St George Mining Ltd (ASX:SGQ, FRA:S0G, OTC:SGQMF) has appointed Worley Engenharia Ltda, the Brazilian subsidiary of Worley Ltd (ASX:WOR), a global engineering and project management group headquartered in Australia, as feasibility technical adviser for the potential development of its 100%-owned Araxá Niobium-Rare Earths Project in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
St George yesterday delivered more thick, high-grade rare earths and niobium assays from ongoing diamond drilling at Araxá.
The company has now completed 13,700 metres of drilling in the current Araxá campaign, excluding East Araxá, with rigs continuing to operate around the clock.
The appointment followed a competitive selection process, with St George citing Worley's engineering capability and experience in Brazil's resources sector as key factors.
"As one of the world's largest providers of engineering and project management solutions to the resources sector, Worley brings extensive and relevant expertise to support St George as we advance the potential development of our world-class Araxá Project," St George Mining's executive chairman John Prineas said.
"Worley will work with our highly credentialled in-country team of engineers, who have decades of combined experience in plant construction, mining and mineral production in the Araxá region, to deliver an optimal engineering strategy for the Araxá Project.
"With a world-class resource already defined at our project, the appointment of Worley will enable economic studies to gain momentum as we look to fast-track development and take advantage of our favourable project logistics – notably, a location in an established mining region, access to existing transport and energy infrastructure, availability of an experienced workforce and high-grade mineralisation amenable to open-pit mining, which are all backed by a supportive permitting regime.
"We look forward to reporting further milestones as we progress economic studies for a potential mining operation at Araxá."
Broad feasibility remit
Under a technical services agreement with St George Mining Brasil Ltda, Worley will provide engineering and project management advice to support development studies for a niobium and rare earths mining operation at Araxá.
The scope covers metallurgical and process engineering, feasibility and cost studies, process plant design, mine planning, tailings management, procurement and plant construction.
"We're pleased to partner with St George to bring our regional expertise and global capabilities to support the Araxá Project," Tom Foster, Worley's SVP for Global Operations - LATAM&C, said.
"This partnership reflects Worley's long-standing track record in Brazil and our capability to support complex resources projects from early studies through to operation."
Araxá development credentials
Worley will work with its in-country team, which includes engineers with experience in plant construction, mining and mineral production in the Araxá region.
The team includes former personnel from CBMM, the world's leading niobium producer, whose operations are adjacent to the Araxá Project in the Barreiro Carbonatite.
The St George team includes:
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Carlos Araujo, Lead Plant Engineer: Mr Araujo is an industrial project engineer who managed the design, construction and commissioning of CBMM's technologically advanced niobium processing plant. Prior to joining CBMM, he managed the processing plant at the Araxá Complex of The Mosaic Company. Mr Araujo is regarded as an industry expert in advanced technologies for the processing of pyrochlore (the host mineral for niobium) and monazite (host mineral for rare earths).
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Ricardo Nardi, Lead Processing Engineer: Mr Nardi is a former Head of Mineral Processing at CBMM with more than 30 years' experience in niobium mineral processing, including all mineral by-products (barite, magnetite, phosphate and rare earths), as well as high purity niobium oxide production.
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Adriano Rios, Director of Mining Operations: Mr Rios is a former Production Manager at CBMM, where he was responsible for all mining operations including mine planning, mineral processing and metallurgy. He is also a former Director of Operations for COMIPA (the joint venture operating company between CBMM and the State of Minas Gerais).
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Thiago Amaral, Brazil Country Head: Mr Amaral is a former CBMM Product Regulation Coordinator responsible for quality system controls in processing and production, and ex-Head of Sustainability at CBMM responsible for licensing, environmental management and ESG programs.
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Alaercio Viera, Metallurgy Manager: Mr Viera was previously Metallurgy Manager at Serra Verde (Brazil's only producing rare earth mine, currently subject to a US$2.8 billion takeover from USA Rare Earth Inc (NASDAQ: USAR)) and also previously Process Expert at the world's two largest niobium mines, CBMM in Araxá and CMOC at Catalão, Brazil.
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Juliano Bianco, Specialist Engineer: Mr Bianco is an industrial project engineer who managed the design, construction and commissioning of CBMM's metallurgical and oxide niobium processing plant. Prior to joining CBMM, he managed the design and maintenance of the chemical processing plant at the Araxá Complex of The Mosaic Company.
World-class resource base
St George acquired 100% of Araxá in February 2025 and has since advanced the project through exploration and development studies.
The project hosts a JORC 2012 mineral resource of 70.91 million tonnes at 4.06% TREO, 0.77% MREO and 0.62% Nb₂O₅ using a 2% TREO cut-off.
A further 24.56 million tonnes at 0.52% Nb₂O₅, 1.2% TREO and 0.28% MREO has been reported using a 0.2% Nb₂O₅ cut-off.
What comes next
The appointment is expected to support the next phase of economic studies as St George assesses development options for a potential open-pit niobium and rare earths operation.
The company said Araxá benefited from its location in an established mining region, access to transport and energy infrastructure, a skilled workforce and a supportive permitting environment.
