Vital Metals (ASX:VML) is expanding a Scoping Study for the Tardiff rare earth deposit in Northwest Territories, Canada to include potential niobium recovery.
Niobium is hosted within the same geological formations as the deposit’s rare earth mineralisation, with a maiden niobium resource included in the January 2025 resource estimate.
Tardiff’s resource contains 192.7 million tonnes at 1.3% total rare earth oxide and 0.3% niobium, containing 636,000 tonnes of neodymium and praseodymium and 578,000 tonnes of niobium pentoxide.
Niobium pentoxide 99.5% has a current market price of US$58.46/kg2 ($64.97/kg2) and is witnessing increased demand due to its low oxidation point and relatively high melting point.
It is used as an alloy in aeronautic engines, electronic applications – due to its superconducting properties, and as an additive to lithium-ion batteries to enhance battery life.
Vital Metals is using the resource as the basis for the Scoping Study, which is examining the size and scalability of future production scenarios at Tardiff.
The company will complete further niobium studies, which will be captured by reprocessing flotation tailings as a first-phase evaluation and add these results to the study, which is due in late April 2025.
Managing Director Lisa Riley says with the initial flotation testwork indicating potential recovery of niobium from Tardiff, the company seeks to include that into the Scoping Study as Vital considers what shape the project might take in development.
“Previous metallurgical work did not focus on niobium recovery,” Riley says.
“This will now be a component of additional testwork to deliver the Scoping Study alongside further rare earth element testwork.
“While Vital has primarily focused on rare earths at Tardiff, the potential to include niobium is now clear, and while additional niobium testwork will delay the completion of our Scoping Study, it will provide a more thorough understanding of the material and the value of its inherent parts.”
Riley adds that given the contained niobium resource is nearly equal in size and value to the neodymium-praseodymium resource, it is important to maximise recovery and grade of both.
In parallel, Riley has taken a leadership role in progressing discussions between mining companies, as well as industry and state, territory and federal government bodies to better position Canada as a mine to metal rare earth producer.
“The current geopolitical environment and the focus on global critical minerals supply chains support the initiative for collaboration in mining and metal processing potential in Canada,” she says.
“We continue to negotiate with the Canadian Government to drive the Canadian rare earth industry forward. We want to better position Canada to create a Canadian rare earth supply chain from mine to metals.”
Vital Metals is focused on developing the Nechalacho Rare Earth Project in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The company says Nechalacho has potential to underpin a significant rare earths supply chain for North America.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Vital Metals
