St George Mining Ltd (ASX:SGQ, FRA:S0G, OTC:SGQMF) has stepped onto the global stage this week, participating in the Brazil–US Critical Minerals Forum in São Paulo as it looks to advance development and strategic partnerships for its flagship Araxá rare earths and niobium project.
The company said the high-level forum — attended by investors, government representatives and industry participants — provided a platform to promote Araxá’s scale and strategic relevance at a time of growing focus on secure supply chains for critical minerals.
St George at the Brazil-US Critical Minerals Forum: From left to right: Thiago Amaral (Director and Country Head, St George Brasil); Gabriel Escobar (Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy Brasilia); John Prineas (Executive Chairman, St George); Daniel Guimarães Medrado de Castro (Undersecretary of Investments Promotion and Value Chains, Minas Gerais State).
Executive chairman John Prineas said the event — where St George delivered a presentation on the Araxá Project — allowed the company to directly engage with US stakeholders interested in securing long-term supply.
“The event provides St George with an opportunity to showcase its world-class rare earths-niobium Araxá Project to investors and government representatives from the US,” he said.
John Prineas presenting during the invitation-only Industry Pitch session at the Brazil-US Critical Minerals Forum.
Offtake and funding discussions progress
Beyond visibility, the forum has also opened the door to more tangible outcomes, with the company progressing discussions around potential offtake agreements and project support.
Prineas said talks with US private enterprises and government agencies are centred on securing supply for US critical minerals supply chains — an increasingly important theme amid geopolitical tensions and efforts to reduce reliance on China.
“These discussions extend to potential access to attractive government financial and logistics support to fast-track development of our project,” he said.
St George is targeting first commercial production at Araxá in 2028, with government-backed support mechanisms potentially playing a key role in accelerating that timeline.
Araxá emerging as strategic asset
The forum appearance comes shortly after a major resource upgrade at Araxá, reinforcing its position as a globally significant critical minerals project.
As outlined in the company’s presentation materials, the project hosts a total mineral resource of 70.91 million tonnes at 4.06% total rare earth oxides (TREO), alongside a substantial niobium component.
Total JORC 2012 MRE – Grade Tonnage Report using a 2% TREO cut-off.
The project is located in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state — a well-established mining jurisdiction with existing infrastructure, skilled workforce and a long history of niobium production — supporting its development potential.
Importantly, Araxá is positioned within a broader global push to diversify supply of critical minerals such as rare earths and niobium, both of which are essential for high-tech, defence and energy transition applications.
Positioning for global supply chains
St George’s participation in the forum highlights its ambition to move beyond exploration and into a more integrated role within international supply chains.
With discussions underway on offtake, downstream partnerships and potential government support, the company is increasingly aligning itself with US-led initiatives to secure critical mineral inputs.
The Brazil–US Critical Minerals Forum, in that context, represents more than a networking opportunity — it signals growing international interest in projects like Araxá as governments and industry look to build resilient, diversified supply chains.
For St George, the next phase will be translating that interest into binding agreements and development milestones as it advances toward production.