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Ore will initially be sourced from the company’s Mojave project, as well as from fellow ASX junior EV Resources’ Los Lirios antimony operations in Mexico and other outside samples.
These tests will be conducted across several stages of processing, from raw ore to dense media separation material to high-grade concentrates, allowing for the technology to be fully tested across a range of conditions.
Locksley is also in talks with another mining group about trialling DeepSolv, as broader industry interest continues to swell.
The tie-up marks a major step in Locksley’s “mine-to-market” strategy to deliver a fully domestic supply chain for antimony in the US. The US does not currently produce antimony but remains heavily reliant on the metal for defence systems, semiconductors and battery technologies.
The push comes at a time of growing geopolitical tension, with antimony now officially listed as a critical mineral by the US Government and China still dominating global supply. China has banned antimony exports for the past 12 months.
Locksley Resources chairman Patrick Burke said: “By formally commencing our collaboration with Rice University and incorporating additional ore supply secured through our agreement with EV Resources, we have laid the foundation for a practical and accelerated test work program. These initiatives position Locksley at the centre of developing a secure domestic supply chain, aligned with US government priorities.”
Locksley’s Mojave project sits next door to the famed Mountain Pass rare earths mine and is home to the historical Desert antimony mine, which last operated in 1937. The mine lies within one of the US’s most geologically prospective antimony and rare earths corridors.
Recent test work at Desert delivered a blistering 85.9 per cent antimony recovery from rock chip sampling, encouraging Locksley to eye up fast-track options to bring early ore to market. The company is planning a maiden drilling program for the end of the year.
With a proprietary processing technology, a direct academic alliance and strategic US ore supply agreements in place, the Perth-based explorer looks increasingly like a first mover in reshaping how antimony is sourced, processed and deployed in America.
And if the DeepSolv results deliver as promised, Locksley could soon go from explorer to tech-enabled critical minerals trailblazer - right in Uncle Sam’s backyard.
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