurgical operations again, with the first magnesium oxide output coming after it achieves steady state operations.
Shares of the company rose following the Monday announcement, climbing from a Monday close of AU$0.021 to an AU$0.027 close on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
5. Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX:SRL)
Weekly gain: 44.53 percent
Market cap: AU$201.36 million
Share price: AU$1.915
Sunrise Energy Metals is a developer focused on the Sunrise battery materials project in New South Wales.
Sunrise hosts a nickel-cobalt-scandium deposit, which the company states is among the largest of its kind globally. The project includes the Syerston scandium project, planned as a smaller, standalone scandium extraction operation.
The Sunrise deposit’s scandium resource estimate currently stands at 60.3 million tonnes at 390 parts per million (ppm) scandium for 23,500 tonnes of contained scandium.
On July 28, the company released high-grade scandium assays from a drill campaign at Syerston, with results such as 11 meters at 635 ppm scandium from surface, including 6 meters at 788 ppm scandium from 4 meters.
On Thursday, Sunrise said shareholder Sam Riggall, director of philanthropic trust the JTM Foundation, had sold 180,000 shares on market to fund grants to Australian charities. The sale was split across Wednesday and Thursday.
”Mr. Riggall remains a committed long-term shareholder in the company and retains a direct and indirect ownership interest in over 2.5 million shares in (Sunrise Energy),” the Thursday announcement states.
After spiking Wednesday, shares of Sunrise moved even higher on Thursday and closed at AU$1.92.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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20 August
New Rare Earths Venture to Target High-grade Assets in US and Brazil
Privately owned Rare Earths Americas (REA) has formed in a bid to explore and develop high-grade rare earths assets in the US and Brazil, looking to consolidate supply chains for various domestic sectors.
The company, which raised AU$25 million in a private funding round, said it combines experienced operators and investors with “deep expertise across global mining, energy and critical materials.”
Included in the company's portfolio is the Foothills discovery, located in Georgia, US.
The site contains grades of up to 41.3 percent total rare earth oxides, including heavy rare earths crucial for high-performance magnets. REA has highlighted its strong logistics, low-cost power and streamlined path to permitting.
In Brazil, the Alpha and Constellation projects hold more than 1 billion metric tons of high-grade ionic clay rare earths mineralization, including dysprosium and terbium, which are essential for permanent magnets.
The Homer project, also located in Brazil, targets multiple carbonatite clusters with the potential for niobium discoveries in a region known for leading niobium mines.
“The rare earths market is undergoing a generational shift as the West races to secure its rare earths future,” said CEO Donald Swartz in a Monday (August 18) press release.
REA’s timing aligns with broader US efforts to reduce reliance on China, which currently controls nearly 70 percent of global rare earths processing and accounts for most heavy rare earths production.
In April, Beijing restricted shipments of seven rare earths to the US and other countries, prompting concern among automakers and defense contractors dependent on these materials.
The US government recently proposed a pricing support mechanism for domestic rare earths ventures in order to increase production and mitigate China’s influence.
Discussions last month, led by former White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro and National Security Council official David Copley, included rare earths producers and major tech firms reliant on these critical minerals.
China’s dominance stems from billions of dollars invested in mining and processing since 2000, often with minimal environmental or safety oversight, allowing the country to produce rare earths at lower cost than western competitors.
The US response to the Asian nation's rare earths stranglehold has included efforts to develop domestic mine supply and build out refinement, processing and production capacity. American companies have also sought to secure alternative sources in Africa and Latin America, but investment and technology barriers remain significant.
Mountain Pass in California, the country’s only large-scale rare earths mine, produces bastnaesite carbonate, but relies heavily on foreign processing. MP Materials (NYSE:MP), the mine’s operator, posted a net loss of US$65.4 million in 2024, highlighting the challenge of competing with China’s low-cost production model.
REA’s launch positions it as a potential strategic player in this evolving landscape.
According to the company, the Foothills project offers a “streamlined permitting pathway” in the US, while the Alpha and Constellation projects in Brazil provide access to large-scale, high-grade heavy rare earths.
“With grade and strategic geography on our side, we intend to advance our rare earths projects to support the long-term supply of critical materials essential to domestic innovation,” Swartz added.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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15 August
Top 5 Australian Mining Stocks This Week: Bayan Mining Soars 87.5 Percent on Project Updates
Welcome to the Investing News Network's weekly round-up of the top-performing mining stocks listed on the ASX, starting with news in Australia's resource sector.
Rare earths companies took the lead this week, with several gainers involved in the sector.
In corporate news, Alkane Resources (ASX:ALK,TSX:ALK,OTCQX:ALKEF) closed its AU$559.1 million merger with gold- and antimony-focused Mandalay Resources. The deal was announced in April, and the combined company is projected to produce about 160,000 gold equivalent ounces in the 2025 fiscal year; that could rise to 180,000 ounces next year.
