Critica hails Jupiter as top Aussie clay-hosted rare earths giant

Having confirmed a high-grade zone of 640Mt at its Jupiter project near Mt Magnet in WA at a grade of 490ppm magnet rare earth oxides, Critica Limited says its rare earths resource is now the highest-grade clay-hosted MREO resource in the country.

The overall Jupiter resource, defined in February 2025, totals an eye-watering 1.8 billion tonnes averaging 1700 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO), calculated using a 400ppm MREO cut-off.

The high grade endowment comprises about 310,000 tonnes of in-situ MREOs, including 66,000t of praseodymium, 230,000t of neodymium, 2300t of terbium and 11,000t of dysprosium – all key oxides of the rare earths elements necessary for producing high-performance permanent magnets.

These magnet rare earths, critical for high-tech and clean energy applications, can drive up to 85 per cent of a rare earths project’s value, despite their often relatively small component of the total rare earths content.

The company’s latest review marks a pivotal step in understanding the project’s potential to supply critical minerals for electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines, medical devices, and defence systems.

The project, part of Critica’s broader Brothers project which spans 1500 square kilometres, benefits from its strategic location in one of WA’s premier mining districts which includes access to infrastructure such as the Mount Magnet-Geraldton highway which links it with the state’s coastal Port of Geraldton, 250 km away.

Drilling at Jupiter, initiated after its discovery in November 2023, has been extensive.

In 2023, Critica completed 4 aircore (AC) holes for 218m at Brothers, 29 AC holes for 1,808m, 25 reverse circulation (RC) holes for 1,794m, and 52 RC holes for 3,252m at Jupiter.

In 2024, drilling intensified with 246 AC holes for 14,376m, 262 AC holes for 15,396m, and 7 diamond holes for 819.4m, bringing the total drilling to more than 37,000m.

This is a turning point in the Jupiter story. The size of the resource has always been compelling, but this updated analysis confirms that Jupiter also has quality, with significant quantities of neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium. This makes Jupiter Australia’s largest and highest-grade clay-hosted rare earth deposit by both total tonnage and contained MREOs.

Exploration of the project has defined a 40 square kilometre mineralised zone with broad, consistent intersections up to 80m thick at grades exceeding 1000 ppm TREO, with standout intercepts such as 74m at 1907 ppm and 16m at 4129 ppm TREO.

The Jupiter deposit hosts fine-grained rare earths minerals, consisting mainly of florencite, rhabdophane, and xenotime, which have been identified through advanced micro-analytical techniques.

These hydrated phosphates carry the highly sought-after neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium elements, complemented by their low content of the otherwise potentially deleterious levels of uranium and thorium, enhancing the deposit’s environmental acceptability.

Critica is now advancing its metallurgical test work to produce a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC), with pilot programs to validate beneficiation pathways capable of achieving up to 95 per cent mass reduction, with a concentrate grade lifted to about 15,000 ppm TREO.

A scoping study will then assess the project’s high-value MREO zones, and the company is engaging with offtake partners to secure ESG-aligned supply chains.

Critica has adopted an innovative approach to the project that prioritises efficient processing by upgrading high-value rare earths into a low-volume stream, reducing the overall environmental footprint and processing costs.

The company believes that strategy positions its Jupiter project for capital-efficient sustainable development while significantly meeting global demand for critical minerals.

With its unmatched scale and high-grade MREO core, Jupiter could become a cornerstone of Australia’s rare earth supply chain, delivering long-term value for clean energy and high-tech industries.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au