Ark Mines Produces Commercial Rare Earth and Titanium Products at Sandy Mitchell

Commercial-Grade Rare Earth and Titanium Products Confirmed

Ark Mines Limited (ASX:AHK) has crossed a significant technical milestone at its Sandy Mitchell Rare Earths and Heavy Minerals Project in North Queensland, producing commercial-grade monazite rare earth and titanium leucoxene products. Test work by IHC Robbins generated a high-grade rare earth concentrate grading 54.8% total rare earth oxides (TREO) with 23.4% neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide proportion, alongside a premium 73.5% titanium dioxide (TiO2) leucoxene product.

Crucially, these results were achieved using dry magnetic and electrostatic separation methods, which offer notable benefits over traditional wet processing, including reduced water and reagent consumption and simpler tailings management. The combined monazite product sits near the top of the typical commercial grade range of 45-55% TREO, while the TiO2 leucoxene product falls within the accepted 70-90% TiO2 window seen in major global producers.

Gold Intercepted in Paleochannel Drilling Offers Potential Credits

Adding a new dimension to the project’s value, Ark reported shallow gold intercepts in drilling south of its main Sandy Mitchell Measured Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 71.8 million tonnes at 1,732ppm monazite equivalent. While gold grades are modest, gravity concentration tests indicate the potential to recover gold credits alongside rare earth and heavy mineral concentrates, which could enhance project economics.

Initial assays from 38 of 166 one-metre intercepts have been received, with further results pending. The company is designing an infill drill program to further delineate gold mineralisation within the paleochannel conglomerate mesa, a topographically elevated unit south of the main resource.

New Exploration Permit Secures Jackson Fluorite Project

Expanding its critical minerals footprint, Ark secured Exploration Permit for Minerals (EPM) 29189 for the Jackson Fluorite Project near Chillagoe, North Queensland. Granted for five years, the permit covers eight subblocks and excludes protected national park areas.

Fluorite, or fluorspar, is a critical industrial mineral essential to steelmaking, aluminium production, electronics, and chemical manufacturing. It is a key source of hydrofluoric acid, underpinning a wide range of downstream products including refrigerants, fluoropolymers, and materials used in clean energy technologies such as solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and semiconductors. Global demand is forecast to outstrip supply by 40-70% by 2035, highlighting the strategic value of this new permit.

Advancing Studies and Metallurgical Optimisation

Ark is progressing an updated Scoping Study and a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for Sandy Mitchell, integrating results from recent resource expansion drilling and metallurgical improvement programs. The company aims to optimise beneficiation and mineral separation processes to improve recoveries and economic outcomes.

The dry processing pathway demonstrated by IHC Robbins is expected to reduce operational costs and environmental impact, particularly for fine fractions of the ore. Further test work is planned to explore garnet production and to chemically crack the monazite concentrate into rare earth oxides and thorium products.

Corporate Developments and Sector Tailwinds

During the quarter, long-serving director Ian Mitchell retired, with CFO Ian White assuming a greater role in company secretarial duties. Ark appointed Tom Patterson as a new director and Daemon de Chaeney as Technical Services Manager and Geologist to lead study delivery and site works.

The rare earths sector remains buoyed by strong geopolitical and macroeconomic support, including price floor arrangements for NdPr oxide in the US and substantial government financing initiatives under the Australia-United States Critical Minerals Framework. Ark Mines is well positioned as one of the few advanced-stage rare earth developers in Australia, leveraging high-grade, near-surface mineralisation and a low-cost dry processing route aligned with strategic supply chain priorities.