On a separate note, Arafura Rare Earths (ASX:ARU,OTC Pink:ARAFF) received a non-binding letter of interest regarding a potential investment in its Nolans project from Export Finance Australia (EFA).
EFA doesn't specify the amount of funding, but Reuters reported that it is likely to be around AU$100 million.
Market and commodity price round-up
The S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) posted a modest 0.93 percent gain this week, opening at 8,817.2 on Monday (August 11) and closing at 8,900.4 on Friday (August 15).
Gold demonstrated a 0.75 percent decrease in US dollars, going from US$3,365.65 per ounce on Monday to US$3,340.53 by the close of Australian trading on Friday. The yellow metal saw a smaller decrease in Australian dollars, going down 0.5 percent from AU$5,159.15 to AU$5,133.32 over the same period.
Silver largely remained flat in US dollars, starting the week at US$38.06 per ounce and closing at US$38 with a 0.16 percent decrease. In Australian dollars, the metal went from AU$58.33 to AU$58.39.
Top ASX mining stocks this week
How did ASX mining stocks perform against this backdrop?
Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Australian mining stocks below as the Investing News Network breaks down their operations and why these companies are up this week.
Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. AEST on Thursday (August 14) using TradingView's stock screener and reflects price movements between Monday and Thursday. Only companies trading on the ASX with market capitalisations greater than AU$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.
1. Bayan Mining and Minerals (ASX:BMM)
Weekly gain: 87.5 percent
Market cap: AU$14.2 million
Share price: AU$0.135
Bayan Mining and Minerals is a critical minerals explorer with assets in Canada and the US. It is focused on rare earths, gold and silver projects such as its Desert Star and Desert Star North assets in North America.
Desert Star is located in a prospective rare earths corridor in California’s Mojave Desert, while Desert Star North is a gold asset sitting 3 kilometres from Dateline Resources’ (ASX:DTR,OTC Pink:DTREF) Colosseum gold mine.
On Tuesday (August 12), Bayan announced a trading halt pending the release of an announcement.
The following day, the company provided an update to its North American portfolio, including Desert Star and Desert Star North. Sixty-five rock chip samples and 30 heavy minerals samples for Desert Star have been tested and are awaiting results this month, while Desert Star North is expecting multi-element analysis results by September.
Trading recommenced on Thursday, with Bayan shares rising as high as AU$0.16 that day.
2. Lindian Resources (ASX:LIN)
Weekly gain: 80 percent
Market cap: AU$254.44 million
Share price: AU$0.225
Lindian Resources is an Australian rare earths explorer and developer. Its flagship project is the Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi, which it regards as one of the world’s highest-grade undeveloped deposits.
On Monday, Lindian said that its mining licence expansion application in Malawi's Balawa District has been approved by the country's Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority. The expansion increases the licence area from 900 hectares to 2,500 hectares, allowing the company to speed up a Stage 2 expansion at Kangankunde.
Shares of the company were the highest this week on Thursday, closing at AU$0.225.
3. Energy Transition Minerals (ASX:ETM)
Weekly gain: 72.73 percent
Market cap: AU$139.58 million
Share price: AU$0.095
Energy Transition Minerals is an explorer and developer focused on critical minerals. Its flagship asset is the Kvanefjeld rare earths project in Southern Greenland, a multi-element deposit containing rare earths, zinc and uranium.
The company has delineated a JORC-compliant resource of over 1 billion tonnes across three zones at Kvanefjeld.
Energy Transition Minerals said on Tuesday that it has won an auction to acquire the Spain-based Penouta tin-tantalum-niobium mine and processing facility. Its successful bid was for AU$9.2 million.
In addition, Energy Transition Minerals announced a placement for AU$10 million. It is with existing shareholder OCJ Investment and will support the acquisition and the firm's balance sheet. OCJ will own approximately 15.5 percent of the company following settlement of the placement, and will have voting power of approximately 17 percent.
OCJ nominee Amy Jiang has been appointed non-executive director of the company following the investment.
Shares of the company peaked at AU$0.10 on Friday.
4. Dateline Resources (ASX:DTR)
Weekly gain: 52 percent
Market cap: AU$527.87 million
Share price: AU$0.19
Dateline Resources is focused on gold and rare earths projects in the US. Its efforts are currently geared toward the advancement of its flagship Colosseum gold and rare earths project in San Bernardino County, California. It sits 10 kilometres from MP Materials’ (NYSE:MP) Mountain Pass mine, the only operating rare earths mine in the US.
In June, the Trump administration announced that it would fast track the development of Colosseum as part of its push to boost domestic critical minerals supply. On Monday, Dateline published magnetotelluric survey results from Colosseum, confirming multiple high-priority drilling targets with significant rare earths potential.
