ABx Group Limited (ASX:ABX) New Areas of Ionic Rare Earth Elements with High Extraction Discovered

Executive Summary

• ABx Group announced discovery of several new ionic‑adsorption clay rare‑earth zones at its Deep Leads project, with leach extractions exceeding 80 % (up to 10 % higher than ANSTO benchmarks).
• The results move the Deep Leads deposit into the development stage, targeting commercial production of mixed rare‑earth carbonate (MREC) within months of project approval.
• ABx has a JORC‑compliant resource of 89 Mt containing 36 ppm Dy+Tb (4.3 % of total REO), and has executed an MOU with Ucore Rare Metals for off‑take/processing partnerships.

Key Details

• Leach Test Performance – In‑house leach tests on drill samples matched ANSTO results, achieving >80 % extraction; one bulk test showed 10 % higher recovery than ANSTO’s benchmark on the same sample.
• New High‑Ionic Zones – Three additional samples located >2 km from previously known high‑ionic zones were identified as having a strong ionic component (full results in Table 2 of the release).
• Project Development Stage – Deep Leads project now entered development, with plans to design a production facility capable of commencing output within months after regulatory approval.
• Resource Estimate – JORC‑compliant resource: 89 Mt at Deep Leads – Rubble Mound and Wind Break deposits, containing 36 ppm Dy+Tb (4.3 % of total REO), the highest proportion for an Australian clay‑hosted deposit.
• MREC Value Drivers – The produced MREC contains 4.0 % Dy and 0.7 % Tb, delivering a basket price that has risen 34 % over the past three months; Dy and Tb market prices are US$215,900/t and US$908,500/t respectively.
• Strategic Partnerships – Executed an MOU with Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (CVE:UCU) for processing in North America; ongoing discussions with additional off‑take partners and plans to supply MREC samples.
• Next Steps – Continue systematic in‑house leach testing of drill cores to delineate the extent of ionic rare earths; feed results into engineering studies and feasibility work with external experts.

Notable Quotes

“My jaw dropped when I saw these leach test results… Ionic deposits are likely to be substantially lower on the cost curve than otherwise equivalent clay‑hosted deposits.” – Dr Mark Cooksey, Managing Director & CEO

All tables and figures referenced in the release can be accessed at: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/VHQ7J6D4