Whether you have a hard rock project or an ionic clay-hosted...

Whether you have a hard rock project or an ionic clay-hosted project, rare earths is by nature a ‘low-parts-per-million’ numbers game. So, we can all agree that it’s all about ‘recoveries’, at that tininess of scales.

All we know is that AR3 was the first Australian ionic clay-hosted rare earth resource to be able to take ~800 kg of material and then whipped it up into a carbonate concentrate using off the shelf equipment, including improving the rare earth recoveries and the successful management of impurities in the MREC (see below image from Ann: 9 March 2023). Only China have proven that they have the technical capabilities and knowhow to be able do it and do it economically, the west is still learning and playing catch up.

However, wouldn’t we all like to know what came up in that mix bag of lollies that AR3 announced the other month? Until then, retail investors (including China) will have to be patient for the metallurgical testwork studies to be revealed.

Meanwhile, no one is asking you to believe in the ‘proven’ ionic clay-hosted story which unlike hard rock projects has no ‘barriers to entry’.

Exciting times.

All IMO, DYOR, GLTA(patient)H