Dateline’s shares saw a significant jump on Thursday, rising from a Wednesday (August 13) close of AU$0.15 to AU$0.175. The company addressed the increase in an ASX response published on Friday, saying that its ASX disclosures are up to date, with no new information received since the announcement on Monday.
5. Eclipse Metals (ASX:EPM)
Weekly gain: 50 percent
Market cap: AU$83.98 million
Share price: AU$0.033
Eclipse Metals is an exploration company focused on unlocking the potential of rare earths mineralisation in Greenland. Its flagship asset is the Ivigtût project in the southwest of Greenland.
According to Eclipse Metals’ website, Ivigtût holds the world’s largest and only known source of naturally occurring cryolite, a rare mineral historically used in aluminum production.
Situated less than 10 kilometres from Ivigtût is the company’s Grønnedal rare earths deposit, which currently holds a resource estimate of 89.2 million tonnes at 6,363 parts per million total rare earths oxide.
The last updates from Eclipse include a quarterly report on July 31 and an investor presentation on July 21. Shares of the company started climbing on August 8, closing at AU$0.033 on Friday, the highest level over the past two weeks.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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14 August
Rare Earths Market Update: H1 2025 in Review
Supported by growing permanent magnet demand, the rare earths market started 2025 on an uptrend.
Concerns about supply chain stability quickly began to impact the sector as US-China trade tensions increased early in the year. Throughout Q1, tariff uncertainty and concerns about tighter Chinese controls were on the rise.
As the year unfolded, supply chain growth became a key focus for the US, boosting US-focused stocks.
In early April, China flexed its grip on the rare earths market with Announcement 18, a sweeping export control measure from the Ministry of Commerce and General Administration of Customs.
The policy, which the Asian nation framed as a national security and nonproliferation safeguard, requires exporters to obtain licenses for a slate of medium and heavy rare earths — including samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium — along with their oxides, alloys and compounds.
The export of permanent magnet and rare earth technologies face similar safeguards under the measure.
The move added a fresh layer of regulatory complexity for global supply chains reliant on these critical materials for high-performance magnets, electronics, defense, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
Countering the new restrictions out of China, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to examine the security of America's critical minerals supply chain, with a focus on rare earths.
“President Trump recognizes that an overreliance on foreign critical minerals and their derivative products could jeopardize US defense capabilities, infrastructure development, and technological innovation,” as per the White House.
China eases rare earths export restrictions
By June, the global auto sector was feeling the pressure of China’s new restrictions.
“With a deeply intertwined global supply chain, China’s export restrictions are already shutting down production in Europe’s supplier sector,” said Benjamin Krieger of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA).
“We urgently call on both the EU and Chinese authorities to engage in a constructive dialogue to ensure the licensing process is transparent, proportionate, and aligned with international norms,” added the secretary general.
Rare earths are used in both electric and internal combustion engine vehicles, and CLEPA went on to warn of more auto sector shutdowns if the situation was not rectified.
To quell growing anxieties around supply security in the auto industry, trade discussions between Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič were held in Paris.
The meeting resulted in China introducing a “green channel” to speed up export licenses for rare earths; the concession will particularly benefit select EU firms. Export licenses were also granted to rare earths suppliers serving major US auto players like General Motors (NYSE:GM), Ford Motor (NASDAQ:F) and Stellantis (NYSE:STLA).
US lasers in on rare earths supply
China has long controlled the vast majority of the rare earths market, overseeing 69 percent of annual mine production, 85 percent of refining and processing capacity and 90 percent of magnet manufacturing.
As the US hones in on supply chain security, it has amped up its support of a domestic rare earths supply chain through investment in mining companies and permit streamlining.
The most notable recent move is US$400 million in funding from the Department of Defense for MP Materials (NYSE:MP), the operator of California-based Mountain Pass, the country’s only rare earths mine.
The investment, announced in July, will fund the expansion of MP’s processing capabilities at the Mountain Pass site and will support the construction of a second magnet manufacturing facility in the US. In return, the defense department will have a domestic source of permanent magnets for defense applications.
“Rare earth magnets are one of the most strategically important components in advanced technology systems spanning defense and commercial applications. Yet today, the US relies almost entirely on foreign sources,” said MP. “This strategic partnership builds on MP Materials’ operational foundation to catalyze domestic production, strengthen industrial resilience, and secure critical supply chains for high-growth industries and future dual use applications.”
A few days later, the public sector also showed support, with Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) penning a US$500 million deal with MP to produce rare earth magnets in the US using 100 percent recycled materials.
Starting in 2027, MP will supply magnets for “hundreds of millions” of Apple devices, advancing the tech giant’s push for a sustainable domestic supply chain. In a press release at the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the partnership a step toward securing vital materials for advanced technology while bolstering US innovation.
