[SMM Rare Earth Flash] Australia’s Astron released the bankable feasibility study report for Phase I of the Donald rare earth and mineral sands project in Victoria, confirming the project’s strong economic value, and plans to make the final investment decision in Q2 2026. The report showed that total project investment was about AUD 450 million, pre-tax net present value was AUD 759 million, the internal yield was 19.3%, the mine life was about 40 years, and rare earth concentrate is expected to be produced in Q1 2028. The project’s main products include key rare earths such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, as well as zircon and titanium products. Phase I is expected to produce about 7,100 mt of rare earth concentrate annually.

American Rare Earths announced that it has been selected to supply raw material to the US Department of Energy (DOE)'s "Minerals to Materials Supply Chain Research Facility" (METALLIC) consortium. The Halleck Creek rare earth project in Wyoming, held by its subsidiary Wyoming Rare, is currently at an advanced exploration stage, with the Phase 1 Cowboy State mine having a 20-year mine life. The latest resource estimate shows that, at a cut-off grade of 1,000 ppm, total rare earth oxides amount to 547.5 million mt, while 18 channel samples collected in 2025 averaged a grade of 5,471 ppm, with the highest reaching 13,816 ppm. The project has an after-tax net present value of $558 million and an internal rate of return of approximately 24.

[SMM Tungsten Express] Almonty Industries has completed Phase 1 commissioning at South Korea's Sangdong tungsten mine, restarting production after a 30-year hiatus. The mine processes ~640,000 tpa ore, producing ~2,300 tpa tungsten concentrate. Phase 2 expansion targeted for 2027 will double throughput to 1.2Mtpa and output to ~4,600 tpa, representing ~40% of ex-China global tungsten supply. Project investment exceeds US$100 million with 45+ year mine life.

Vizsla Silver’s Panuco silver ore project in Mexico, with its feasibility study results, demonstrates outstanding economic metrics. The project is expected to achieve annual production of 17.4 million ounces of silver equivalent over a 9.4-year mine life. Its after-tax net present value is as high as $1.8 billion, and its internal rate of return reached 111. At present, the enterprise has ample cash reserves exceeding $450 million, and project financing has been fully secured. The project is expected to commence first production in H2 2027, and the current permitting process is progressing steadily in line with expectations.

Gunnison Copper (TSX: GCU) updated a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for its namesake project in Arizona, increasing the value by half and advancing towards prefeasibility, permitting and financing.The update issued Wednesday raises the Gunnison project’s net present value (at an 8% discount) to $1.95 billion, assuming a copper price of $4.60 per lb., compared with the initial PEA from 2024. Mine life rises by three years to 21.

Gunnison Copper (TSX: GCU) updated its Arizona project assessment, lifting NPV (8% discount) to $1.95B, a 55% increase from the 2024 version. Mine life extended to 21 years; project is 8x the size of the operating Johnson Camp mine. Growth driven by operational enhancements. Avg annual output at 174M lbs over first 15 years.

SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: LME copper opened at $13,317/mt overnight, fluctuated rangebound after opening, then touched a low of $13,168/mt, and subsequently the center rose to touch a high of $13,348/mt, finally closing at $13,259/mt, down 0.68%. Trading volume reached 18,000 lots, a decrease of 809 lots from the previous trading day; open interest reached 316,000 lots, a decrease of 4,795 lots from the previous trading day, overall mainly showing bulls reducing positions. The most-traded SHFE copper contract opened at 102,670 yuan/mt overnight, fluctuated downward after opening, then touched a low of 101,780 yuan/mt, and subsequently the center rose to touch a high of 102,880 yuan/mt, finally closing at 102,550 yuan/mt, down 0.15%. Trading volume reached 55,000 lots, a decrease of 51,000 lots from the previous trading day; open interest reached 186,000 lots, an increase of 1,437 lots from the previous trading day, overall mainly showing bears increasing positions.

Ero Copper (TSX, NYSE: ERO) recently released a preliminary economic assessment report for the Furnas copper-gold project in Pará, Brazil. The project is being developed in partnership with Vale Base Metals, with a mine life of 24 years and an estimated total production of 1.2 million mt of copper, 2 million ounces of gold, and 9 million ounces of silver. Over the first 15 years, the average annual copper equivalent production is expected to reach 108,000 mt.

SMM Morning Meeting Minutes: LME copper opened at $13,089/mt overnight, with prices initially trending lower to test $13,060/mt, then fluctuating upward to touch a high of $13,160/mt, followed by wide swings before finally settling at $13,100/mt, down 0.64%. Trading volume reached 12,200 lots, and open interest stood at 325,000 lots, down 1,683 lots from the previous session, overall showing a reduction in long positions. The most-traded SHFE copper contract opened at 101,660 yuan/mt overnight, initially fluctuating upward to touch a high of 102,100 yuan/mt, then experiencing wide swings while testing a low of 101,510 yuan/mt, before prices trended higher and finally settled at 101,730 yuan/mt, down 0.13%. Trading volume reached 34,800 lots, and open interest stood at 158,000 lots, down 1,466 lots from the previous session, overall showing a reduction in long positions.

According to a report on Mining.com, Dateline Resources (DR) has gained further political support. With the public endorsement of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the company will develop the second rare earth mine in the US. On the 8th, Burgum stated in an interview with Fox News that the resumption of production at Colosseum, California, is a "critical link" in expanding the US's critical minerals supply chain. The project owner, DR, said that this endorsement "highlights the strategic significance of Colosseum in reducing the US's reliance on overseas rare earths." Previously, the Interior Department had already approved the company's mining plan. Shortly after Burgum publicly expressed his support, the management team, led by company manager Stephen Baghdadi, met with Burgum at the Interior Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., to discuss the next steps for the project. In a press release, DR stated that the discussion affirmed the significance of the mine to the US's rare earth supply chain, which is crucial for advanced technologies and national security, and that it is a known deposit in the US with the potential for "faster development." The Australian miner said that with the support of high-level officials from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the proposed National Energy Dominance Council by Trump, Burgum "reiterated his commitment to accelerating rare earth production in the US, reflecting his special concern for the Colosseum rare earth mine." The Colosseum project is located along the WLT (Walker Lane Trend) in California, 10 kilometers north of Mountain Pass, the only operating rare earth mine in the US. The project has a long history, having been mined as early as the California Gold Rush. In the late 1980s, LAC Minerals conducted large-scale gold mining activities here, producing a total of 344,000 ounces of gold from two pits. The mine was closed in 1993. Subsequently, Barrick Gold acquired the project but only carried out minimal work over the next 20 years. In 2021, DR purchased the Colosseum project, reviewed the work of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and attempted to identify radioactive indications within the Colosseum-Mountain Pass corridor. Based on the evaluation results, the company's team believes that its geological setting is similar to that of Mountain Pass. The Mountain Pass rare earth mine commenced production in 1952 and was a significant global rare earth producer from the 1960s to the 1990s. Technical evaluations indicate that rare earth-bearing ore is present within the boundaries of Colosseum. However, due to its proximity to the Mojave National Preserve, the mine has been on hold in recent years. Currently, Colossus has no rare earth resources, only gold resources compliant with the JORC 2012 standard, with two-thirds being measured and indicated resources. A 2024 scoping study indicates that the project has a mine life of over 8 years, with an annual gold production capacity of 75,000 ounces.