How American Rare Earths’ Halleck Creek Tests Unlock Rare Earth Potential
American Rare Earths reports high recoveries of key rare earth elements and significantly reduced impurities at its Halleck Creek project, marking a major step in its path to U.S. rare earth independence.
- Praseodymium and Neodymium leach recoveries exceed 84%
- Heavy rare earths Terbium and Dysprosium show encouraging recoveries
- Atmospheric tank leach selected as optimal processing method
- Iron and aluminum impurities reduced by up to 80% compared to prior tests
- Results support ongoing Pre-Feasibility Study and metallurgical flow-sheet design
Strong Metallurgical Progress at Halleck Creek
American Rare Earths (ASX, ARR) has unveiled promising metallurgical test results from its Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project in Wyoming, USA. The extensive leach testing campaign, conducted at SGS’s Lakefield laboratory in Canada, has identified optimal conditions that deliver high recoveries of critical light rare earth elements; Praseodymium (Pr) and Neodymium (Nd); at 85% and 84% respectively. These elements are essential for manufacturing permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.
Importantly, the tests also yielded encouraging recoveries for heavy rare earths Terbium (Tb) and Dysprosium (Dy), at 52% and 46% respectively. Heavy rare earths are typically more challenging to extract but are vital for high-performance magnets and defense applications. The ability to recover these elements efficiently enhances the strategic value of the Halleck Creek deposit.
Refined Processing Methodology Reduces Impurities and Costs
The preferred processing method emerging from the testing is atmospheric tank leaching using sulfuric acid. This approach is more energy and reagent efficient compared to alternatives like acid-bake leaching, which also involves higher equipment costs and corrosion risks. The atmospheric leach tests demonstrated significantly lower concentrations of iron and aluminum impurities; up to 80% and 65% reductions respectively; compared to previous scoping study concentrates. This reduction is attributed to improved mineral separation techniques, including gravity spiral and induced roll magnetic separation, which remove deleterious minerals before leaching.
Lower impurity levels post-leach are expected to reduce reagent consumption and downstream processing costs, improving the overall economics of the project. Additionally, the optimized leach conditions include a regrind to a fine particle size (100% passing 53 microns), an acid dosage of 400 kg per ton, and an 8-hour retention time at 90°C, balancing recovery with operational efficiency.
Technical De-Risking and Strategic Implications
This metallurgical milestone feeds directly into the ongoing Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for the Cowboy State Mine, a key component of the Halleck Creek project. The test results provide critical data for refining the mineral processing flow-sheet, a vital step in advancing the project towards production. The extensive drilling and sampling underpinning the resource model, combined with these metallurgical advances, significantly de-risk the project from a technical standpoint.
Situated on Wyoming State land, Halleck Creek benefits from mining-friendly regulations and streamlined permitting processes. The project’s potential to supply rare earth elements domestically aligns with U.S. strategic goals to reduce reliance on imports, particularly from China, for critical minerals essential to defense and clean energy technologies.
Next Steps and Environmental Considerations
American Rare Earths is progressing with further metallurgical testing focused on impurity removal and plant engineering design. Environmental baseline studies and permitting assessments are underway, reflecting the company’s commitment to responsible mining practices. While these results are encouraging, full economic feasibility and environmental approvals remain to be completed before production can commence.
Bottom Line?
With strong metallurgical results in hand, American Rare Earths is poised to further unlock Halleck Creek’s rare earth potential amid growing U.S. supply chain imperatives.
Questions in the middle?
- How will reduced impurities impact the overall operating costs and capital expenditure?
- What timelines are anticipated for completing the Pre-Feasibility Study and advancing to pilot plant testing?
- How might environmental permitting challenges affect project development and production schedules?
