The initial metallurgical program was run by Vietnamese-based GAVAQ Solution to investigate waste material removal and basic flotation.
GAVAQ received a 51-kilogram sample from seven different drill holes, which was screened and confirmed rare earths were principally found as fines at less than 30 microns.
After further grinding and washing, the sample was put through a low-intensity magnetic separator to remove iron particles before being floated in a mildly alkaline solution at room temperature.
Jupiter’s lease sits strategically 50km southwest of the Mid West town of Mt Magnet and 300km east of the port of Geraldton. The area is intersected by the main road between the two centres and the Mid West gas pipeline.
The company’s grounds are also within spitting distance of both Lynas’ Mt Weld rare earth processing facility and Iluka’s planned refinery at Eneabba. Their proximity could present an attractive toll treatment option.
While the early metallurgical work has been underway, Critica has also been working at breakneck speed with West Perth-based SRK Consulting to complete a maiden resource at Jupiter, which it expects in the next few weeks.
The project, which spans 40 square kilometres, was only discovered 18 months ago but has already seen more than 38,000m of drilling.
The deposit is typified by broad, high-grade clay zones between 20m and 30m wide, which often grade at more than 2000ppm TREO. These zones regularly sit within 80m stretches averaging above 1000ppm grade.
Notably, the more lucrative magnetic rare earths used in electric vehicles and other new energy applications make up about 23 per cent of the high-grade material.
With rare earths increasingly pivotal in green energy and advanced technologies, Critica’s latest findings and the soon-to-be-revealed maiden resource at Jupiter appear to be well timed. The more pieces of the puzzle the company can put together, the closer it will get to becoming a key player in the global rare earth market.
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