Internationally, Lynas Rare Earths (ASX:LYC,OTC Pink:LYSDY) achieved a sector milestone in May by producing on-spec dysprosium oxide at its Malaysian facility, marking the first commercial heavy rare earths output outside China.
CEO Amanda Lacaze told investors that the development strengthens supply chain resilience, giving customers in Japan, the US and Europe an alternative source for critical materials, and positioning Lynas as the world’s only producer of separated heavy rare earths products beyond China’s borders.
These moves were applauded by industry watchers as concrete steps in reducing reliance on Chinese supply; however, the consensus is that there is still much work to be done.
Mid and downstream rare earths buildout
During a keynote presentation at this year's Rule Symposium, held in early July in Boca Raton, Florida, Nomi Prins, an economist, author and former Wall Street executive, described what she calls the “real asset uprising,” a global shift in value and power driven by hard assets like precious metals, energy and rare earths.
“The entire US defense system runs on China's processing of rare earths, and that is one of the reasons why there is a current (Section) 232 investigation into the importance of critical minerals, and particularly those 17 rare earths, because this is an issue you don't want, even in peacetime,” she said. “You're basically relying on China, another country, to define what you need to run your defense, also what you need to run the growing energy requirements."
Watch Prins discuss the real asset uprising, as well as the precious metals market.
Chris Berry of House Mountain Partners sees strategic investments in refining, processing and manufacturing as the most effective way to expand North American rare earths supply.
“Rare earths, in and of themselves, are not rare. What is rare is the separation and the processing capacity, and then secondarily is the magnet processing capacity,” Berry told the Investing News Network during an interview at Fastmarkets' Lithium Supply & Battery Raw Materials conference in June.
“If the US government was going to fund something in the magnet supply chain, I would argue it's either magnet process or magnet-building capacity, or, more importantly, rare earth separation capacity,” he added.
This would not only reduce US dependence on China for rare earth magnets — Berry also noted that getting refinement and processing facilities built is a much faster process than permitting mines.
“If we’re talking about building a mine, it could take 10 to 15 years — sometimes more, depending on the situation,” he said. “Refining capacity is different. From finding a site and securing permits to raising capital and building the facility, you could be looking at five years, maybe less, though it depends on the material — whether it’s rare earths, nickel or something else.” Berry argued that boosting refining capacity is key to reducing reliance on China.
“You strike deals with raw material producers — maybe they’re Canadian, Australian, Chilean or even from parts of Africa. The point is, refining gets you to a usable product much faster,” he explained.
“Ask a battery manufacturer what they can do with spodumene or raw nickel — the answer is not much. But give them battery-quality material and they can trial it and integrate it into their supply chain. It’s a much more realistic approach.”
Global collaboration only way to compete with China
While a concerted effort like Berry described is key to quickly building out and fortifying a North American supply chain, tariff tensions with many countries around the globe have hurt allyship with the US.
However, as Berry and Gracelin Baskaran, director of the Critical Minerals Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies argue, the US can't do it alone.
“If countries continue to operate independently instead of collectively, China will retain its dominant position because no single nation has enough market leverage on its own,” Baskaran wrote in a June overview.
Raising the warning bells of an impending crisis, her report goes on to note:
“Prices for neodymium-praseodymium oxide — the principal rare earth component in neodymium-iron-boron magnets — have fallen below US$60 per kilogram. If prices stay below US$60 per kilogram through 2030, approximately half of the projected supply originating outside of China is expected to become economically unviable. In fact, at this price point, only eight rare earth projects beyond China are expected to break even on direct production costs.”
According to Baskaran, China’s use of export controls has heightened the urgency of building critical minerals supply chains with allied nations. However, she believes this won’t happen without market intervention.
While US tariffs on Chinese imports are one option, their impact would be limited — the US accounts for just 1.7 percent of rare earths consumption, along with similarly small shares of other key minerals.
Any price-shaping strategy would require coordination with major consuming nations such as Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the EU.
Rare earths market bifurcation
According to an August report from Benchmark Source, China’s newly imposed export restrictions on heavy rare earth oxides have created a pronounced regional price split.
While domestic Chinese rare earths prices remain relatively stable, markets outside China are seeing significant surges, driven by increased demand for ex-China supply.
This divergence underscores how export controls can distort global price dynamics, propelling up costs where alternatives are scarce while leaving domestic markets largely shielded.
Light rare earths have also been pushed higher by the broad market tailwinds.
The rest of the year could see more upward momentum in light of China “quietly” issuing its first rare earths mining and smelting quotas of the year in July. “This low-key approach is part of China’s continued efforts to tightly control its rare earths supply chain,” the Benchmark report explains. “It is likely that the impacts of this quota will further contribute to a bullish market sentiment over the next few months.”
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
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