Brazilian Critical Minerals Confirms Leach Response Across Ema Rare Earth Mineralisation

Brazilian Critical Minerals (ASX: BCM) has received strong magnesium sulphate leach results from 2025 infill auger drilling at its Ema ionic clay rare earth project in Brazil’s Apuí region.

The results cover 56 holes and 262 samples, with 58 intercepts within the mineralised horizon returning average recoveries of 48% total rare earth oxide (TREO) and 62% magnet rare earth oxide (MREO).

The recovery results match the assumptions used in the project’s scoping study and support the company’s proposed in-situ recovery (ISR) development pathway.

Brazilian Critical Minerals is targeting release of a bankable feasibility study (BFS) for Ema during June.

Leach Results Support Development

The leaching program tested the percentage of rare earth elements that can be readily exchanged under magnesium sulphate leaching conditions consistent with the planned ISR approach.

Results confirmed strong ionic rare earth enrichment in the lower saprolite horizon immediately above fresh bedrock, which forms the key target zone for future extraction.

Brazilian Critical Minerals recorded an average MREO:TREO ratio of 39%, positioning Ema among the higher-grade magnetic rare earth peer group.

Key intercepts included 9 metres at 780 parts per million leached TREO, containing 271ppm leached MREO and an MREO:TREO ratio of 35%, 9m at 606ppm leached TREO with 277ppm leached MREO and an MREO:TREO ratio of 46%, and 9m at 597ppm leached TREO with 260ppm leached MREO and an MREO:TREO ratio of 44%.

An additional hole returned 9m at 517ppm leached TREO, including a peak 1m interval of 1,693ppm leached TREO with 502ppm neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) and 66ppm dysprosium-terbium.

Lower Saprolite Target

The assay profiles show the highest NdPr grades generally occur near the bottom of the auger holes in the semi-weathered zone directly above the fresh rock interface, a profile BCM considers favourable for ISR because the target mineralisation sits within a consistent lower saprolite horizon.

Brazilian Critical Minerals noted that stronger soluble MREO responses broadly matched higher-grade total TREO intervals, confirming preferential leaching of the magnetic rare earth fraction in the lower saprolite zone.

The consistent location of the enrichment zone immediately above fresh basement rock is also considered favourable for future ISR wellfield containment and solution recovery.

Managing director Andrew Reid said the latest results provided another step toward de-risking the project.

“These results continue to demonstrate that Ema possesses many of the key characteristics associated with the ionic clay deposits of southern China, which remain the world’s dominant source of low-cost heavy and magnetic rare earth production,” he said.

“We continue to systematically increase confidence in the continuity, distribution, and extractability of mineralisation across the deposit […] as we advance development studies and continue positioning Ema as a future strategic supplier of rare earth materials to western supply chains."

BFS Work Nearing Completion

The Ema project hosts a total Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 1,071 million tonnes at 732ppm TREO, including 392Mt in the indicated category.

The current MRE is based on total TREO grades and does not yet incorporate soluble TREO recovery constraints.

The broader project is contained within 781 square kilometres of exploration tenements in the Colider Group.

Ongoing work includes completion of the BFS, discussions with offtake counterparties over mixed rare earth carbonate product, progressive engagement with regulators on mining and environmental permits, as well as accelerating the initial project financing discussions from the September quarter onward.