Power Minerals (ASX: PNN)

PNN has secured a rare opportunity to acquire a high-grade niobium, gallium and rare earths carbonatite-hosted asset in Brazil, with historic assays up to 3.36% Nb, 232.7g/t Ga and 35,473ppm TREO. 

Santa Anna’s carbonatite complex spans 5.8km² within a 17.2km² total project area and has a total of 221 drill holes for 7,649m, of which 17 holes for 1,019m were diamond drilling. Notable historical niobium drilling results include 14m at 0.71% Nb from 6m, incl. 5m at 1.18% Nb from 14m, 9m at 1.08% Nb from 2m, incl. 4m at 1.62% Nb from 3m and 4m at 0.98% Nb from 18m, incl. 1m at 3.36% Nb from 19m.

There are only three operating primary niobium mines in the entire world, which collectively account for around 98% of total global supply. Canada’s niobium mine, which runs a head grade of 0.42% with underground mining, sold for US$530 million in 2015. A key target in PNN’s staged payment schedule is delineating a 35Mt at 0.75% Nb resource.

Given that most of gallium’s demand comes from tech, renewable energy and the defence sector – China control of 98% of global output, and their recent ban of its export to the US in 2024, has raised a whole raft of issues that threaten to damage many critical industries. Prices have risen from US$298/kg in 2020 to US$1042/kg in 2025, and demand is forecast to grow at a 24.5% CAGR between 2025 and 2032.

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