Victory Metals has reported breakthrough metallurgical results and greater mineral processing efficiency following rapid leaching kinetics at its North Stanmore project in Western Australia.
The positive mineral processing data has also confirmed North Stanmore as one of the largest, most technically advanced heavy rare earth clay hosted projects outside of China.
The project has large ratios of yttrium, hosting over 35.9m of yttrium oxide, at a time when current prices are surging over 4,400 per cent to US$270 per kg.
Victory Metals’ CEO Brendan Clark said the results represent a major breakthrough for the North Stanmore project.
“As Victory has been transitioning into the development phase, the company has significantly strengthened its technical capability, now comprising a team with more than 100 years of combined rare earths experience, an expertise base that has directly contributed to achieving these exceptional results.”
The company said its kinetic leach results showed a major reduction in leach time with 80 per cent of rare earths leached in 30 minutes compared to the four-hour estimate in its scoping study.
The shorter leach time is expected to lower Victory Metal’s capital and operational expenditures through a smaller leach circuit.
By adopting a 30-minute leach duration, the company will avoid unnecessary consumption of reagents, which will result in a massive operational saving.
Victor Metals is now working on engineering updates at the site to incorporate revised leach parameters.
The company will also integrate the new results into the company’s pre-feasibility study for the project, which is planned for release in 2026.