St George Mining (ASX:SGQ) reported a 57% increase in the total mineral resource estimate (MRE) for its Araxá Project in Brazil to 111.2 million tonnes at 3.6% total rare earth oxide (TREO) and 0.6% niobium pentoxide, according to a Tuesday Australian bourse filing.
The company said the measured and indicated resource stands at 75 million tonnes at 0.6% niobium pentoxide for 435,000 tonnes of contained niobium pentoxide, comprising 68% of the total MRE, with the updated MRE including a higher-grade subset of 830,000 tonnes of TREO above 6.3% grade and 120,000 tonnes of niobium pentoxide with grades above 0.9%.
The higher-grade subset provides optionality for mine scheduling, including targeting high-grade zones in initial years of potential mining, with the East Araxá discovery not yet included in the new MRE and five diamond rigs operating to deliver a maiden resource estimate in the fourth quarter of 2026, the filing added.
The mining exploration company's shares jumped past 6% in recent Tuesday trade.