American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR, OTCQB:ARRNF) continues to progress initiatives aimed at de-risking the Halleck Creek Project in the US state of Wyoming while an exploration drilling program is set to begin next month in the Cowboy State Mine area.
The 23-hole, 2,470-metre drilling program to start in July is aimed at upgrading resources at Cowboy State Mine and advancing mine planning work for pre-feasibility analysis. It will comprise 12 RC holes and 11 HQ core holes and drillers are being mobilised.
This coincides with ongoing R&D and environmental permitting along with processing and metallurgical test work being carried out to optimize and de-risk the project.
“Ahead of schedule”
“I am pleased to announce our continued project execution to de-risk the project," American Rare Earths CEO Donald Swartz said.
"At the time of our institutional placement in February, we outlined the use of proceeds to accelerate development to include additional drilling, metallurgical test work, project studies and permitting. As we enter the 2025 fiscal year, we do so ahead of schedule.
"The planned drilling will allow ARR to upgrade our resource estimates and provide data for advancing studies in FY2025.”
DARPA funding
A key development for ARR is the approval of new research and development partnership funding by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has been being awarded US$4.6 million with part of these funds to be used by the laboratory to continue work to support flowsheet design at Halleck Creek.
Permitting activities have been initiated at the Cowboy State Mine, beginning with baseline environmental data collection/analysis.
Environmental studies
ARR has engaged WWC Engineering (WWC), from Sheridan, Wyoming, to oversee and conduct the baseline environmental data collection activities.
These baseline studies include detailed vegetation and animal monitoring surveys. Additional baseline environmental studies will begin after consultation with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality – Land Quality Division.
"Through the company’s involvement in the DARPA initiative, our flowsheet has improved and I’m excited about the future,” Swartz said.
Flowsheet work
The company also continues to refine mineral processing flowsheets with ongoing work at Mineral Technologies and SGS Canada.
Mineral Technologies ran approximately 400 kilograms of Halleck Creek core across spiral separators showing distinct separation between the material. There were 53 samples collected and submitted for assay with ALS Global, with results pending.
MG 12 Spiral from Mineral Technologies.
SGS Canada is performing high-pressure grinding roll (HPGR), gravity separation, wet-high intensity magnetic separation and electrostatic separation tests on approximately 75 kilograms of Halleck Creek core.
This test work is designed to build on separation testing performed by Wood PLC in 2023, with a focus on gravity separation as the primary separation method with results expected next quarter.
Processing tests
ARR is developing processing and leaching test programs and will be using approximately 3 tonnes of available core samples from Halleck Creek and core samples collected during the July 2024 drilling at the Cowboy State Mine area.
This work will be based on the results of current Mineral Technologies and SGS Canada testing and is expected to begin next quarter.
Halleck Creek -400 x +100 µm feed on Wilfley Table.
SGS Canada has developed a comprehensive test work plan focusing on leaching, impurity removal and preliminary rare earth oxide processing with work to commence in the second half of 2024.
"The mineral processing and leaching test work is designed to refine our current flowsheets,” Swartz said.
"The preliminary baseline environmental studies are the first steps towards responsible mine development at the Cowboy State Mine.”