Lynas - Blueline Joint Venture, page-3

Hi Jake: my view on your qns is
1. They were doing it anyway but bonus $$ and status as an 'official source' certainly helps
2. Japan have been very supportive of Lynas expansion starting with the 2nd half of the LAMP as well as in principle support of expansion through to 2025 at Kalgoolie Kuantan and Texas. Initially they will be the main users of the HRE produced as Japanese companies possess most of the ex China capacity and IP.
3. MP actually have 1 or perhaps 2 LRE processing plants onsite. The old system was retired but may still be there; it worked successfully for decades. The "new" system built about a decade ago, so-called Project Phoenix, never did work properly but maybe the new group may have more success.
3a. However, as you point out, the award of HEAVY RE processing funds to a company with virtually no HRE in their deposit appears very strange indeed. (Mt Pas is a pretty good LRE deposit tho...)

Oz is a close military and strategic partner of the US and the only concerns might be the LAMP in Malaysia for Lynas and part Chinese ownership (and, it appears, influence well in excess of the ownership) for MP.