Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) (FRA: N8I1) announced that commissioning of its Metallurgical Lumps Plant has officially commenced at the company's processing facility in Delta, Utah. For the first time, the entire processing plant has been powered up and is operating as one fully integrated system, marking the beginning of a four-week commissioning program.
The Lumps Plant has been designed to process ore from the company's Lost Sheep Mine into metallurgical-grade fluorspar lumps, or metspar, a product primarily supplied to U.S. steel industries. Over the coming weeks, Ares will undertake comprehensive integrated testing across all plant systems to verify performance, optimize operations, and prepare the facility for commercial production. Testing activities include verifying complete process flows from ore feed through to finished product; testing PLC control systems and HMI interfaces; monitoring and optimizing operating parameters including temperatures, pressures, and material flows; validating alarm systems, diagnostics, and automated start-up and shutdown sequences; and assessing crushing, drying, and product quality to ensure metallurgical-grade fluorspar meets customer specifications. A video of the plant in operation is available at https://youtu.be/8CzwUTRsSOA.
James Walker, President and CEO of Ares Strategic Mining, commented, "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 processing facility to support testing and initial ramp-up production runs. The company expects ramp-up production to begin on August 15, 2026. Ramp-up refers to increasing the 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 company's expected initial metspar production for the first five years.
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."
This development is significant for U.S. industrial supply chains. Fluorspar is a critical mineral used in steelmaking, aluminum production, and the manufacturing of fluorochemicals, including those used in refrigerants and lithium-ion batteries. By establishing domestic processing capacity, Ares is positioned to reduce reliance on imports, which currently supply the majority of U.S. fluorspar demand. The company's Lost Sheep Project, located in the Spor Mountain area of Utah, is fully permitted and includes mining permits approved by the Bureau of Land Management. Ares aims to become a significant supplier of high-grade fluorspar to North American markets, supporting industries vital to modern technology and infrastructure.
The commissioning milestone demonstrates progress toward achieving that goal, with commercial production expected to begin later this summer. For business and technology leaders, the ramp-up of this plant signals a step toward strengthening critical mineral supply chains in the United States, potentially impacting pricing and availability for domestic manufacturers.
