IMC Rare Earths is developing rare earth projects in Brazil with a focus on exploration, development, and long-term supply security. At the centre is the Itarantim Project in Bahia, a large ionic adsorption clay deposit containing high-value magnetic rare earth oxides (MREO).
By prioritising dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), alongside neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), IMC Rare Earths is building a Tier-1 scale resource positioned to support the clean-energy transition. With strong exploration upside and a growing resource base, the company aims to play a strategic role in diversifying global rare earth supply chains.
The Itarantim Project is a world-class rare earth deposit hosted in kaolinite and halloysite clays within a regolith developed above alkali granite. This unique geological formation contains rare earth element (REE) concentrations of 500–3,000 ppm, with 60–90% of the mineralisation physically adsorbed onto clay particles. These REEs are recoverable using environmentally friendly leaching techniques with inorganic salt solutions like NaCl, ammonium sulfate or magnesium sulphate. The current mineral resource estimate includes only 13% of the landholding.
The Itarantim region is geologically significant, characterized by high-grade orthogneisses of the Neoarchean São Franciscan terrane and a prominent intrusive alkaline granite, the Itarantim Complex.
This Neoproterozoic intrusion, part of the Itabuna Intrusive Suite, includes aegirine nepheline syenite and bears resemblance to the Palmares Complex to the northeast.
The Itarantim Complex is a hornblende- and biotite-bearing alkaline granite with a well-defined fabric and a Pb/Pb zircon age of approximately 721 ± 3 Ma (Rosa et al., 2005).
Resource grows from
780 Mt to 1.1 Bt, a 40%
increase
Contained TREO metal
tonnes increase by 36%
MREO resource
tonnage increases by
83% to 105 Mt
Contained MREO
metals tonnes increase
by 78%
Inferred Mineral Resource, July 2025 - ERM Australia Consultants Pty Ltd (“ERM”).
Exploration and Resource Development
The updated inferred mineral resource estimate, reported in July 2025 and prepared by ERM (Australia) under JORC standards, was based on 532 drill holes (totaling 7,079 meters) as of July 23, 2025.
Using a cut-off grade of 650 ppm TREO, the initial resource estimate focuses on Blocks A, B, C, D and E.
IMC aims to identify a 1.5 Billion tonne resource within 18 months.
The ongoing exploration program will expand to additional target blocks (B, E, F, G, and H).
Significant project upside – only 13% of the project area explored, with 393 km2 unexplored.
Multiple additional priorty targets for future exploration based on regional reconnaissance sampling, airborne geophysics and topographic profile.
High grade with significant weighting towards heavy rare earths.
Seven domains of high-grade with high leach recovery have been delineated from drilling to date.
MREO/TREO – 27% (by grade).
IMC’s in-situ resource value is heavily weighted toward high-grade rare earths, with magnet rare earths constituting 87% of the total value.
Notably, 35% of the resource value is derived from heavy rare earths (HREEs) like dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), which are essential for high-performance applications.
Comprehensive metallurgical investigations have been conducted with a total of 1,916 samples from 142 drill holes.
Column A: Intersection inside 630 ppm TREO grade shell (red), and average REO (ppm) grade where leach percent >40% (black polygon)
Column B: Percentage of Column A, where leach % > 40%. Therefore, for HREE, 77% of the drill hole samples inside the TREO envelope have leach % >40%
Column C: Average leach % of samples with leach % > 40%
Column D: Leach % per sample
Column E: LREO grade profiles
Column F: HREO grade profiles
Brazil’s well-established regulatory framework supports our commitment to responsible mining.
Environmental considerations guide every stage of the Itarantim Project, ensuring minimal impact and sustainable practices. Necessary approvals and regulatory processes are underway.
Rare earth elements are critical to modern technology, from smartphones to renewable energy systems. At IMC Rare Earths, our projects in Brazil prioritise magnetic rare earth oxides (MREO) such as dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), which deliver the highest strategic value for the clean-energy transition.
If you’d like to learn more about how these materials can support your initiatives, please reach out. Our team is happy to discuss tailored approaches and answer any questions.
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