Graphite One talks HREEs in Graphite Creek material

Executive Summary

• Independent testing by Activation Laboratory confirms elevated levels of magnet and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) within the garnet material at Graphite One’s Graphite Creek deposit in Alaska.
• The results suggest that rare earth element (REE) recovery could proceed alongside graphite extraction in the early years of mining, potentially maximizing the value of the deposit, which is already recognized by the USGS as the largest natural graphite deposit in the U.S.
• Graphite One plans to collaborate with a U.S. national lab to develop extraction methods for REEs from garnets, which contain significantly higher concentrations of HREEs compared to the rest of the ore rock.

Key Details

• Testing Source: Independent analysis performed by Activation Laboratory (ActLabs) of Ancaster, Canada.
• Sample Origin: Drill core samples from the anticipated pit outlined in Graphite One’s feasibility study (FS) completed in February 2025.
• REE Composition:
  • Bulk rock geochemical analyses show an increased proportion of magnet REEs and HREEs relative to light rare earths (LREEs).
  • 85% of the REEs in the garnet material are magnet or HREEs.
  • Garnets are identified as the primary host for HREEs, scandium, and yttrium.
• Specific Elemental Concentrations in Garnets:
  • Dysprosium: 32 to 63 parts per million (ppm).
  • Yttrium: 198 to 427 ppm.
  • Scandium: 84 to 141 ppm.
• Concentration Differential: Garnet components have two to six times higher REE concentration than the non-garnet ore rock.
• Strategic Context:
  • The deposit contains two Defense Production Act Title III materials: graphite and REEs.
  • Highlights strategic importance due to China’s export limits on magnet REEs (Feb 2024) and graphite (Dec 2024).
  • REEs identified include neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, and samarium, which are critical for wind turbines, electric vehicles, and defense systems.
• Next Steps:
  • Garnet grains were mechanically separated from crushed drill core samples at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).
  • Graphite One plans to work with a U.S. national lab to determine the best method for extracting REEs from Graphite Creek garnets.
  • Ongoing test programs will continue into 2026.
• Supply Chain Strategy:
  • Goal: Develop a complete U.S.-based, advanced graphite supply chain.
  • Logistics: Transport material via the port of Nome to a manufacturing plant in Warren, Ohio (subject to financing).
  • Includes a potential recycling facility for graphite and battery materials co-located in Ohio.
• Qualified Person: Rob Retherford, PGeo, with Alaska Earth Sciences Inc., provided oversight and approved the technical content under National Instrument 43-101.

Notable Quotes

• Anthony Huston, CEO: "While these results are preliminary, they are clearly promising... Few rare earth deposits have such a strong presence of magnet and heavy rare earths... the presence of 14 magnet or heavy rare earths at Graphite Creek further confirms that ours is a generational deposit for the tech applications transforming our world."
• Anthony Huston, CEO: "The presence of two Defense Production Act Title III materials -- graphite and REEs -- in a single deposit further underscores Graphite Creek's position as a truly generational deposit... the presence of rare earths at Graphite Creek suggests that recovery as a byproduct to our graphite production will maximize the value of what is already the U.S.'s largest natural graphite deposit."
• Kirsten Fristad, Chief Geologist: "The garnets -- which are often as large as marbles -- seem to be dominant hosts for the HREEs, which will guide our ongoing test program as we enter 2026... if you were to separate one of our ore rocks into two piles, its garnet component and then everything else, the garnets have two to six times higher REE concentration."