St George study sample pioneers Brazil magnet rare earths supply
The 30kg rare earths oxalate sample, derived from the company's 100%-owned Araxá project, marks St George as a frontrunner in Brazil's emerging rare earths supply chain.
The Araxá project has a serious mineral resource estimate of 40.64 million tonnes (Mt) at a sizeable grade of 4.13 per cent total rare earths oxide.
Notably it also has another resource dimension, with 41.20Mt at 0.68 per cent niobium pentoxide, making it potentially a world-class asset ideally positioned to meet growing global demand for both commodities.
The MagBras project, supported by the National Service of Industrial Learning (SENAI) and the Minas Gerais Research Development Foundation (Fundep), aims to industrialise Brazil's vast rare earths endowment - the world's third largest – to reduce the nation's reliance on imported high performance magnets.
Managed by the Federation of Industries of Minas Gerais (FIEMG), MagBras collaborates with rare earths developers such as St George and end-users, including automakers Stellantis and Iveco, to build an integrated magnet supply chain.
St George's memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MagBras - signed last October - facilitates cooperation on research, development and potential supply of high-grade rare earths from Araxá for high-performance magnet production.
The company is also exploring downstream partnerships in the US, where interest in Brazil's niobium and rare earths is surging.
The US Government, under the Trump Administration, is pursuing a trade deal to secure Brazil as a key supplier of critical metals, driven by efforts to establish non-Chinese supply chains.
St George says recent US Department of Defence support for American rare earths miner MP Materials by paying US$110/kg for combined neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) highlights a shift toward pricing that fosters industry growth.
Prineas says the company is seeing strong support in Brazil from government and industries to build a domestic supply chain for rare earths
.
St George's Araxá project is strategically located a stone's throw north of the massive niobium mine operated by Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineração (CBMM).
The two projects occupy the same Barreiro carbonatite complex, a geological formation known for hosting significant niobium and rare earths mineralisation.
CBMM's operation primarily extracts niobium from pyrochlore, with rare earths present as secondary commodities alongside barium and thorium. The company supplies about 80 per cent of the global niobium market.
That proximity potentially provides St George with access to established infrastructure and a skilled workforce, enhancing its overall development potential.
St George is advancing its Araxá project with an extensive drilling program, including over 9000 metres of diamond drilling to infill and expand its known resources and associated mineralisation.
Mineralisation currently remains open in all directions and the infill drilling aims to increase confidence in the resources and elevate existing inferred resources to indicated status.
The project's high-grade mineralisation, which shows up to 8 per cent niobium pentoxide and 33 per cent TREO, underscores its potential as a global supplier.
The company is keeping five drill rigs busy and expects its first assay results shortly. Meanwhile, ongoing metallurgical studies aim to optimise the flowsheet for rare earths production.
Its collaboration with SENAI and FIEMG positions Araxá to contribute significantly to both local and global markets, particularly as geopolitical shifts drive demand for reliable, non-Chinese rare earths and niobium sources.
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Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Cupra Born updates MORE: Explore the Cupra Born showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia will finally bring the 240kW Born VZ electric hot hatch early in 2026, though customers eager for less powerful variants will have to wait a little longer. Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the high-performance Born will arrive at the beginning of next year (despite being earmarked for late-2025 as recently as March), while lesser variants may arrive with an incoming mid-life facelift. "We're in the process of planning the rest of the Born range beyond the VZ – even for the VZ we're still locking in a couple of final details," Mr Shafer said. "There's a facelift coming soon, so we're looking at the timing in terms of whether it makes sense to bring [lower variants] back in the shorter term, or wait for the [mid-life update]." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Asked about how the ever-changing EV market has impacted Cupra's approach, particularly with regards to re-introducing the Born, Mr Shafer said the Spanish brand will focus on driver enjoyment and value to stand out from increasing competition from the likes of emerging Chinese brands. "Cupra doesn't aspire to be all things to all people… so we really want to make sure that we're bringing cars that are appealing to people's emotions, and are above all fun to drive," Mr Shafer said. "With the Born, we got a lot of positive feedback on the ride and handling, and how there was a feeling of quality. I think these aspects take the VZ up to another level in terms of the responsiveness. "Bringing Tavascan into the market, in the EV space just making sure you've got a product that doesn't follow the others [is important]. "[Pricing] is always a challenge, and we don't take anything for granted in the Australian market. It did move very quickly, so we're trying to make sure we're bringing a product that has the right positioning, offers value that customers can see. "But also, making sure that the points of difference that we believe we have in design, ride and handling, and calibration of our assistance systems is also communicated so that people understand what they're getting for their money," Mr Shafer continued. "It's important that people feel like they have value. So we're not always chasing the cheapest price point, I don't think that's ever our position, but you definitely have to have a value that people can see and appreciate." The Cupra Born VZ features a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 240kW of power and 545Nm of torque, increases of 70kW and 235Nm over the standard 170kW Born that is now sold out in Australia. As a result, the Born VZ can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 200km/h. 