Ares Strategic Mining Opens U.S. Fluorspar Lumps Plant in Utah

Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) (FRA: N811) has officially opened its Fluorspar Lumps Plant in Delta, Utah, marking the historic return of commercial fluorspar production to the United States after nearly three decades of complete reliance on foreign imports. The plant processes raw fluorspar from the company's fully permitted Lost Sheep Mine into metallurgical-grade lumps essential for steel and aluminum production, solidifying Ares as a vertically integrated critical mineral producer. The October 9, 2026 ceremony drew State and Federal congressional representatives, local stakeholders, and the entire Ares and Provo Mining teams, with U.S. Representative Mike Kennedy delivering the keynote address. "Ares was built on a simple idea: become the leading fluorspar mining company in North America and return fluorspar manufacturing to the U.S. Opening this plant is the start of that realization," said James Walker, CEO of Ares Strategic Mining. The event also honored the Spor Mountain district's eighty-year fluorspar legacy, now revived by Ares mining the mountain, trucking ore to Delta, and processing it alongside the local community.

Market demand for fluorspar remains robust, with Ares holding a $168.9m contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for future acidspar production and a signed Memorandum of Understanding with global commodities trader Cremer Erzkontor Inc. to distribute metspar across North America. At the Lumps Plant's 165,347-ton annual capacity and current metspar prices between $350 and $520 per metric ton, potential gross product value exceeds $25 million annually, signaling Ares' transition into revenue generation. The company aims to expand with a complementary Acidspar Flotation Plant, already under construction, to produce acidspar for EV batteries, semiconductors, and technology applications. Additionally, Ares is collaborating with Found Industries to recover gallium, germanium, and other strategic critical materials from Lost Sheep feedstocks. "There's a new American industrial base hiding in plain sight," said Peter Godart, President and CEO of Found Industries. "Ares is building a domestic supply chain for fluorspar and in doing so is creating an opportunity to recover other critical metals from the same resource." The company recognized engineering partners KC Harvey and Aspect Engineering, capital partner Sorbie Bornholm, and Provo Mining & Construction for their contributions to the successful commissioning of the Delta Lumps Plant, Lost Sheep Mine, and Processing Facility.