St George Mining Limited (ASX: SGQ) (“St George” or “the Company”) has started a pilot plant beneficiation study at the CIT-SENAI facility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
The study builds on initial flotation test work that produced a high-grade niobium concentrate and a rare earth enriched tailings stream.
Those initial results were first reported in the Company’s 11 June 2026 announcement, “Strong Metallurgical Results at Araxá.”
The mineralisation being tested comes from the Company’s 100%-owned Araxá Niobium and Rare Earths Project in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Pilot Plant Study Begins at CIT-SENAI
The study is using approximately 9 tonnes of near-surface saprolite material from the Central Araxá Project area.
The bulk sample provides enough material for pilot-scale test work and for generating products for downstream evaluation.
The Company says the sample is likely representative of material that could be mined in the early years of a potential mining operation.
The study will run for four to six weeks.
It includes locked cycle flotation test work incorporating recycle streams, to further optimise recoveries and grades from the initial test work.
The large-scale pilot plant will carry out grinding, magnetic separation and flotation, producing a niobium concentrate and a rare earth enriched niobium flotation tailings stream.
CIT-SENAI, also known as the Centre of Innovation and Technology, is a leading scientific agency in Brazil.
Figure 1: The St George team at the CIT-SENAI pilot plant in Belo Horizonte. Left to right: Elbert Muller Nigri (CIT-SENAI); St George staff Tiago Francisco Orozimbo, Alaercio Vieira, Ricardo Nardi, John Prineas, Adriano Rios and John Dawson. [Source: St George Mining]
Executive Chairman on the Test Work
John Prineas, St George Mining’s Executive Chairman, commented on the pilot plant visit and the test work program.
“We were very excited to visit the CIT-SENAI pilot plant facility in Belo Horizonte last week to see first-hand the latest beneficiation test work underway.
“Our initial flotation test work produced niobium concentrate with recoveries and grades that are consistent with niobium mining operations for Araxá-style pyrochlore mineralisation. Significantly the test work also achieved significant upgrading of the rare earths in the niobium flotation tailings.
“Our aim is to replicate these strong results in the pilot plant study and continue developing the flowsheet that will be implemented in our own pilot plant being built at CEFET-MG in Araxá.
“This beneficiation work stream is an important step in our journey to advance the development potential of Araxá to become a globally significant producer of rare earths and niobium,” said Mr Prineas.
Two Processing Streams: Niobium and Rare Earths
The pilot plant study is designed to develop two separate product streams from the same ore.
Niobium:
The niobium concentrate will undergo downstream processing test work targeting ferroniobium, containing approximately 65% niobium.
The proposed test work will evaluate:
- A pyrometallurgical process (treatment in an electric arc furnace) to increase the niobium oxide grade and remove contaminants such as lead and phosphorus
- An aluminothermic process to convert the refined concentrate into ferroniobium
The Company says this route is very similar to the process used by CBMM, the world’s largest niobium producer, located next to the Araxá Project.
Figure 2: Niobium flotation in the second cleaner stage of the flotation process at the CIT-SENAI pilot plant study. [Source: St George Mining]
Rare earths:
The rare-earth-enriched niobium flotation tailings will be evaluated through downstream hydrometallurgical test work.
The target is an intermediate rare earth product, such as mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) or rare earth oxalate.
The Company points to a historical result for context: its 2012/13 pilot plant program on Araxá mineralisation produced rare earth oxalate at greater than 99% purity, with an overall TREO recovery of 86%.
Figure 3: Simplified niobium processing flowsheet, showing the niobium concentrate and the rare earth enriched flotation tailings. [Source: St George Mining]
Results Timeline and Wider Test Work
Results from the beneficiation study are expected in the December 2026 quarter.
Additional beneficiation test work and mineralogical characterisation are ongoing at multiple international laboratories, including SGS Lakefield in Canada and Tecnicas Reunidas in Spain.
Separately, material from the same 9-tonne sample has also been sent to specialised laboratories for direct comparison of process performance.
- CETEM
- SGS Belo Horizonte
- SGS Lakefield in Canada
- Auralia in Perth
The Company says testing the same source material across multiple laboratories helps confirm repeatability and reduces laboratory-specific uncertainty.
Results from this work will support the development of the flotation flowsheet for the dual processing of niobium and rare earths in a potential mining operation.
The Metallurgical Team
St George has engaged a team of specialists to lead the niobium and rare earths metallurgical studies.
- Ricardo Nardi, Lead Processing Engineer: former Head of Mineral Processing at CBMM, with more than 30 years’ experience in niobium mineral processing and by-products including barite, magnetite, phosphate and REE.
- Adriano Rios, Director of Operations: former Production Manager at CBMM, responsible for mining operations, mineral processing and pyrometallurgy. Also a former Director of Operations for COMIPA, the CBMM and State of Minas Gerais joint venture.
