Critica Limited has produced its first commercial-quality Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate at 58% TREO, confirming a refinery-aligned product pathway, while launching a major resource upgrade drilling program at its Jupiter Rare Earths Project in Western Australia.
- First commercial-grade MREC produced at 58% TREO
- Resource upgrade drilling commenced with 140 air core holes
- Scoping Study underway integrating metallurgical and drilling data
- Strong cash position of A$7.75 million post A$8 million placement
- Ongoing offtake and strategic partnership discussions
Commercial-Quality MREC Production Confirms Processing Pathway
In a significant technical milestone, Critica Limited (ASX:CRI) produced its first commercial-quality Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) from the Jupiter Rare Earths Project, grading 58% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO). This achievement, completed at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), validates a conventional sulphuric acid bake hydrometallurgical flowsheet aligned with refinery standards. The product’s impurity profile; U₃O₈ at 51 ppm and ThO₂ at 13 ppm; supports its suitability for downstream processing, positioning Jupiter at the upper echelon of development-stage clay-hosted rare earth projects.
Critica’s CEO Jacob Deysel highlighted that this milestone marks a transition from laboratory validation to a proven, scalable product, underpinning the company’s ongoing Scoping Study. The MREC product, enriched with magnet rare earth oxides such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium (24.4% of TREO), aligns with critical demand drivers in electric vehicles and renewable energy sectors.
Resource Upgrade Drilling Accelerates Scoping Study Inputs
Parallel to metallurgical advances, Critica commenced a substantial Air Core drilling program at Jupiter, comprising approximately 140 holes over 7,000–10,000 metres at 125m spacing. The program aims to convert parts of the existing Inferred Mineral Resource to Indicated classification, enhancing confidence for mine planning and feeding into the Scoping Study led by Sedgman, Snowden Optiro, and SRK Consulting. SRK is also tasked with updating the Mineral Resource model as new data arrives.
Regional drilling has also begun at Juno and Aurora under the Western Australian Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme, which reimburses up to 50% of eligible drilling costs. These targets lie within the broader Brothers Project area and are being tested for mineralisation continuity and scale, with Juno noted for a higher proportion of magnet rare earth oxides, potentially adding value to the overall resource base.
Metallurgical Optimisation and Pilot Plant Progress
Beyond the initial MREC milestone, Critica is advancing metallurgical optimisation with partners including ANSTO, Minutech – AMML, and Phenikaa University. Efforts focus on reagent consumption, recovery enhancement, impurity management, and alternative processing pathways to improve capital and operating efficiencies. The 3,000 kg closed-circuit beneficiation pilot plant at GAVAQ, Hanoi, is nearing completion, generating decision-grade data to inform the Scoping Study’s engineering workstreams.
Critica’s integrated beneficiation-first approach has demonstrated the ability to reject 95% of mass while upgrading ore grades to approximately 1.9% TREO in intermediate concentrate, reducing downstream processing volumes and costs. This dual-pathway flexibility, with both MREC and Mixed Rare Earth Oxide (MREO) products demonstrated, strengthens Jupiter’s development credentials.
These recent advances build on prior achievements, including the production of high-grade MREO products with up to 86% TREO, as detailed in the company’s earlier announcements. Notably, the company recently reported a breakthrough lifting magnet rare earth recovery to approximately 81%, reinforcing the technical foundation for its development plans.
Financial Position and Strategic Outlook
Critica ended the quarter with a solid cash position of A$7.75 million, bolstered by an A$8 million placement completed in January 2026. The company also holds approximately $350,000 worth of Premier1 (ASX:PLC) shares following its acquisition of the remaining interest in the Golden Grove North Project tenements, while retaining rare earth rights.
Offtake and strategic partnership discussions are ongoing, with Critica preparing representative product samples for qualification with downstream separation plants and refining groups. The company’s broader project pipeline includes the Mount Lindsay tin and tungsten project in Tasmania, which remains under strategic review amid supportive market conditions for these critical minerals.
Bottom Line?
Critica’s demonstration of commercial-quality rare earth products and aggressive drilling program sets a clear technical foundation, but the path to production hinges on upcoming assay results and Scoping Study outcomes.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the ongoing resource drilling convert sufficient Inferred resources to Indicated to support mine planning?
- How will metallurgical optimisation influence capital and operating costs in the final development plan?
- What progress will Critica make on offtake agreements and strategic partnerships amid evolving rare earth market dynamics?