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Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest Cupra Born updates MORE: Explore the Cupra Born showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia will finally bring the 240kW Born VZ electric hot hatch early in 2026, though customers eager for less powerful variants will have to wait a little longer. Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the high-performance Born will arrive at the beginning of next year (despite being earmarked for late-2025 as recently as March), while lesser variants may arrive with an incoming mid-life facelift. "We're in the process of planning the rest of the Born range beyond the VZ – even for the VZ we're still locking in a couple of final details," Mr Shafer said. "There's a facelift coming soon, so we're looking at the timing in terms of whether it makes sense to bring [lower variants] back in the shorter term, or wait for the [mid-life update]." CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. 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This potential has been clearly recognised by the Canadian federal and provincial/territorial governments as evidenced by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) introducing a C$420,000 investment at the PDAC conference earlier this year to facilitate promotional efforts by the territorial governments of Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Other steps include the removal of interprovincial trade barriers, streamlined project approvals through a new 'One Project, One Review' framework, the creation of a 'First Mile Fund' to boost early-stage investment, improved labour mobility across provinces and increased participation by indigenous communities. Here are some ASX juniors progressing their resource projects in Canada… During the June 2025 quarter, a power study completed by global engineering consultancy firm Hatch identified and quantified technical solutions for the supply of 100% renewable energy for the Iron Bear mining and concentrator complex and the adjacent city of Schefferville. This evaluated three staged power supply scenarios including with the first phase providing 120 megawatts for a concentrator complex with an operating capacity of 10Mtpa, Phase 2 providing 250MW for a 25Mtpa concentrator, and Phase 3 providing 500MW for a 50Mtpa concentrator. Phase 1 could be powered by a new 60MW hydropower plant at Menihek and a new 280MW windfarm. This will be supplemented by a 10MWh battery energy storage system and two 315 kilovolt power lines connected to the Churchill Falls hydroplant in Phase 2. A third power line from Churchill Falls will help meet energy requirements for Phase 3. 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It is also progressed evaluation of advancement strategies for each of its three North American lithium assets to maximise return and minimise shareholder dilution. These include the Hidden Lake lithium project in the North West Territories and the Trieste lithium project in Quebec. Trieste covers ~250km2 and hosts eight lithium mineralised pegmatite dykes that are notable for spodumene mega crystals, that predominantly occur within metasediments. A 3D model developed with the aid of mobile magnetotellurics highlighted three distinct high-resistivity metasediment-hosted trends extending over 300m below the surface. Geologists from the Quebec government are planning a structural geology study at the Trieste site to assess regional mineralization controls and potential lithium-bearing pegmatites. Hidden Lake is 65km from the mining city of Yellowknife and has a regional resource of 50.4Mt at 1% Li2O. It hosts seven mineralised spodumene dykes that span 3,250m, four of which have been drill tested to depths of 30-50m with all holes intersecting high-grade spodumene pegmatite intervals. During the June 2025 quarter, a Plan of Survey was started in preparation for conversion to mineral leases. During the June 2025 quarter, GT1 completed a $3.46m capital raising to support ongoing project development and submitted an application for Round 2 CMIF funding of C$5.5m to support indigenous consultation, further studies and early engineering works at its Seymour and Root lithium projects. Adding interest, EcoPro Innovation completed at its South Korean facility pilot lithium conversion testing of spodumene concentrate sourced from its Seymour project in Ontario, Canada. GT1 is carrying out a strategic review of its broader exploration portfolio after discovering a substantial rubidium resource at Seymour. It also submitted two additional mining lease applications during the quarter that complement the existing lease covering the core development area at Seymour. At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While Cyclone Metals, White Cliff Minerals, Loyal Metals and Green Technology Metals are Stockhead advertisers, they did not sponsor this article. Originally published as ASX Resources Quarterly Wrap: These ASX plays are thriving in Canada
