Australia’s Lynas cuts Jan-Mar rare earth oxide output

Australian mineral producer Lynas Rare Earths reduced its rare earth oxide output by 46pc on the year in January-March, because of maintenance and improvement work across multiple plants.

Lynas left its total oxide production target for the fiscal year ending 30 June unchanged at 10,500t in its January-March quarterly report on 28 April. The company's improvements should enable it to increase production over April-June, following two quarters of declining output.

Lynas produced 1,911t of rare earth oxides, including 1,509t of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide, in January-March. The company cut its NdPr oxide production by 12pc on the year over that period, prioritising NdPr oxide over other rare earth oxides (see table).

NdPr oxide accounted for 79pc of the company's total oxide output in January-March, down from 49pc a year earlier. But Lynas' NdPr oxide share of production may drop in April-June. The company built dysprosium and terbium processing circuits in Malaysia last quarter, and expects to start refining the minerals in May and June, respectively.

Lynas' expansion into dysprosium and terbium production comes as Chinese manufacturers — the largest exporters of dysprosium and terbium — weigh the impact of recent rare earth export controls, with some firms limiting offers.

Lynas produces oxides in Malaysia using rare earths mined and initially processed in Western Australia (WA). The company spent the January-March quarter doing kiln maintenance work in Malaysia and improving its WA processing methods. Its Malaysian work finished during the quarter and its WA improvements are ongoing, the company said on 28 April.

Lynas chemically treated rare earth carbonates from its WA plant before converting them to oxides in October-December, because of sulphate impurities, slowing production over the quarter. Its WA process changes are meant to prevent that from happening again.

Lynas continued work on a Texas rare earth plant in January-March. The company is in talks with the US government over funding support for the project, the company said on 28 April. Recent US tariffs and water treatment issues could increase its Texas project costs, it added.

The first Trump administration backed Lynas' US project in 2019, invoking the Defence Production Act to fund marketing, engineering, and design work.

Argus' praseodymium-neodymium oxide min 99pc fob China price has been quite volatile over the past three months. The price was last assessed at $56,000/t on 25 April, down from $62,250/t on 24 February and $57,150/t on 27 January.

By Avinash Govind