Araxa Project
The Araxá Project is a de-risked project with world-class potential in Minas Gerais, Brazil, located adjacent to CBMM’s world-leading niobium mining operations. The Project was acquired by St George in February 2025.
Extensive high-grade niobium and REE mineralisation at the Araxá Project has been confirmed by past drilling. High-grade mineralisation commences from surface, with more than 500 intercepts of high-grade niobium (>1% Nb2O5) with grades up to 8% Nb₂O₅ plus rare earths with grades up to 33% TREO.
On 1 April 2025, St George announced a maiden Mineral Resources Estimate for the Project that is globally significant in term of both niobium and rare earths – see the tables below.
Niobium – total resource:
41.2 Mt at 0.68% Nb₂O₅ (6,800ppm Nb2O5) comprising (at a cut-off of 0.2% Nb₂O₅):
|
Resource Classification
|
Million Tonnes (Mt)
|
Nb₂O₅ (%)
|
|
Measured
|
1.90
|
1.19
|
|
Indicated
|
7.37
|
0.93
|
|
Inferred
|
31.93
|
0.59
|
|
Total
|
41.20
|
0.68
|
Rare earths – total resource:
40.6 Mt at 4.13% TREO (41,300ppm TREO) comprising (at a cut-off of 2% TREO):
|
Resource Classification
|
Million Tonnes (Mt)
|
TREO (%)
|
MREO (%)
|
|
Measured
|
1.90
|
5.44
|
1.04
|
|
Indicated
|
7.37
|
4.76
|
0.90
|
|
Inferred
|
31.37
|
3.90
|
0.74
|
|
Total
|
40.64
|
4.13
|
0.78
|
The region around the Araxá Project has a long history of commercial niobium production and provides access to infrastructure and a skilled workforce. St George has negotiated government support for expedited project approvals and assembled a highly experienced in-country team and established relationships with key parties and authorities in Brazil to drive the Project through exploration work and development studies.
Tier 1 Niobium Location
The Araxá Project is located within the Barreiro Carbonatite complex – a 5km wide carbonatite hosting hard-rock niobium, REE and phosphate mineralisation. Surrounded by world-class mines – CBMM’s Araxá niobium mine (896 Mt @ 1.49% Nb2O5) and Mosaic’s Araxá phosphate mine (519 Mt @ 13.4% P2O5 )1 are also hosted in the Barreiro Carbonatite.
The carbonatite is the world’s ‘dress circle’ location for niobium, producing ~80% of global supply.
The Project is located 6km from Araxa city with access to transport infrastructure, low cost water and electricity (hydro) and an experienced mining workforce.
Aerial Earth image of the Barreiro carbonatite complex showing the Araxa Project (red outline) as well as the adjacent CBMM niobium mine and the Mosaic phosphate mine.
The JORC compliant resource comprises free-digging mineralisation from surface supports open-pit mine. Drilling has confirmed high-grade niobium and rare earths with grades up to 82,970ppm (8.29%) Nb₂O₅ and 329,800ppm (32.98%) TREO with intercepts that include:
