American Rare Earths Accelerates Multi-State Strategy to Onshore Critical Minerals

DENVER, CO – June 18, 2026 – In a move that underscores the growing urgency to secure a domestic supply of critical minerals, American Rare Earths (ARR) today outlined an ambitious two-year exploration and development program across its U.S. portfolio. The strategy centers on fast-tracking its flagship Halleck Creek project in Wyoming toward feasibility while simultaneously advancing a pipeline of assets in Arizona, Nevada, and elsewhere in Wyoming, signaling a comprehensive push to establish a significant U.S. presence in a market long dominated by foreign powers.

The announcement comes at a critical juncture for Western economies grappling with fragile supply chains for rare earth elements (REEs)—the essential components in everything from F-35 fighter jets and wind turbines to electric vehicles and smartphones. By advancing multiple projects with diverse mineral potential, the company is not just developing a mine; it is architecting a strategic foundation for American mineral sovereignty.

Accelerating the Flagship: Halleck Creek's Path to Production

The centerpiece of ARR’s strategy is the Halleck Creek project in Wyoming, a deposit of staggering scale with a JORC-compliant resource of 2.63 billion tonnes. The company has commenced a pivotal drilling program at the Cowboy State Mine area within the project, a crucial step in advancing from exploration to development. The program, consisting of up to 3,050 meters of core drilling across 19 holes, is designed to underpin a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) by converting a significant portion of the resource to the higher-confidence Measured and Indicated categories.

“2026 is a pivotal year for American Rare Earths as we advance Halleck Creek through feasibility-stage work while continuing to build the broader exploration pipeline across our U.S. portfolio,” commented CEO Mark Wall. “At Halleck Creek, drilling is now underway to support the Feasibility Study, while the Whole of Property Development Assessment is helping define the longer-term expansion pathway across the broader district.”

This drilling campaign is not merely a technical exercise. It directly targets higher-grade zones expected to form the basis of the first five years of mining operations. In parallel, the company is conducting a Whole of Property Development Assessment (WPDA) to create a strategic roadmap for the entire district, including adjacent areas like Overton Mountain and Bluegrass. This dual focus on near-term production and long-term expansion highlights a mature, multi-generational development approach.

Wyoming's Emerging Rare Earth Nexus

American Rare Earths' focus on Wyoming extends beyond Halleck Creek, positioning the state as a potential hub for a new American rare earths industry. The company is also advancing early-stage exploration at its Beaver Creek project, located elsewhere in the state. Historic sampling at Beaver Creek has returned impressive high-grade results of up to 13.9% Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO), with mineralization hosted in allanite—the same mineral as Halleck Creek. This shared geology opens the door for significant regional synergies, potentially creating an integrated mining and processing ecosystem within a single, supportive jurisdiction.

Wyoming's regulatory environment provides a key strategic advantage. With the Cowboy State Mine situated on state-managed land, the permitting timeline is estimated at a brisk two to three years—a fraction of the decade-plus often required for projects on federal land. This streamlined process offers a crucial speed-to-market advantage that could prove decisive in the global race for critical minerals.

This favorable environment is complemented by tangible government backing. The project has already attracted a US$7.1 million state grant and a non-binding letter of interest from the U.S. EXIM Bank for up to US$456 million in debt financing, underscoring its national strategic importance and commercial viability.

Diversification as a Strategic Hedge: Beyond Wyoming

While Halleck Creek remains the flagship, American Rare Earths is prudently building optionality and hedging against market volatility by exploring a diverse mineral suite at its other U.S. projects. This portfolio approach demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of both geology and market dynamics.

At the La Paz project in Arizona, the company has engaged consultants to conduct a comprehensive property assessment for multi-commodity potential. Beyond its established rare earth resource, the firm is investigating prospects for gold, silver, copper, and manganese. The inclusion of these commodities is strategically astute; copper is indispensable for the green energy transition, while manganese is a key component in both steel and next-generation battery cathodes. A successful discovery could create diversified revenue streams and transform La Paz into a multi-faceted critical materials project.

Further broadening its strategic footprint, ARR is initiating an exploration review of its Searchlight project in southern Nevada. Located just 30 kilometers from the only operating rare earth mine in the U.S., Searchlight is significant for its potential to host heavy rare earths (HREOs). These elements, such as dysprosium and terbium, are scarcer and more valuable than their light counterparts and are absolutely critical for the high-performance magnets used in defense and EV applications. Developing a domestic source of HREOs would be a major strategic victory for the United States.

The Geopolitical and Technical Underpinnings

Underlying ARR's operational updates is a clear strategic vision aligned with U.S. national interests. The Halleck Creek deposit is not only vast but also rich in the magnetic rare earths (neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium) that constitute the most critical segment of the market, making up roughly 26% of its total rare earth content. Furthermore, the company recently announced a significant processing breakthrough that simplifies the extraction flowsheet, reducing both technical risk and projected capital and operating costs—a development that could set new industry benchmarks.

By systematically de-risking its assets—technically, financially, and regulatorily—American Rare Earths is positioning itself as a cornerstone of a future American mine-to-magnet supply chain. The work underway in 2026 and 2027 is not just about drilling holes and collecting samples; it is about laying the groundwork for a generational shift in the global balance of critical mineral power.