St George drills monster Brazilian rare earths hits

St George Mining has unleashed a fresh suite of standout rare earths and niobium numbers from its maiden diamond drilling program at the company-defining Araxá project in Brazil – and the new results could reshape the scale of what is already one of the Western world’s most significant critical-minerals discoveries.

The latest six holes lit up the lab sheets with exceptional and consistent grades and thicknesses. 

Star intercepts include 80.55m at 5.44 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 0.60 per cent niobium oxide from surface, bolstered by a 32.3m stretch at a stellar 9.13% TREO and 0.75 per cent niobium oxide. Another 80.45 metre hit came in at a stunning 5.19% TREO and 0.58% niobium oxide from surface, with a tidy 20.4 metres at a serious 7.13% TREO and 0.77% niobium oxide.

Peak assays soared to 22.5 per cent TREO and 3.7 per cent niobium oxide – explosive grades by any global yardstick.

Importantly, the new hits sit outside the current mineral resource estimate envelope, hinting at a serious growth opportunity. Araxá already boasts 40.6 million tonnes at 4.13 per cent TREO and 0.68 per cent niobium pentoxide, making it one of the highest-grade and largest rare earth–niobium systems outside China. However the new holes strongly suggest the envelope is about to swell again.

The drilling follows the natural mineralised saprolite silhouette of the Barreiro carbonatite complex, where 95.8 per cent of the existing resource sits above 100m depth. The geometry reinforces the potential for low-cost, open-pit mining – a prized rarity in the rare earths sector where deeper, hard-rock deposits are the norm.

With three rigs churning non-stop 24 hours a day, St George is now executing one of the most aggressive carbonatite drilling campaigns in the hemisphere. Another 40 diamond holes are locked into the schedule, with dozens of samples already in the laboratory queue.

St George executive chairman John Prineas said the latest numbers continue to validate the company’s early confidence; “These drilling results are exceptional and highlight the unrivalled quality of the thick, high-grade mineralisation at our Araxá Project. Significantly, the mineralisation remains open laterally in all directions and at depth. All resource expansion and definition holes have demonstrated consistent continuity and grade,” he said.

He added that the ongoing program is expected to transform the scale of the mineral resource, redefine corporate value and further cement St George as a rising force in the global rare earth and niobium supply chain rush.

Araxá’s geology echoes the carbonatite systems behind the two major rare-earths producers outside China – Mountain Pass in California and Mt Weld in Western Australia. The comparisons are not lost on analysts who now see the Brazilian system emerging as a genuine peer.

Beyond its sheer size, Araxá is also delivering a compelling magnet-rare-earth mix, particularly neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), which are critical ingredients in high-performance permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence technologies.

Niobium adds a second strategic pillar. It is used in micro-alloyed steels for pipelines, structural beams and automotive components and in superconducting alloys for MRI systems and advanced research. The deposit also carries gallium, germanium, tungsten and other technology metals – a suite now firmly under international scrutiny as supply chains diversify away from China.

St George is steadily piecing together a thick, continuous blanket of high-grade mineralisation extending across its tenure and now growing aggressively to the west. The emerging picture is of a major carbonatite system with open-ended dimensions and strong grade continuity – the hallmarks of a globally competitive resource.

A further 29 drill holes await assay, with more being completed daily. The company expects the next wave of results to build even more confidence in a substantial near-term resource upgrade.

St George picked up the Araxá ground only this year, strategically positioning itself alongside global niobium heavyweight CBMM within the five-kilometre-wide Barreiro complex in Minas Gerais. The state is one of South America’s most mining-friendly jurisdictions, offering roads, ports, hydro-power and a ready labour force. The company has also secured fast-track permitting under the Minas Gerais cooperation framework and the Brazilian MAGBRAS magnet-materials initiative.

With drilling intensifying, assays flowing and the mineralised footprint stretching further with every hole, the Araxá discovery is shaping as one of the most compelling new rare-earths and niobium developments around the globe.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au