- Thiago Amaral, Brazil Country Head: former CBMM Product Regulation Coordinator and former Head of Sustainability at CBMM, responsible for licensing, environmental management and ESG programs.
- Alaercio Vieira, Metallurgy Manager: previously Metallurgy Manager at Serra Verde, Brazil’s only producing rare earths mine, and at Taboca, and a former Process Expert at CBMM and CMOC’s Catalão operation.
- Peter Adamini, Technical Manager: leads IMO (Independent Metallurgical Operations) and is a Competent Person for test work results.
- Gavin Beer: Metallurgical Consultant to St George and a Competent Person for test work results.
Building St George’s Own Pilot Plant
Separate from the CIT-SENAI study, St George is building its own large-scale pilot plant in Brazil.
The Company is collaborating with CEFET, the Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais, a government-funded public technological institution.
The new pilot plant will be the foundation for the St George Technological Centre at CEFET’s Araxá Campus.
- Throughput capacity of up to 300 kg per hour
- Processing capabilities including niobium flotation and production of rare earth products such as concentrate, MREC and rare earth oxides
Construction of the St George Technological Centre has commenced.
- Expected completion: December 2026
- First operation of the pilot plant: January 2027
The construction is managed by St George’s in-house plant engineers, in conjunction with feasibility technical adviser Worley.
- Carlos Araujo, Chief Plant Engineer: managed the design, construction and commissioning of CBMM’s niobium processing plant. Previously managed the processing plant at the Araxá Complex of The Mosaic Company.
- Juliano Bianco, Specialist Engineer: part of the team that managed CBMM’s metallurgical and oxide niobium processing plant. Previously managed the chemical processing plant at the Araxá Complex of The Mosaic Company.
The Company describes both engineers as industry experts in processing pyrochlore, the host mineral for niobium, and monazite, the host mineral for rare earths.
Figure 4: 3D model of the proposed St George Technological Centre at CEFET’s Araxá Campus. [Source: St George Mining]
Permitting and Resource Context
The pilot plant work follows the Company’s environmental approvals lodgement for a potential mining and industrial operation at Araxá, formally commenced in August 2026.
It also builds on the Company’s updated Mineral Resource Estimate, announced on 11 August 2026.
That update made Araxá the largest and highest-grade hard-rock rare earths resource in South America, with a total MRE of 111.2 million tonnes at 3.57% TREO and 0.57% Nb₂O₅.
| Resource Classification | Million Tonnes (Mt) | TREO (%) | NdPr (%) | Nb₂O₅ (%) |
| Measured | 33.2 | 3.81 | 0.72 | 0.63 |
| Indicated | 42.0 | 3.50 | 0.67 | 0.54 |
| Measured & Indicated | 75.2 | 3.64 | 0.69 | 0.58 |
| Inferred | 36.0 | 3.43 | 0.66 | 0.53 |
| Total | 111.2 | 3.57 | 0.68 | 0.57 |
Figure 5: Araxá Mineral Resource Estimate at a 2% TREO cut-off, effective 11 August 2026. [Source: St George Mining]
St George’s Araxá project has advanced quickly through 2026, including record drill results and a rare earths processing centre agreement with the State of Minas Gerais.
Investors’ Outlook
The pilot plant test work adds a processing dimension to the Company’s Araxá development pathway.
It follows the resource upgrade, the environmental permitting lodgement, and the Minas Gerais processing centre agreement, all announced within the past month.
The table below sets out the Company’s market data.
| Metric | Value |
| Last Price | A$0.078 |
| Market Capitalisation | A$366.15 million (as at 2 September 2026) |
| 52-Week Range | 0.049 – 0.180 |
| 1 Month | +2.63% |
| 1 Year | +56.00% |
| vs Sector / vs ASX 200 | +15.80% / +55.35% |
Figure 6: SGQ market data. [Source: ASX / St George Mining]
Catalysts ahead:
- Beneficiation test work results, expected in the December 2026 quarter
- First operation of St George’s own pilot plant, targeted for January 2027
- Progress of the Preliminary Licence (LP) for the Araxá mine
- Maiden resource estimate for East Araxá, targeted for the December 2026 quarter
Disclaimer
This article has been prepared by Colitco in collaboration with St George Mining as part of a commercial content and investor communications arrangement. Colitco may receive compensation for the production and distribution of this content. This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial product advice, investment advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. The content reflects information available at the time of publication and may not be updated. All figures, data and statements have been sourced from St George Mining official ASX announcements and publicly available sources. Readers should conduct their own independent research and seek professional financial advice before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Exploration results are not a guarantee of future resource definition or commercial production.
Luke Carlino is a seasoned Copywriter, Content Strategist, and Social Media Manager specialising in Mining, Finance, and Business journalism. With more than a decade of industry experience, he brings rigorous editorial standards and commercial acuity to every project.
