MINEX Forum

Tag: critical minerals Europe

  • Allied Critical Metals Intersects Significant Tungsten Mineralization at Borralha Project

    Allied Critical Metals Intersects Significant Tungsten Mineralization at Borralha Project

    Allied Critical Metals has reported a major drilling intersection at its Borralha Tungsten Project in northern Portugal, confirming over 200 metres of breccia-hosted tungsten mineralization at the newly defined Venise Breccia target.

    The discovery highlights a potentially extensive mineralized system, with visible wolframite identified alongside molybdenite and chalcopyrite within quartz-sulphide veining. These results are consistent with the company’s geological model and support the continuity of a historically recognised but previously underexplored breccia system.

    The Venise target is located approximately 400 metres from the Santa Helena Breccia deposit, which underpins the project’s current preliminary economic assessment. This proximity reinforces the potential for near-mine resource expansion and longer-term growth of the operation.

    The drilling forms part of a fully funded 20000 metre programme aimed at increasing the resource base, extending mine life, and scaling up the overall project. While the presence of visible mineralization is considered encouraging, the company emphasises that laboratory assay results will be required to confirm grade and economic viability.

    The findings also point to polymetallic potential, with associated molybdenum and copper mineralization suggesting similarities to other breccia-hosted systems in the district. This could further enhance the project’s strategic relevance as Europe seeks to strengthen its supply of critical minerals.

    The Venise Breccia is not yet included in the current resource estimate or mine plan, and further drilling is ongoing to determine the scale and continuity of mineralization. Nonetheless, early results support the company’s strategy of applying modern exploration techniques to historically identified targets.

    As exploration progresses, the Borralha Project is increasingly viewed as a potential district-scale tungsten system, with strategic importance for European and NATO-aligned supply chains amid rising global demand and strong tungsten pricing.

  • Medaro Mining Shifts Strategic Focus to Sweden to Tap EU Critical Minerals Demand

    Medaro Mining Shifts Strategic Focus to Sweden to Tap EU Critical Minerals Demand

    Medaro Mining is repositioning its operations toward Europe, with a strategic focus on Sweden as it seeks to capitalise on growing demand for critical minerals within the European Union.

    The move follows a comprehensive review of the company’s asset portfolio and aligns with the EU’s , which aims to strengthen domestic supply chains for key raw materials. Sweden has emerged as a favourable destination due to its established mining infrastructure and stable regulatory framework, making it an attractive hub for resource development.

    The company’s current exploration efforts are concentrated on the Bastnäs project, located in the Riddarhyttan-Bastnäs district. Ongoing fieldwork includes detailed surface mapping and systematic sampling campaigns designed to assess the mineral potential of the site. The results of these activities will play a decisive role in determining whether the project advances to the next phase of exploration, including test drilling.

    In parallel with its technical activities, Medaro is also increasing its engagement with investors through a targeted digital marketing initiative aimed at enhancing visibility across European and North American markets.

    Key project milestones include the conclusion of its investor communications programme in July 2026 and the expiration of exploration licences for Bastnäs 100 and 200 in February 2029, as granted by Swedish authorities. These deadlines establish a clear timeline for evaluating the project’s viability and securing further development.

    Market attention is currently focused on assay results from collected rock samples, which are expected to determine whether the project can support a larger-scale exploration programme. As Europe accelerates efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains, Medaro’s Swedish pivot reflects a broader industry shift toward resource development within stable and strategically aligned jurisdictions.

  • Finland Rare Earth Discovery Highlights Europe’s Processing Gap

    Finland Rare Earth Discovery Highlights Europe’s Processing Gap

    Recent drilling results from the Korsnäs rare earth project in Finland are drawing attention to Europe’s geological potential in critical minerals, but they also highlight a deeper challenge for the continent: the lack of domestic processing capacity.

    Exploration company European Resources reported its strongest rare earth intercept to date at the project, including a 31.5-metre interval averaging 4,902 parts per million total rare earth oxides (TREO). The mineralisation also contains a relatively high proportion of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr), accounting for roughly 28–30% of the rare earth mix.

    While encouraging, the results represent only an early stage of resource development. The next phase will require additional drilling and modelling to confirm the continuity and scale of the deposit.

    NdPr is particularly important because it forms the foundation of permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, defence systems and other advanced technologies. These magnet rare earth elements are considered among the most strategically important minerals for Europe’s industrial and energy transition.

    However, experts note that discovering deposits alone does not guarantee supply security. In the rare earth sector, the most complex and capital-intensive stage of development typically occurs after mining, during chemical processing, separation and waste management.

    The Korsnäs project benefits from its location in Finland, a country with strong mining institutions, established infrastructure and relatively stable regulatory systems. This reduces certain development risks compared with projects in more uncertain jurisdictions.

    Early mineralogical studies suggest the deposit contains monazite and apatite minerals, which can support certain processing routes. However, monazite often contains trace amounts of thorium or uranium, which can introduce stricter regulatory requirements related to residue handling and environmental protection.

    Industry analysts say processing plants typically account for the largest share of capital expenditure in rare earth projects, often exceeding the cost of the mining operation itself. Complex processing flowsheets and environmental permitting requirements can significantly affect project economics and timelines.

    European Resources has already begun metallurgical testing and downstream processing studies with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to evaluate potential separation technologies and processing pathways.

    Another notable feature of the Korsnäs results is the relatively high proportion of NdPr within the deposit. While TREO measures total rare earth content, economic value is usually concentrated in magnet elements such as neodymium and praseodymium, with smaller contributions from dysprosium and terbium. Deposits dominated by cerium and lanthanum, which are more abundant but less valuable, often face weaker economics.

    The development of projects such as Korsnäs also intersects with broader European industrial policy. Under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, the bloc aims by 2030 to extract at least 10% of its annual demand for strategic minerals domestically, process 40% within the EU and source 25% from recycling.

    Achieving those targets will require major investment not only in mining but also in separation facilities, refining plants and downstream manufacturing. At present, China dominates the global rare earth processing sector, giving it significant influence over supply chains.

    Analysts say that even if Europe develops new mines, the continent will remain vulnerable to supply disruptions unless it builds domestic separation and refining capacity.

    The Korsnäs discovery therefore represents more than a geological milestone. It highlights Europe’s growing recognition that securing critical mineral supply will depend not only on discovering deposits, but also on developing the industrial infrastructure needed to process them.