American Rare Earths sampling returns high grades from Wyoming project

American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR) has released channel sampling results from the Cowboy State Mine (CSM) area of its flagship project in Wyoming that confirmed the high-grade nature of the rare earth mineralization.The sampling was conducted within the Red Mountain area of the Halleck Creek project by the company’s Wyoming-based geologists, with support from British Columbia-base engineering firm Geosyntec.A total of 106 samples were taken, assaying total rare earth oxide (TREO) grades ranging from 711 parts per million (ppm) to 13,651 ppm, with an average of 3,661 ppm. A total of 15 samples exceeded the 4,500 ppm level. One standout sample returned a TREO grade of 13,651 ppm (or 1.37%).The company estimates that, on average, magnet rare earth oxides (MREO) make up approximately 28% of this rare earth content (1,023 ppm), while heavy rare earth oxides (HREO) represent around 13% (464 ppm).These results further highlight the southern portion of Red Mountain as hosting some of the highest-grade material observed to date for the CSM area, American Rare Earths stated in a press release Thursday.The assays will be incorporated into a new geological model and mineral resource estimate for the CSM area, which the company says will support an upcoming pre-feasibility study due by the end of this year.High-grade mineCommenting on the latest sampling results, CEO Chris Gibbs said, “Halleck Creek is shaping up to be the next major rare earths project in the United States.”The Halleck Creek project is host one of the largest known rare earths deposit in North America, containing 8.64 million tonnes of TREOs within a 2.64-billion-tonnes resource base. A significant portion (26%) is comprised of magnetic rare earths, which are highly sought after in light of recent export restrictions by China.American Rare Earths acquired the project in 2020 and has seen been actively involved in sampling, exploration drilling, and developing the project, including the completion of a JORC resource and a scoping study, which it later updated this year.“What’s especially encouraging is the continued confirmation of these core four rare earths across the sampled area,” Gibbs said, referring to the high values of neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium present across the CSM area.“We are advancing one of the few US projects capable of supplying these critical materials at scale,” Gibbs added.Streamlined developmentThe company also highlighted the jurisdictional advantage of the rare earth project. The initial phase of the operation at Cowboy State Mine is based entirely on Wyoming state land, meaning its development could be streamlined much faster compared to those located on federal land.American Rare Earths director Melissa Sanderson told Mining.com that the State of Wyoming has been “incredibly supportive” and has given the company a $7 million grant to support its development.“Had we been exclusively on federal lands, in those five years we’ll probably struggle to get through one permit,” she said. First production, she added, could start as early as 2029.On top of the state support, the company received a letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) last September for up to $456 million to support the entire rare earths operation, comprising the mine development and the accompanying processing facilities.Commenting on the processing capabilities, Sanderson said the company’s processing technology developed with Stantec could result in a 10-fold increase in grade. “In Western deposits, most are large but not high grade, so this is significant,” she said.According to Sanderson, the existing high-grade resource at CSM could support at least 20 years of rare earth production, extending to as long as 50 years.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com