Ares Strategic Mining Begins Processing Mined Fluorspar Ore at Its Utah Lumps Plant

Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) (FRA: N8I1) has announced that fluorspar ore mined from its Lost Sheep Mine in Utah is now being transported by truck to the company's processing facility in Delta, Utah, where it has begun entering the Metallurgical Lumps Plant for processing. This marks a critical operational milestone: the connection of the mine to the plant, representing the culmination of years of development, engineering, and construction.

The arrival of mined ore at the Delta plant signifies a fundamental shift from infrastructure development to active mining and processing. Over the coming week, Ares' operations team will use increasing quantities of actual mined material to tune and optimize the Lumps Plant around the specific physical and processing characteristics of Lost Sheep ore. This live-material ramp-up phase is designed to refine plant settings and operating parameters before moving toward sustained production rates.

James Walker, President and CEO of Ares Strategic Mining, commented: "There is an enormous difference between constructing and commissioning a plant and actually seeing trucks of your own ore arriving and that material entering the processing circuit. We have now connected the mine to the plant. This is the physical supply chain we have spent years building." He added that every truckload provides valuable operating information, bringing the company closer to consistent production.

The Lumps Plant is designed to manufacture metallurgical-grade fluorspar (metspar), a critical mineral used primarily as a flux in steelmaking and other metallurgical applications. The company will progressively evaluate and refine plant performance, including ore feed rates, crushing performance, conveyor loading, drying performance, and final product quality. The goal is to establish reliable, repeatable production processes.

This milestone is particularly significant given the strategic importance of fluorspar. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's 2026 Mineral Commodity Summaries, the United States was 100% net import reliant for fluorspar in 2025, with no significant domestic mine production for decades. Fluorspar remains on the 2025 U.S. List of Critical Minerals, underscoring its importance to the American economy and national security. Ares' progress represents tangible progress toward rebuilding a domestic industrial capability that has been largely absent for a generation.

The company has already established commercial arrangements for its anticipated initial metspar output, providing a route to market as the plant ramps up. Additionally, Ares has secured a multi-year Defense Logistics Agency framework for the future supply of acid-grade fluorspar, further reinforcing the strategic importance of its operations.

Beyond the Lumps Plant, Ares is advancing an adjacent Flotation Plant designed to produce higher-purity acid-grade fluorspar (acidspar), which typically contains at least 97% calcium fluoride and is essential for hydrofluoric acid production. This two-plant strategy allows Ares to address both metspar and acidspar markets, providing increased control across extraction, processing, and delivery while establishing a scalable platform for U.S. industrial and strategic-material customers.

As Ares moves forward with live-material optimization, the company is demonstrating its commitment to restoring a domestic supply chain for a critical mineral. With full integration of mine and plant operations, Ares is well-positioned to become a significant supplier of fluorspar to North American markets, supporting industries vital to modern technology and infrastructure.