Ares Strategic Mining Inc. has announced that fluorspar ore mined from its Lost Sheep Mine in Utah is now being transported to its processing facility in Delta, Utah, where it has begun entering the Metallurgical Lumps Plant for processing. This marks a significant operational milestone, as the company connects its mine to its plant, transitioning from infrastructure development to actual production.
The arrival of the ore at the plant and its introduction into the processing circuit is the culmination of years of mine development, engineering, and construction. Over the coming week, the operations team will use increasing quantities of the mined material to tune and optimize the plant around the specific characteristics of the Lost Sheep ore. This live-material ramp-up phase aims to refine plant settings and operating parameters before achieving sustained production rates.
James Walker, President and CEO of Ares Strategic Mining, emphasized the significance of this step: "There is an enormous difference between constructing and commissioning a plant and actually seeing trucks of your own ore arriving and that material entering the processing circuit. We have now connected the mine to the plant. This is the physical supply chain we have spent years building."
The company previously completed integrated commissioning of the Lumps Plant, bringing its electrical, conveyor, control, crushing, and drying systems online. Now, with mine-run ore, the team can optimize those systems under real operating conditions. The optimization will focus on ore feed rates, crushing performance, conveyor loading, drying performance, PLC and HMI sequences, and final product quality.
The Lumps Plant is designed to produce metallurgical-grade fluorspar (metspar), used primarily as a flux in steelmaking. This facility is part of a broader Delta processing platform that also includes a Flotation Plant for producing acid-grade fluorspar (acidspar), which is essential for hydrofluoric acid production and various fluorine-based industrial materials.
The timing of this ramp-up is strategically important for U.S. mineral security. Fluorspar remains on the 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals, and the United States is 100% net import reliant for fluorspar, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries. Ares' efforts represent tangible progress toward rebuilding a domestic supply chain for this critical mineral.
The Defense Logistics Agency has recognized the importance of domestic sources, and Ares has secured a multi-year framework for future supply of acid-grade fluorspar. The company's strategy aims to address both metspar and acidspar markets, providing increased control over extraction, processing, and delivery.
With commercial arrangements already in place for its anticipated metspar output, Ares has an established route to market. Its immediate priority is to use the live-material campaign to optimize plant performance and establish repeatable operating parameters. As the ramp-up progresses, further operational updates will be provided.
