IMC Rare Earths finds high-grade terbium zone in Brazil

IMC Rare Earths announced on October 8, 2026, a new shallow, high-grade ionic clay discovery at Block H of its Itarantim project in Brazil. The discovery area lies outside the company's existing 1.1-billion-tonne Mineral Resource and had not been drill tested previously.

Vertical drill hole AD-00555 intersected a continuous seven-meter mineralized interval starting two meters below the surface. The intercept graded at 5,695 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), 38 ppm terbium oxide (Tb4O7), and 258 ppm dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3). This included a higher-grade three-meter section from four to seven meters depth grading 7,841 ppm TREO, 52 ppm Tb4O7, and 357 ppm Dy2O3. An individual one-meter sample returned 58 ppm Tb4O7. Dysprosium and terbium oxides make up 5.2% of the TREO in this interval, and initial ammonium sulphate leach tests recovered 64% to 83% of the terbium from the top three meters.

The company also outlined plans for Block D, where hole AD-00403 intersected 20 meters of mineralization and ended while still mineralized at the approximately 30-meter limit of auger rigs. That intercept included a nine-meter zone averaging 24 ppm Tb4O7 with 72% average terbium leachability, and six meters at 42 ppm Tb4O7. IMC plans diamond drilling to test deeper extensions.

IMC is selecting an engineering firm to assess processing methods including vat, heap, and in-situ leaching, supported by tests at ANSTO in Australia. Ongoing drilling will support an updated Mineral Resource estimate planned for later in 2026.