Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) (FRA: N8I1) announced the completion of two major infrastructure components at its Lost Sheep Fluorspar Processing Facility in Utah: the conveyor belt system and the electrical and Motor Control Center (MCC) systems. These milestones are pivotal for transitioning the company from mine development to integrated processing operations, bringing the plant closer to commissioning and production readiness.
The newly installed infrastructure includes the full conveyor belt system for material handling, the facility-wide electrical distribution network, and the MCC systems, which are now energization-ready to support crushers, screens, flotation circuits, pumps, and other processing equipment. According to the company, the conveyor network forms the operational backbone, enabling continuous and automated movement of ore between crushing, sorting, and processing stages. The MCC and electrical systems provide centralized power distribution, process control, equipment protection, and operational automation throughout the plant.
James Walker, President and CEO of Ares Strategic Mining, said: “The completion of the conveyor and MCC systems is one of the most important construction milestones we have achieved to date. These are not cosmetic additions - they are the central nervous system of the processing facility. Without these systems, industrial-scale processing cannot occur. Their completion marks a huge leap toward operational readiness and future production.”
The completion of these systems substantially de-risks the project and positions Ares to accelerate final mechanical installations and commissioning activities. The MCC infrastructure controls and distributes power across the entire plant, enables synchronized operation of processing equipment, supports future automation and scalability, and provides industrial-grade operational reliability and safety. The conveyor system enables continuous ore flow, efficient material handling, reduced operating downtime and labor requirements, and consistent feed rates for optimized processing performance.
“You cannot operate a modern processing facility without these systems,” Walker added. “This is foundational infrastructure - the kind of progress that transforms a construction project into an operating industrial facility.”
Ares is advancing toward becoming the leading domestic supplier of acidspar in the United States. Fluorspar is designated a critical mineral by the U.S. government and is essential for semiconductor manufacturing, fluorochemicals, nuclear fuel processing, steel and aluminum production, and defense and aerospace applications. With mining operations underway, ore stockpiling ongoing, and plant infrastructure nearing completion, the company is rapidly positioning itself for initial processing and future deliveries into domestic and international markets.
The Lost Sheep Fluorspar Project is 100% owned and encompasses 5,982 acres with 353 claims, located in the Spor Mountain area, Juab County, Utah, approximately 214 km south-west of Salt Lake City. It is fully permitted, including mining permits, and a NI 43-101 Technical Report identified extensive high-grade fluorspar with low levels of impurities. The mining plan was first approved by the Bureau of Land Management in 1992 and renewed in 2016.
For business and technology leaders, this development underscores the progress in building a domestic supply chain for a critical mineral that underpins high-tech industries. The completion of these infrastructure milestones reduces project risk and signals that Ares is on track to begin processing, which could impact supply availability for semiconductor and defense sectors reliant on fluorspar imports.
