Spartan Metals announced the confirmation of two tungsten skarn zones at the Tungstonia claims within its wholly owned Eagle Project in Nevada, US. As part of its ongoing exploration programme launched in May 2026, rock sampling from the historic Yellow Jacket Mine within the project returned tungsten trioxide grades ranging from 0.89% to 1.87%. Crucially, assays from the mine entrance and dumps detected notable concentrations of zinc (up to 3.3%) and 1,320 ppm beryllium, the latter being a newly discovered critical metal at the property. Backpack core drilling at the mine also intercepted a 0.3-meter interval grading 0.21% tungsten trioxide and 0.33% zinc. The confirmed mineralization, spanning an estimated 2-kilometer area, hosts a complex system of tungsten, molybdenum, beryllium, rubidium, and silver. Spartan Metals intends to launch approximately 3,000 meters of diamond core drilling at selected targets from early to mid-August to further untangle this expanding mineralized system.

Recently, Chengxin Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (002240.SZ) disclosed on the investor interaction platform that pre-construction preparations for the Murong Lithium Mine, located in Yajiang County, Sichuan Province, had been largely completed, and large-scale construction is expected to begin soon. This progress marked the entry of this lithium industry giant into the substantive development stage of “the largest hard-rock single lithium deposit proven in Asia to date.” The value of the Murong Lithium Mine was first reflected in its remarkable resource endowment. According to data from the Sichuan Mineral Resources and Reserves Review Center, the mine had identified cumulative ore resources of about 61.095 million mt, with lithium oxide (Li₂O) resources as high as 989,600 mt and an average grade of 1.62%. This resource scale made it indisputably the largest hard-rock single lithium mine in Asia, and its grade also ranked among the highest in Sichuan. The mine is located in the well-known Jiajika lithium-beryllium ore district, which forms part of the Songpan-Ganzi-West Kunlun giant lithium metallogenic belt spanning Sichuan, Qinghai, and other provinces and regions, and is known as the “Asian Lithium Belt.” The entire Jiajika ore field had identified total lithium oxide resources exceeding 2 million mt, making it one of the most concentrated regions for hard-rock lithium resources in China and even globally. The Murong Lithium Mine was designed for a production scale of 3 million mt/year, and its mining license is valid until September 5, 2048, providing assurance for long-term and stable mining operations. According to the company’s latest disclosure, the Murong Lithium Mine project had obtained project approval from the Sichuan Provincial National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), as well as key approvals from departments including natural resources, ecology and environment, and emergency management covering land-use pre-examination, environmental impact assessment, and safety facilities design. Various pre-construction preparations had been largely completed. This means the project is expected to enter the stage of large-scale mine infrastructure and beneficiation plant construction soon. After the project is completed and put into operation, its annual raw ore processing capacity of 3 million mt will translate into considerable production of lithium concentrates, providing stable and high-quality raw material support for the company’s downstream lithium chemicals production sites in Deyang and Suining, Sichuan, as well as Indonesia.

USA Rare Earth announced on December 10 that its Round Top project in Texas will commence production two years ahead of schedule, with the first batch of rare earths expected to be produced in H2 2028. Round Top is a heavy rare earth deposit, and heavy rare earths are crucial for producing high-performance magnets required for EVs, wind turbines, and national defense systems. Additionally, it is the largest gallium and beryllium mine in the US. USA Rare Earth stated that the decision to accelerate the construction progress of the Round Top project was due to favorable results from solvent extraction tests. Based on this, the company's hydrometallurgical pilot facility in Colorado is expected to become operational in early 2026.

USA Rare Earth (USAR) announced that its Round Top project in Texas will commence production two years ahead of schedule, with the first batch of rare earths expected to be produced in H2 2028. Round Top is a heavy rare earth deposit, which is critical for producing high-performance magnets required for EVs, wind turbines, and national defense systems. It is also the largest gallium and beryllium mine in the US. USAR stated that the decision to accelerate the construction of Round Top was due to favorable solvent-extraction (SX) test results, enabling its hydrometallurgical pilot facility in Colorado to begin operations earlier in 2026.

The Ningxia "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes: Upgrading the new materials industry, further developing carbon-based, silicon-based, aluminum-based, manganese-based, and rare metals such as tantalum, niobium, and beryllium, promoting the extension of advanced basic materials and cutting-edge new materials to deep processing, and building a nationally important new materials industry base. It also proposes upgrading traditional industries, consolidating and enhancing the position and competitiveness of metallurgy, chemicals, non-ferrous metals, building materials, textiles, and food industries in the national and global industrial division of labor.

Berkeley Energia Limited announced that its Conchas Project in Spain has achieved positive preliminary metallurgical test results, indicating strong potential for the recovery of key minerals such as lithium (Li) and rubidium (Rb). The results show that Conchas hosts shallow, thick zones of lithium and rubidium mineralization, with accessory tin, cesium, beryllium, niobium, and tantalum, mainly occurring within muscovitic leucogranite. Metallurgical test work conducted by SLR Consulting included sample characterization, mineralogical analysis, gravity separation, flotation, and magnetic testing. In the flotation tests, samples with particle sizes under 150 microns achieved recoveries of 78% for lithium and 63% for rubidium. Magnetic separation on coarser material (-300 to +150 microns) achieved stage recoveries of 77% lithium and 58% rubidium, suggesting that combining magnetic separation and flotation could enhance overall recovery efficiency. Next, the company plans to conduct 3D modeling of drilling data to refine geological interpretation of the lithium and rubidium mineralization, followed by a second phase of metallurgical testing to optimize processing methods. Rubidium, widely used in defense, aerospace, communications, and renewable energy, is classified as a critical mineral by the U.S. and Japan, reflecting its growing strategic and industrial importance.

[SMM Flash News: Kazakhstan's Rare Earth Reserves Estimated at 2.6 Million mt] The Geological Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Industry and Construction revealed that the country's rare earth metal reserves are expected to reach approximately 2.6 million mt. In Kazakhstan, rare earth and rare earth metal production accounts for 2.4% of the total metallurgical industry output. In recent years, nationwide geological and geophysical exploration efforts have intensified, with the total exploration area expanding from 1.91 million square kilometers to 2.014 million square kilometers, covering a significant portion of the country's 2.7 million square kilometers of territory. The Geological Committee further noted in a written statement that in-depth exploration has identified 38 potential mine sites, which may contain rare earth elements, non-ferrous metals, precious metals, and hydrocarbons. In addition to rare earth elements, estimated reserves include 23,800 mt of beryllium, 1.1 billion mt of lignite, 3.7 million mt of copper and nickel, 19 mt of gold, 2 million mt of zirconium, 500,000 mt of niobium, and 400,000 mt of tungsten.