Results from Mount Ridley Mines’ (ASX: MRD) first automated mineralogy study on material from its Grass Patch Complex in Western Australia have shown that rare earth elements (REE) are hosted in phosphate minerals and support flotation as the primary beneficiation technique. Mount Ridley considers the distinction critical to its processing strategy for a regolith-hosted deposit such as Grass Patch. “A deposit where REEs occur as discrete phosphate minerals opens a different set of processing options, including the potential to physically concentrate those minerals ahead of leaching.” The program is being led by Mount Ridley technical advisor Chris Larder, who has significant experience in the development and optimisation of processing flowsheets for WA rare earth and gallium-bearing systems. Results will be integrated into Mount Ridley’s international metallurgical development initiatives as it advances the Grass Patch processing strategy and institutional research partnerships.