American Rare Earths accelerates Wyoming pilot plant project

American Rare Earths, an Australian company operating through its US subsidiary Wyoming Rare, has accelerated its pilot plant programme for the Halleck Creek Project in Wyoming. The initiative aims to produce high-purity separated rare earth oxide, a critical material for various advanced technologies. The company has entered into agreements with Western Research Institute in Laramie and DISA Technologies in Casper to conduct initial processing stages within Wyoming, while the final hydrometallurgical processing will be carried out at the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in Canada. The pilot plant programme is divided into three distinct phases. The first two phases, involving milling, sizing, mineral separation, and concentration, will take place locally in Wyoming using DISA’s patented high-pressure slurry ablation technology and advanced mineral separation equipment. The final stage, which includes leaching, impurity removal, and oxide refining, will be completed at SRC’s facility in Saskatoon. This arrangement allows the project to leverage existing downstream processing expertise and infrastructure in Canada while maintaining the front-end operations close to the Halleck Creek ore stockpiles. Mark Wall, CEO of American Rare Earths, highlighted that this streamlined pilot plant pathway significantly shortens the timeline for producing pre-commercial rare earth oxide. Previously expected to take several years, the revised approach now positions the company to deliver tangible results within months. The data generated from the pilot campaign will be crucial in refining plans for the eventual commercial-scale plant and mining operations in Wyoming, signalling a step forward in domestic rare earth production capabilities. This development has wider implications for the rare earth supply chain, particularly given the strategic importance of these materials in electric vehicles, renewable energy, and defence sectors. By advancing pilot processing within the United States and collaborating with Canadian expertise, American Rare Earths is contributing to efforts aimed at reducing reliance on foreign sources. The project’s progress will be closely watched by industry stakeholders and policymakers interested in securing critical mineral supply chains.