Critical minerals and rare earths
Strategic assets, sovereign stakes, downstream value. Advice that sees the whole board.
Overview
Critical minerals and rare earths have moved from a standard commercial mining and export commodity focus to a matter of high-level national security, sovereign capability and geopolitical strategy. Governments are funding projects directly, customers are taking equity to secure supply and the value is shifting downstream, into processing, refining and the products that follow.
The commercial and legal decisions developers must make have also evolved. In addition to raising money and developing a mine, developers are increasingly negotiating with sovereign funders, strategic investors and offtakers at the same time, often across jurisdictions, and every one of these conversations shapes the others.
We work with critical minerals and rare earths companies throughout the process, and with the investors, financiers and customers on the other side of the table.
How we help
Funding from every direction
Equity raisings and cornerstone investments, government and export credit funding, project and structured debt, royalty and streaming arrangements, and convertible instruments. We keep the capital structure coherent, so today's funding does not block tomorrow's.
Offtake and strategic partnering
Offtake and marketing agreements, joint ventures with customers and technology partners, and the equity-plus-offtake structures that now define the sector. We advise on how these arrangements interact with your financiers and your listing obligations.
Approvals, tenure and community
Environmental and planning approvals, mining leases, native title and cultural heritage agreements, and water and land access. We advise on approval strategy early, when it can still change the timeline.
Downstream and supply chain
Refining and processing facilities, technology licensing, product qualification and long-term customer contracting, plus the supply chain, trade and national security regimes that apply to sensitive minerals.
Foreign investment and national interest
Foreign investment approvals, competition clearance, and advice on ownership, control and the growing overlay of national security regulation on critical minerals projects.
Experience
Wyloo: Joint venture with Hastings Technology Metals for the Yangibana Rare Earths and Niobium Project, and the acquisition of a 19.99% interest in TSX-listed Neo Performance Materials.
LG Energy Solution: strategic partnership with Liontown Resources via a US$250 million convertible notes issue.
Ardea Resources: Joint venture with a Mitsubishi Corporation and Sumitomo consortium to develop Goongarrie.
Mandalay Resources: Merger with Alkane Resources, creating a diversified gold and antimony producer valued at over A$1 billion.