Australian miner St George Mining has made a significant new high-grade niobium discovery at its Araxá project in Brazil, with drilling confirming thick mineralisation starting from the surface well outside the known resource area.
High-Grade Hits Signal System Extension
The company announced that a discovery hole, drilled approximately 400 metres northwest of the existing resource in a previously untested area, returned standout results. The hole intersected an 81.5-metre section grading 1.27% niobium oxide from surface.
Within that broader intercept, a high-grade core of 43 metres at 2.01% niobium oxide was identified from surface, including an ultra-high-grade zone of 10.5 metres at 3.41% from just 17 metres depth.
St George reported that multiple holes in the northern and western expansion areas have delivered several intercepts exceeding 80 metres of high-grade niobium from surface, underscoring the continuity and scale of the mineralised system.
Rare Earths Boost and Strategic Implications
The new zone also extends the project's rare earths potential, with one notable intercept of 100 metres at 2.16% total rare earth oxides (TREO) from surface.
This discovery, lying nearly 1.2 kilometres north of the measured and indicated resource core, hints at the potential for additional high-grade domains that could support multiple mining operations. The system remains open in all directions.
Executive chairman John Prineas emphasised the commercial advantage, stating, "This new zone of high-grade niobium is shaping up as a priority area for a potential mining operation at Araxá given the very high-grade niobium mineralisation that commences from surface. The potential commercial advantage of mineralisation starting from surface cannot be underestimated."
Path to Resource Upgrade and Global Context
Drilling continues around the clock with three rigs operating, targeting further step-outs to the northwest and infill work to incorporate the new zone. Assay results from another 29 holes are pending, with management targeting a resource upgrade in the first quarter of 2026.
The Araxá project already hosts a substantial resource, including 41.2 million tonnes at 0.68% niobium oxide and 40.6 million tonnes at 4.13% TREO. Its location is strategically advantageous, adjoining CBMM's established niobium operations in Minas Gerais, providing access to proven infrastructure and hydropower.
With no domestic niobium supply in major economies like the US or China, and a seemingly ever-expanding rare earths system, St George's Araxá project is rapidly emerging as a key strategic player in the global market for these critical minerals.
