North Stanmore Rare Earth Extraction Accelerates 8x, Cutting Costs Significantly
Victory Metals reports breakthrough kinetic leach results at North Stanmore, extracting ~80% of rare earths in 30 minutes versus the previous 4-hour benchmark, promising lower costs and stronger project economics.
- ~80% rare earth extraction achieved in 30 minutes, down from 4 hours
- Up to 8x shorter leach times expected to reduce CAPEX and OPEX
- North Stanmore’s unique mineralogy validated against global peers
- Heavy rare earths Dysprosium, Terbium, and Yttrium rapidly extracted
- Results to be integrated into 2026 Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS)
Breakthrough in Rare Earth Processing
Victory Metals Limited (ASX – VTM) has unveiled a significant advancement in the processing of rare earth elements at its flagship North Stanmore Project in Western Australia. The company’s latest kinetic leach test results reveal that approximately 80% of rare earth elements can be extracted within just 30 minutes; a dramatic improvement over the 4-hour leach time previously assumed in the project’s Scoping Study.
This acceleration in leach kinetics is more than a technical curiosity; it signals a potential paradigm shift in the project’s economics. Faster leaching means a smaller leach circuit is required, which in turn reduces both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenses (OPEX). Additionally, lower reagent consumption is expected, further enhancing cost efficiency.
Unique Mineralogy Sets North Stanmore Apart
Victory Metals’ CEO Brendan Clark highlighted that these results underscore North Stanmore’s distinctive mineralogy, which offers a processing advantage over many global peers whose projects require 24 to 36 hours of leaching. The rapid kinetics not only validate the project’s technical merits but also position it as a global outlier in heavy rare earth clay-hosted deposits outside China.
The project hosts significant quantities of critical heavy rare earths, including Dysprosium, Terbium, and Yttrium. Notably, Yttrium is abundant at North Stanmore, with over 35.9 million kilograms of Y2O3 in situ. This is particularly timely given Yttrium’s recent price surge of over 4,400%, driven by strategic demand in defense and technology sectors.
Technical and Economic Implications
The kinetic leach tests also indicate that extending leach time beyond 30 minutes yields minimal additional rare earth recovery but significantly increases the dissolution of impurities. This insight allows for optimized processing that balances recovery with reagent use and downstream purification complexity.
Victory Metals is actively incorporating these findings into ongoing engineering and metallurgical programs, with a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) update planned for release in 2026. The company’s strengthened technical team, boasting over a century of combined rare earth experience, is spearheading efforts to capture the upside potential of these results.
Robust Resource Base and Future Outlook
Complementing the metallurgical advances, North Stanmore remains Australia’s largest indicated clay-hosted heavy rare earth resource, with a Mineral Resource Estimate of 320.6 million tonnes at 510 ppm total rare earth oxides plus scandium oxide. This scale, combined with the processing breakthroughs, reinforces the project’s strategic importance as a future supplier of critical materials.
Environmental considerations are underway as part of the PFS, with the project benefiting from its location in a well-understood mining district with existing infrastructure. The company is also progressing further kinetic optimisation tests, including even shorter leach intervals, to refine processing parameters.
Bottom Line?
Victory Metals’ rapid leach breakthrough could redefine North Stanmore’s cost structure and competitive positioning as the PFS advances.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the reduced leach time impact the overall capital and operating cost estimates in the upcoming PFS?
- What scale-up challenges might arise when transitioning from laboratory kinetic tests to commercial processing?
- How sensitive is the project’s economics to fluctuations in rare earth prices, especially Yttrium?
