Brazilian Critical Minerals (ASX:BCM) has received approval from the National Mining Agency (ANM) for its final exploration reports for the Ema Ionic Clay Rare Earth Project in Brazil.
The approval covers both tenements at the Ema project in the Apuí region, moving the asset towards the mining application stage.
BCM now has a one-year period to submit a mining licence application supported by a Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS), which is scheduled for release this month (June 2026).
For the trial mining licence permitting path, environmental permit applications submitted in May 2025 remain under review with IPAAM, the Amazon state environmental regulator.
Managing Director Andrew Reid says the approval of the final exploration reports represents an “important regulatory milestone” for the Ema project.
“Ema has now progressed into the formal mining application pathway. The focus now shifts toward completion of the Bankable Feasibility Study, environmental licencing, and preparation of the mining plan required to support the future mining licence application,” Reid says.
The company has defined a total mineral resource estimate of 1,071 million tonnes at the Ema Project, which includes 392 million tonnes in the indicated resource category.
The project covers 781km² of exploration tenements within the Colider Group.
“With ANM approval secured, the principal remaining regulatory milestones are environmental permitting and the granting of the mining licence,” Reid says.
“As the BFS nears completion, the company’s focus is increasingly directed towards advancing Ema through the remaining development approvals and positioning the project for future development.”
Brazilian Critical Minerals is a mineral exploration company with assets mainly in Brazil’s Apuí region.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash
