Ares Strategic Mining Inc. has reached advanced construction stages for its Lumps Plant at the Lost Sheep Fluorspar Project in Utah, positioning the facility as the only domestic fluorspar processing operation in the United States. The project represents a significant development in securing domestic supply chains for critical minerals essential to multiple industries.
Construction progress includes completed concrete foundations and pads, erected steel frame structures across multiple plant areas, fabricated and welded major vessels forming core processing infrastructure, and assembled conveyor systems with visible segments installed across the site. Additional structural supports are being bolted into position to accommodate heavy mechanical systems, with welding and assembly proceeding rapidly.
CEO James Walker stated this marks a pivotal moment in the construction timeline, with the plant physically taking shape and progressing from concept to reality. The company remains on track to become the first fluorspar producer in the country, bringing domestic production capability to a market currently dependent on imports.
The Lumps Plant is designed to produce high-purity fluorspar for North American markets, serving critical industries including steel and aluminum manufacturing, refrigerants and fluoropolymers, and supplying critical minerals for nuclear fuel and semiconductors. The modular, scalable infrastructure allows for increased throughput and processing control as market demand grows.
Current construction efforts are expected to lead to completion of structural assembly, conveyor installation, equipment fit-out and wiring, system testing and commissioning, and on-site ore stockpiling with initial feed into processing systems. The company maintains its production and revenue targets aligned with market demand for critical minerals, supported by engineering partners and construction contractors.
The Lost Sheep Fluorspar Project encompasses 5,982 acres with 353 claims in the Spor Mountain area of Juab County, Utah, approximately 214 km southwest of Salt Lake City. The fully permitted operation, including mining permits approved by the Bureau of Land Management, features extensive high-grade fluorspar with low impurity levels identified in the NI 43-101 Technical Report. View additional project details at https://www.newmediawire.com.
