Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) (FRA: N8I1) announced that commissioning of its Metallurgical Lumps Plant has officially started at its processing facility in Delta, Utah. The entire plant has been powered up and is operating as a fully integrated system for the first time, initiating a four-week commissioning program. The plant will process ore from the company's Lost Sheep Mine into metallurgical-grade fluorspar lumps (metspar), a product primarily supplied to U.S. steel industries.
Over the coming weeks, comprehensive integrated testing will verify performance across all systems, including process flows from ore feed to finished product, PLC control systems, HMI interfaces, operating parameters such as temperatures and pressures, alarm systems, and product quality. James Walker, President and CEO, stated, "It's incredibly rewarding to see the entire Lumps Plant operating together for the first time. This is an exciting milestone for everyone involved with Ares and reflects years of planning, engineering and construction. Our focus now is on completing commissioning successfully and beginning production."
As commissioning progresses, fluorspar ore stockpiled at the Lost Sheep Mine will be transported to the Delta facility to support testing and initial ramp-up production runs, expected to begin on August 15, 2026. Ramp-up refers to increasing feed to the full plant production potential. According to the company's press release of March 27, 2024, commercial offtake agreements are already in place covering the first five years of expected metspar production. The lumps plant has a designed processing capacity of approximately 150,000 tonnes per annum, providing capacity to support increased mine output and expansion across the Lost Sheep Project and the wider Spor Mountain Range.
Walker added, "We've intentionally built infrastructure that extends well beyond our initial mining rate. As we continue developing additional fluorspar targets across our property, this processing capacity gives us a platform for future growth while supporting our objective of establishing a secure U.S. supply of this critical mineral." Ares Strategic Mining is focused on developing its fluorspar projects in the U.S., aiming to become a significant supplier of high-grade fluorspar to North American markets. The Lost Sheep Fluorspar Project in Delta, Utah, is 100% owned, fully permitted, and covers 5,982 acres with 353 claims. A NI 43-101 Technical Report identified high-grade fluorspar with low levels of impurities, and the mining plan has been approved by the Bureau of Land Management.
A video of the plant operation is available at https://youtu.be/8CzwUTRsSOA. This commissioning milestone underscores Ares' progress toward domestic fluorspar production, reducing reliance on imports for a mineral deemed critical for U.S. industry and national security.
