Venari Minerals Expanded Red Mountain Resource Estimate

The company added strontium and magnesium by-products to its existing lithium resource estimate for the project.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Business Strategy

Isometric editorial illustration of a cylindrical grey mineral drill core sample resting on a flat, dark surface, clean editorial illustration. — Venari Minerals has updated its Red Mountain resource estimate to include strontium and magnesium by-products alongside its primary lithium assets. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Venari Minerals has officially updated its inferred mineral resource estimate for the Red Mountain project in the United States. The revised estimate now includes significant quantities of strontium and magnesium by-products alongside the site's primary lithium assets.

Why it matters

The inclusion of strontium and magnesium diversifies the potential output of the Red Mountain site, which could bolster domestic mineral supplies. This development is particularly relevant as the United States remains heavily reliant on imports for magnesium compounds.

The Red Mountain project holds 3.03 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, 2.67 million tonnes of strontium carbonate equivalent, and 12 million tonnes of magnesium. Metallurgical testing indicated a lithium leachability rate of up to 98%.

The players

Venari Minerals

Venari Minerals is a mining company focused on the acquisition and exploration of critical mineral assets.

The details

Technical teams confirmed these findings following four drilling campaigns that saw 30 out of 32 holes intersect lithium mineralization. The identification of strontium and magnesium occurred during a project generation exercise focused on surface lithium clays.

Venari Minerals staked the Red Mountain project in August 2023.
A maiden drilling campaign was conducted in mid-2024.
The company confirmed strontium and magnesium in the resource estimate on October 6, 2026.

Market Landscape

The push to include byproduct minerals mirrors the broader industry effort to maximize the economic efficiency of domestic mining assets. This strategy allows companies like Venari Minerals to capitalize on national import reliance trends by positioning themselves as multi-commodity suppliers.

The expansion of the Red Mountain resource base suggests a potential increase in domestic supply security for critical minerals. However, consumers should not expect immediate changes in market pricing or product availability as the project remains in the resource estimation phase.

The takeaway

The move demonstrates a strategic shift toward extracting secondary value from lithium projects to improve project economics. Investors and stakeholders should monitor whether future metallurgical studies confirm the technical feasibility of commercializing these specific by-products.