In today’s India Edition, Menaka Doshi writes on the roller-coaster ride in India-US trade talks, and Preeti Soni decodes India’s strategy to ramp up rare earths supply locally. https://t.co/f540RUdjTv ...

Core Insights - The global conversation around "rare earths" has intensified due to the Chinese government's export restrictions, particularly affecting the supply of essential materials for modern technology [1] Group 1: Industry Impact - China's restrictions on rare earth exports threaten to cut off the United States from critical materials needed for manufacturing technologies such as smartphones [1]

Project Overview - Caldeira project has a large ionic clay resource globally at 1.5 billion tonnes @ 2,359 ppm TREO, including 526 ppm MREO[17] - The project's initial mine life is estimated to be 20 years based on the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS)[23] - Drilling has been limited to approximately 15% of the total license area, indicating significant exploration upside[23] Financial Highlights - The project boasts a compelling post-tax NPV8 of US$1.3 billion, indicating strong potential for extending mine life and processing capacity[17,41] - The development capex is estimated at US$443 million, inclusive of contingency[41] - The average annual Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) production is projected to be 13,584 tonnes, representing approximately 8% of the global REO market[38] - Average annual Neodymium-Praseodymium (NdPr) Oxide production is estimated at 4,228 tonnes, representing about 7% of the global NdPr market[38] Operational Summary - The project plans for a 6Mtpa plant throughput, optimized for greater return on capital[38] - The Maiden Probable Ore Reserve is 103 million tonnes @ 4,091 ppm TREO, based on a minimum 100m x 100m drilling[38] - The Life of Mine (LOM) strip ratio is low at 0.38 (waste:ore)[50]