Brazilian Critical Minerals flags economic and green processing at REE project

BCM eyes in-situ leaching as path to low cost development of Ema project
Recovery method means cost effective and environmentally friendly extraction
Company plans to conduct a scoping study at the project

Special Report: Brazilian Critical Minerals has flagged a path to in-situ leaching at its Ema rare earths project in Brazil after testing showed a strong and rapid response to water permeability field trials.

Bench scale diffusion testing was also undertaken, mimicking in-situ leach which is a proven cost effective and environmentally acceptable extraction process.

This testing produced very positive magnet REE recoveries, boosting the company’s confidence of developing the project.

Field pumping trials are scheduled to commence during Q4 2024.

The greenest global REE play

Brazilian Critical Minerals (ASX:BCM) says the unique physical and chemical properties of the mineralisation will allow the evaluation of in-situ leaching which it anticipates can withstand the current rare earth pricing conditions and related rare earth oversupply.

“BCM now has a clear vision, to evaluate in-situ recovery as the viable path towards development of the Ema project,” managing director Andrew Reid said.

“To create, utilising in-situ recovery coupled with magnesium sulphate leaching solution, the greenest most environmentally protective, cost-efficient, rare earth operation in the world.

“The recent field trials completed over an initial set of holes to assess the ability of water to permeate through the clay zone which would mimic that needed for in-situ leaching, has produced a compelling response that ISR is the right direction for this project.

“The lab diffusion tests have also shown that high recovery of MREE’s without any crushing, grinding, agitation, screening or agglomeration can be extracted from the mineralisation.”

Location map of the 10 drill holes which were tested for permeability. Pic: BCM

Scoping study in the works

The company is now planning to commence a scoping study to define the economic and technical pathway to production for the Ema project, which hosts an inferred resource of 1.02Bt at 793ppm TREO.

BCM will also re-commence an environmental baseline assessment to be conducted by CERN.

“The work front is now four-fold,” Reid said.

“The infill drilling program is approximately one-third complete, ANSTO are continuing with their test program around impurity removal and precipitation towards generating a final MREC product, Ausenco have been selected to lead the scoping study for Ema which will commence immediately, and CERN are about to re-commence environmental base line studies over Ema.”

The results of infill drilling are now expected in September.

This article was developed in collaboration with Brazilian Critical Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.