Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In
Built byBoxcut Studio

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Product

    Tasmania emerges as rare earths hub: MREC metallurgy insights for miners

    December 3, 2025|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Tasmania emerges as rare earths hub: MREC metallurgy insights for miners

    First reported on Australian Mining

    30 Second Briefing

    Tasmania is emerging as a rare earths hub after ABx Group produced a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) sample from its Deep Leads ionic clay project, signalling potential for low-cost, near-surface extraction similar to Chinese-style deposits. The MREC product consolidates multiple rare earth oxides into a single carbonate stream, a key intermediate for downstream separation into magnet metals such as neodymium and praseodymium. For miners and process engineers, the result points to favourable metallurgy and a clearer pathway to commercial-scale leach and beneficiation flowsheets in Tasmania.

    Technical Brief

    • Mineralisation occurs at shallow depth, enabling free-dig or minimal blasting and short haul profiles.
    • Near-surface geometry supports progressive rehabilitation and low strip ratios compared with hard-rock rare earths.
    • Ionic clay style allows ambient-temperature leaching, avoiding high-temperature cracking or complex roasting circuits.

    Our Take

    Tasmania has had relatively little coverage in our 121 Mining stories, so ABx Group’s Deep Leads project stands out against a corpus that is otherwise dominated by mainland Australian critical minerals plays.

    Among the 19 rare earths and critical minerals pieces in our database, most focus on hard-rock deposits, so ionic or clay-hosted mineralisation at Deep Leads would position Tasmania in a different processing and permitting niche to Western Australian projects.

    For ABx Group, being one of the few Tasmanian entries in our 280 Projects/Product-tagged pieces suggests early-mover leverage in regional infrastructure and skills, but also a higher burden to demonstrate environmental performance to secure a social licence on the island.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Sunshine’s Sybil gold system: drilling expansion and geometry notes for mine planners
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Sunshine’s Sybil gold system: drilling expansion and geometry notes for mine planners

    Sunshine Metals has expanded the Sybil gold system in north Queensland, reporting a standout reverse-circulation intercept of 4m at 11.11g/t gold from 62m at Francis Creek within a 66-hole, 4357m drilling campaign. First-pass drilling at Francis Creek East intersected shallow mineralisation, confirming gold continuity east of the main trend and extending the project’s near-surface footprint. The results support follow-up RC and potential diamond drilling to refine geometry, test depth extensions and upgrade exploration targets to resource status.

    WAM Australia mine-site bulk handling: design and dust-control notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    WAM Australia mine-site bulk handling: design and dust-control notes for engineers

    WAM Australia is promoting enclosed bulk-handling solutions for mine transfer points using CAO tubular screw feeders and VFS butterfly valves to manage dust, variable flow rates and abrasive ores in tight layouts. The compact tubular screws provide controlled, fully enclosed transfer over short to medium distances, reducing spillage and dust emissions compared with open belts or chutes. Low-maintenance designs with minimal external bearings and sealed housings target reduced downtime in high-duty applications such as crusher feed, mill discharge and load-out spurs.

    Asset life extension in a capital-disciplined market: lessons for mine asset teams
    Mining
    about 9 hours ago

    Asset life extension in a capital-disciplined market: lessons for mine asset teams

    Ageing port, plant and rail assets are emerging as a major value lever for Australian miners, with projects such as BHP’s Berth C&D structural remediation showing owners favour targeted renewal of critical wharf infrastructure over full replacement. Capital is being steered towards brownfield opportunities and life-extension works that keep existing load‑out, materials handling and processing circuits operating reliably under tighter cost and capital constraints. For geotechnical and structural teams, this means more condition assessment, strengthening and corrosion remediation on live assets rather than designing greenfield builds.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalInfrastructureHazardsEnvironmental