Hydrometallurgy delivers 85% gallium extraction
Summary by AI BETAClose X
13 August 2026
NEOTERRA GROUP PLC
("NeoTerra" or the "Company")
Initial hydrometallurgy testing delivers 85% gallium extraction
NeoTerra (LSE: TERA) (OTCQB: ANRCF), the African critical minerals exploration and development company, is pleased to provide an update on gallium metallurgical testing for its Monte Muambe Project in Mozambique.
Highlights
· Gallium pre-concentration pathway using XRT technology successfully identified
· Initial hydrometallurgy testing using acid route delivers 85% gallium extraction
· Results support further work to develop a gallium recovery flowsheet
Initial metallurgy results define pathway to gallium pre-concentration and extraction
The Company is pleased to announce that it has received preliminary results from Comex and SGS Lakefields ("SGS") for gallium ore sorting and hydrometallurgy respectively.
Comex tested the suitability of Short-Wave Infra-Red ("SWIR") and X-Ray Transmission ("XRT") for pre-concentration of gallium-bearing feldspar. The results of the XRT testing show that XRT technology successfully allows the identification and separation of feldspar (which carries gallium and represents about 30% of the rock mass) from other minerals, providing a pathway for gallium pre-concentration.
SGS carried out initial gallium extraction testing using both acid and caustic leaching routes. The acid route delivered very promising results, with 85% gallium extraction to the leachate, and a good selectivity against silica.
Next steps
The results reported herein are initial, and further metallurgical work will be necessary to confirm the potential viability of gallium recovery at Monte Muambe. However, these results clearly validate the Company's assumptions with respect to possible pre-concentration and extraction options, and they provide a solid justification for further metallurgical testing to define and later optimize a flowsheet.
A conceptual flowsheet has been added to the Company's website and can be accessed on this page: https://neoterra-group.com/monte-muambe-gallium.
More testing will be completed by Comex to quantify the actual gallium upgrade in a real-life ore sorter using XRT and SWIR sensors. The possibility of using X-Ray Fluorescence ("XRF") technology to further separate gallium-bearing feldspar from barren feldspar will also be assessed over the coming months.
With respect to hydrometallurgy, the next test runs will focus on defining leaching conditions and options for gallium recovery from the leachate.
The Company plans to advance the gallium metallurgy workstream to a point where it has sufficient confidence in a viable recovery process. Once this is achieved, NeoTerra intends to carry out a drilling campaign aimed at substantially increasing the current resource estimate of 11.73Mt at 54.7g/t Ga2O3, to define a resource of 50 million tonnes or more, an objective supported by the documented extent of gallium soil anomalies.
Cedric Simonet, CEO of NeoTerra, commented:
"The fact that these successful initial gallium metallurgy results confirm a possible route for gallium pre-concentration and extraction at Monte Muambe is very exciting.
"It is important to remember that NeoTerra is a trailblazer as far as gallium recovery from a carbonatite complex is concerned. After publishing one of the first carbonatite-hosted gallium resources in May 2026, we have now received a strong affirmation of the existence of potential recovery pathways, which clearly justifies continuing work on the gallium component of the Monte Muambe project.
"The planned work will continue in parallel with the US-funded rare earths program and the fluorspar mine development, with possible synergies between the different workstreams but without affecting the respective timelines."
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended by virtue of the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
For further information, please visit the Company's website: https://neoterra-group.com
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NeoTerra Group Plc
Cédric Simonet, CEO +44 (0) 7769 555 757 (Cedric.Simonet@neoterra-group.com)Louise Adrian, CFO +44 (0) 7721 492 922 (Louise.Adrian@neoterra-group.com)
Strand Hanson (Financial Adviser) +44 (0) 20 7409 3494
Christopher Raggett
Imogen Ellis
Zeus Capital (Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 3829 5000
Simon Johnson
James Hornigold
About NeoTerra Group Plc
NeoTerra Group Plc (LSE:TERA)(OTCQB:ANRF) is a London Main Market-listed exploration and development company focused on unlocking the value of critical raw materials across Africa. The Company is pursuing a diversified strategy, targeting assets with potential for near-term monetisation alongside long-term growth.
The multi-commodity Monte Muambe Project in northwest Mozambique is a highly prospective tenement hosting rare earths, fluorspar, and gallium mineralisation. Published JORC mineral resource estimates include:
· 13.6Mt at 2.42% TREO
· 3.48Mt at 20.6% CaF2
· 11.73Mt at 54.7g/t Ga2O3
The project is held under a 25-year mining licence and has received US Government support in the form of a US$ 1.875 million grant from USTDA to advance the rare earths component through the prefeasibility stage.
NeoTerra's diversified portfolio also includes the Sesana Copper-Silver Project in Botswana, strategically located just 25 km from MMG's Khoemacau Zone 5 copper-silver mine.
With a unique combination of critical raw materials projects, NeoTerra is well positioned to contribute to the global supply of strategically important commodities essential for clean energy, high technology, defence and industrial applications.
The Company and the Board remain actively focused on identifying and evaluating additional projects that align with our investment profile and strategic objectives, leveraging our extensive network and combined industry experience to uncover compelling opportunities that can drive long-term growth.
Competent Person Statement
The Mineral Resource Estimates contained in this RNS have been compiled by Joshua Hattingh (BSc (Hons.), FGSSA, Pr.Sci.Nat. 400039/02), a director of Rock and Stock Investments (Pty) Ltd. Mr Hattingh is a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa and a registered Professional Natural Scientist. He has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person in terms of the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code). Mr Hattingh consents to the inclusion in this RNS of the Mineral Resource Estimate information in the form and context in which it appears.
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