Brazilian Critical Minerals Limited (ASX: BCM) (“BCM” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has now successfully leached, extracted and precipitated rare earths from its in-situ recovery (ISR) pilot field trial at the Ema project.
Highlights
- First REEs successfully recovered under real-world conditions: Rare earth elements have been leached, extracted, and precipitated directly from the Ema deposit using in-situ recovery (ISR) methods
- Technical viability confirmed: This successful field-based extraction validates the ISR process at Ema and marks a significant step forward for the project’s development
- Environmentally friendly leaching solution used: The REEs were recovered using a low- concentration (0.5M) magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) solution, supporting BCM’s commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable mining practices
This achievement strengthens BCM’s position as a leader in low-impact, next-generation rare earths production and demonstrates the potential for ISR to offer a scalable, low-cost, and environmentally superior alternative to conventional mining methods.
To watch the video of the rare earths precipitate from solution, click on the link below https://braziliancriticalminerals.com/link/0y58QP
Figure 1. Precipitated solids directly in the field after in-situ leaching. Small amounts of reagent added to rare earth rich solution causing the rare earths and impurities to precipitate (cloudy material) in a beaker directly adjacent to extraction wells.
Andrew Reid, Managing Director, commented:
“Our field trials have now conclusively demonstrated that rare earth elements can be successfully leached, recovered, and precipitated from solution via in-situ recovery (ISR) at Ema, exceeding our expectations on all fronts. This represents a major technical and operational milestone and a critical step in de-risking the project.
It confirms that ISR can reliably mobilize and extract rare earths under real-world field conditions, positioning the Ema Project as a transformative development in the global rare earth supply chain— delivering high ESG performance and sustainable extraction practices.”
“We now look ahead to completing the current field trial program, initiating the feasibility study, and progressing key workstreams including permitting, financing, and offtake negotiations.
Ema remains uniquely positioned outside Southeast Asia as the only known rare earth project capable of operating via ISR with exceptionally low capital and operating costs. The February 2025 Scoping Study highlighted Capex of just US$55M and Opex of just US$6.15/kg TREO whilst able to produce 4,800tpa of TREO or 1,800tpa of key magnet elements in a mixed rare earth carbonate product.”
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