Jupiter — Critica’s flagship project within the broader Brothers Project in Yalgoo, Western Australia — stands as Australia’s largest and highest-grade clay-hosted rare earth deposit. Since its discovery in late 2023, Jupiter has grown into a 1.8 Bt global resource rich in magnet rare earths (Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb), with continuous mineralisation across a 40 km² footprint and exceptionally low uranium and thorium levels, enhancing its permitting and ESG profile.
Strategic Location
Jupiter sits in WA’s Tier-1 Yalgoo mining precinct, 250 km east of Geraldton with highway and gas pipeline access. The flat-lying terrain allows year-round operations. Critica also benefits from proximity to rare earth processing hubs at Lynas (Mt Weld) and Iluka (Eneabba), positioning Jupiter as a cornerstone of a secure, Western-aligned supply chain.
Project Highlights
Scale, Quality & District Growth
- Scale & Grade Leadership: Australia’s largest clay-hosted REE resource – 1.8 Bt @ ~1,700 ppm TREO, including 640 Mt @ ~490 ppm MREO (~310,000 t Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb).
- Magnet-REE Dominant: Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb drive >85% of basket value – critical to EVs, renewables, AI/datacentres and defence.
- District Growth Potential: Jupiter forms part of Critica’s 100%-owned Brothers Project, which hosts multiple REE discoveries including Arora and Juno — both showing Jupiter-style geochemical and geophysical signatures, highlighting broader resource potential.
- ESG Advantage: Ultra-low U/Th, compact flowsheet, Tier-1 WA jurisdiction.
Metallurgical Breakthrough & Validation
- Breakthrough Metallurgy: ~95% mass rejection, >800% upgrade to a 10,000–20,000 ppm TREO concentrate.
- Pilot Scale Validation: 3,000 kg bulk sample under beneficiation at GAVAQ pilot plant in Hanoi.
- Hydrometallurgy Advancing: ANSTO & Minutech engaged to produce first Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC).
- By-Product Potential: Initial testwork returned a 64% Fe concentrate via magnetic separation.
Pathway to Development & Near-Term Catalysts
- Capital Efficiency: Beneficiation-first pathway allows a smaller leach plant, lower reagent/energy intensity, reduced footprint.
- Upcoming Catalysts:
- First Mixed Rare Earth Product (MREP) production
- Pilot beneficiation results
- Resource upgrade to Indicated
- Scoping Study release.
Jupiter Clay-hosted REE Resource Block Model (coloured by Magnet Rare Earth Oxide), left, and Brothers, including Jupiter, REE Project (coloured by TREO intersection), right
