Barkly Rare Earths Hits 99% Extraction in Metallurgical Breakthrough

Metallurgical Test Yields Exceptional Extraction Rate

Barkly Rare Earths Limited (ASX:BAK) has reported a striking 99% extraction of magnet rare earth oxide (MREO) in a single-stage caustic conversion and hydrochloric acid leach test. Conducted by Nagrom on a composite sample from the Barkly Project, this result significantly outpaces previous testwork that achieved only 74% extraction.

The test used a 75.45-gram charge subjected to caustic conversion at 150°C followed by acid leaching at 50°C, resulting in 99% of MREO and 94% of yttrium transferring to the acid leach solution. The residue contained a mere 18 ppm MREO, indicating minimal rare earths remained unextracted. This suggests the caustic conversion step effectively liberates rare earth minerals ahead of acid leaching.

Phosphorus Separation Could Simplify Processing

Notably, 92% of phosphorus was partitioned into the caustic conversion liquor with no measurable rare earths present in that stream. This favourable phosphorus deportment is an early positive sign for simplifying downstream purification and flowsheet design, addressing a common challenge in rare earth processing.

Caution Advised as Results Are Preliminary

While promising, the test represents a single sighter run on a non-representative composite with no duplicates or optimisation yet performed. Head grade reconciliation showed approximately 87% for MREO and 84% for yttrium oxide, reflecting limitations of small-scale testing. The company emphasises that further work is needed to confirm repeatability, optimise conditions, and assess economic viability.

Independent Oversight and Next Steps

Barkly has appointed Lu Zhang of MinPro Consult as an independent metallurgical consultant to oversee testwork design, management, and reporting, enhancing technical governance. The company plans larger-scale confirmatory tests to refine reagent dosages, temperature, residence times, and washing procedures, alongside evaluating impurity deportment and reagent recycling.

These metallurgical advances coincide with Barkly's ongoing 10,000-metre drilling campaign aimed at expanding its 40 million tonne inferred resource. Initial laboratory assays from this drilling are expected soon, setting the stage for a mineral resource update in Q4 2026. This drilling effort is part of a broader push to unlock the project’s potential through improved processing and resource definition.