Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
February 18, 2026
Ares Mining Hits Production Milestone with Fluorspar Stockpiling at Lost Sheep Mine
TLDR
- Ares Strategic Mining gains first-mover advantage as the only operating U.S. fluorspar mine, stockpiling ore to secure market position ahead of processing plant commissioning.
- Ares Strategic Mining extracts fluorspar ore underground, transports it to surface stockpiles for blending and grade control, ensuring consistent feedstock for the upcoming flotation plant.
- Ares Strategic Mining strengthens America's critical mineral supply for clean energy, defense, and technology, making the nation more self-reliant and supporting vital industries.
- The Lost Sheep Mine in Utah, now actively mining fluorspar, is the only permitted U.S. source for this mineral essential to steel, electronics, and refrigerants.
Impact - Why it Matters
This development matters because fluorspar is designated as a U.S. critical mineral essential for numerous industries including steel manufacturing, semiconductor production, clean energy technologies, and national defense applications. With geopolitical tensions and supply chain vulnerabilities highlighting the importance of domestic mineral production, Ares Strategic Mining's progress at the Lost Sheep Mine represents a concrete step toward reducing American dependence on foreign sources for this vital material. As the only permitted and operating fluorspar mine in the United States, its successful transition to production directly supports domestic manufacturing capabilities, enhances national security, and contributes to building more resilient supply chains for technologies ranging from electric vehicles to advanced electronics. The visible stockpiling of ore demonstrates operational viability that could help stabilize pricing and availability for downstream industries that rely on fluorspar-derived products.
Summary
Ares Strategic Mining Inc. has achieved a significant operational milestone at its Lost Sheep Fluorspar Mine in Utah, transitioning from development to active production with thousands of tons of fluorspar ore now successfully mined and stockpiled at the surface. This tangible progress marks a decisive step toward sustained acidspar output, with underground operations advancing steadily and ore being systematically organized into structured stockpiles to support upcoming processing runs. The company's teams are executing mining plans efficiently while maintaining strong operational discipline and safety standards, building strategic ore inventory ahead of flotation plant commissioning to ensure uninterrupted feedstock supply once processing begins.
The stockpiling initiative demonstrates visible and measurable production momentum as part of Ares' broader strategy to ensure smooth ramp-up into full acidspar production. President and CEO James Walker emphasized that seeing hundreds of tons of ore at surface validates the hard work of bringing the Lost Sheep mine back into production, calling it "real progress – tangible, measurable, and visible." As the only permitted and operating fluorspar mine in the United States, Ares continues to reinforce its position as a cornerstone of domestic supply for this critical mineral, which is essential for steel and aluminum manufacturing, fluorochemicals and refrigerants, semiconductor and electronics production, clean energy technologies, and defense applications.
Looking ahead, Ares expects to continue expanding surface stockpiles, advance flotation plant readiness, prepare for initial processing runs, and move closer to steady-state production over the coming weeks. The company remains focused on delivering sustainable growth, operational excellence, and shareholder value as it advances toward full production capacity. This development at the Lost Sheep Fluorspar Project – a 100% owned, fully permitted operation covering 5,982 acres in Utah's Spor Mountain area – represents significant progress in strengthening America's critical mineral supply chain while demonstrating Ares' commitment to disciplined execution and long-term value creation. View the original release on www.newmediawire.com for complete details about this important mining development.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, Ares Mining Hits Production Milestone with Fluorspar Stockpiling at Lost Sheep Mine
