Critica has announced a recent advancement, achieving an 81% recovery rate for magnet rare earths in ongoing metallurgical tests conducted in Western Australia. This development, emerging from efforts to optimize the company’s mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) pathway, signals a step towards potentially developing Australia’s most substantial and highest-grade clay-hosted rare earths resource. The material processed is intended to support the production of intermediate concentrate for downstream mixed rare earth product work. Crucially, the deposit shows a notable enrichment in key magnet rare earths: neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.
This latest reporting comes after earlier indications of success. In February 2026, Critica announced it had "cracked the code" for producing commercial-grade rare earths from its Jupiter project in Western Australia, yielding its first high-quality mixed rare earth carbonate. The findings from that period underscored the project’s magnet-rich profile, with neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium constituting approximately 24% of the total rare earth oxides (TREO). This earlier work was framed as a breakthrough for developing a commercial, repeatable, and scalable carbonate product, aligning with a global demand for secure, magnet-rich rare earth supplies.
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Expanding Resource Value
Beyond core rare earth elements, Critica’s work has also illuminated potential for by-product recovery of gallium. Metallurgical results from November 2025 indicated a clear pathway to extracting gallium oxide within the same processing circuit used for its mixed rare earth product. This adds an estimated 70,000 tonnes of contained gallium oxide to the project’s existing profile. The distribution of gallium was noted as remarkably consistent across the resource model, suggesting straightforward extraction.
Strategic Positioning and Resource Scale
The Jupiter project, located near Mount Magnet in Western Australia, has been consistently highlighted for its significant scale and grade. By September 2025, Critica was positioning the project as a potential cornerstone of Australia’s magnet rare-earth supply chain, a move supported by aggressive backing for such supply chains from Western governments. Earlier, in July 2025, metallurgical work on the flagship Jupiter Project had already achieved a 95% mass reduction in potential leach feed through beneficiation, emphasizing efficiency and scale. This outcome, combined with the high-grade rare earths, positioned Critica to contribute to Australia's critical minerals future.
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Early Stage Development and Testing
The project's development has involved extensive testing and sample work. In May 2025, a substantial 400-kilogram bulk sample was shipped to Vietnam for optimization of mineral extraction processes. This followed an earlier, preliminary test that reportedly yielded an 830% upgrade in rare earths concentration using a simple flotation process. Further work has involved the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) running hydrometallurgical testwork on upgraded rare earths material, aiming to produce the company's first mixed rare earths carbonate.
Resource Characterization
Critica has characterized its Jupiter resource as the highest-grade clay-hosted rare earths resource in Australia. As of August 2025, a high-grade zone of 640 million tonnes at 490 parts per million magnet rare earth oxides was confirmed. This high-grade endowment comprises approximately 310,000 tonnes of in-situ magnet rare earth oxides, including significant quantities of neodymium and dysprosium. These magnet rare earths are critical for high-tech and clean energy applications, often driving a substantial portion of a rare earths project’s overall value. The company’s strategy aims for capital-efficient, sustainable development to meet global demand for critical minerals.
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