Latest Downstream Processing News

Axel REE is moving its Caladão rare earths project into the next technical test: exploratory in-situ recovery work at the Woolrich deposit. The company says bench-scale testing has recovered up to 560ppm soluble TREO, but field performance, groundwater behaviour and project economics remain unproven.

Lynas Rare Earths has agreed to acquire Meteoric Resources in an all-share deal valued at about A$968 million, adding the Caldeira rare earths project in Brazil to its portfolio. The proposed transaction would materially expand Lynas’ resource base, but still depends on shareholder, court and Brazilian regulatory approvals.

International Graphite has moved its graphite processing strategy from plans towards construction and joint ventures, but the FY2026 annual report shows the company remains loss-making and reliant on external funding. Collie is scheduled for building completion in Q2 2027, while the proposed European hub still requires financing and development work.

Quantum Graphite has moved Uley 2 into front-end engineering and design, renewed key mining leases and formalised its downstream structure with Sunlands Pure Group. But the company ended FY2026 with just $210,710 in cash, $10.50 million in borrowings and an auditor-documented material uncertainty over its ability to continue as a going concern.

Cadoux says resampling of 21 historical Danube drill holes has extended rare earth-zircon mineralisation up to 1.4 kilometres north of its June Exploration Target and opened a southern target area. The results move the project towards planned infill drilling, a maiden Mineral Resource and a Scoping Study, but key mineralogy and access hurdles remain.

EcoGraf has strengthened the technical and commercial case for its Tanzanian graphite strategy, including a larger Epanko ore reserve and planned downstream processing. But cash fell to A$3.8 million, and auditors flagged a material uncertainty over the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

ACDC Metals has joined a U.S.-backed defence consortium, giving its Goschen Central rare earths project a route into government solicitations, research partnerships and potential offtake discussions. The membership is strategically significant, but it is not a funding award or contract.

Lindian Resources says its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi has stockpiled about 125,000 tonnes of ore ahead of schedule as construction shifts toward commissioning and first monazite concentrate targeted by year-end. The company also lifted the annual base salaries of its two senior executives to A$1 million each.

Critica has produced high-purity mixed rare earth oxide and iron concentrate samples from its Jupiter project, giving potential counterparties physical products to evaluate. The milestone follows flowsheet improvements including stronger recovery, higher concentrate grades and lower sulphuric acid consumption, but commercial specifications and project economics remain unresolved.

Castile Resources has emerged from FY2026 with a larger Rover 1 resource, stronger preliminary project economics and A$9.37 million in cash. The next challenge is converting a A$1.07 billion pre-tax NPV8 study into a funded, permitted mining project.

Sky Metals has used FY2026 to move Tallebung from exploration toward development, combining more than 500 drill holes with strong ore-sorting results and progress into NSW’s environmental approval process. The advance came alongside a A$5.37 million loss and continuing reliance on equity funding.

Axel REE has reported a major leap in metallurgical testwork at its Caladão Project in Brazil, achieving up to 95% gallium and 74% scandium extraction from a Tiger Creek composite sample. The results mark a significant step in developing alternative gallium recovery methods beyond traditional by-product sources.