Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) officially opened its Fluorspar Lumps Plant in Delta, Utah, on October 9, 2026, in a ceremony attended by state and federal representatives. The plant processes raw fluorspar from the company's fully permitted Lost Sheep Mine into metallurgical-grade lumps used in steel and aluminum production. The opening marks the first commercial fluorspar production in the United States since 1995, positioning Ares as the only active commercial fluorspar operation in the country and signalling a transition toward revenue generation.

Key Points

  • Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (CSE: ARS) (OTCQX: ARSMF) officially opened its Delta, Utah, Fluorspar Lumps Plant on October 9, 2026
  • The plant restores commercial fluorspar production to the U.S. for the first time in over three decades, establishing Ares as the sole domestic commercial fluorspar operation
  • The Lumps Plant carries an annual capacity of 165,347 metric tons; at current metspar prices of $350–$520 per metric ton, the company states potential gross product value exceeds $25 million annually
  • Investors may be watching progress on the complementary Acidspar Flotation Plant, construction of which has commenced, and Ares's existing $168.9 million U.S. Department of Defense contract for acidspar

Lumps Plant Opens as Ares Becomes Vertically Integrated Fluorspar Producer

The October 9, 2026, opening ceremony was attended by U.S. Representative Mike Kennedy, Utah State Senator David P. Hinkins, Utah State Representative Rob Bishop, and other state and local stakeholders including the Delta City Council. The release states the ceremony simultaneously marked the return of the commercial fluorspar industry to the United States after the country became 100% reliant on foreign imports following the cessation of domestic production in 1995. Ares describes itself as now vertically integrated, controlling the critical mineral from extraction at the Lost Sheep Mine through to market-ready processed product.

Plant Capacity and Market Position Signal Revenue Transition

The Lumps Plant is situated on a approximately 7-acre footprint within a fully owned 50-acre site off Highway 6 in Delta, Utah. The facility's stated annual capacity of 165,347 metric tons, combined with current metspar prices the company places between $350 and $520 per metric ton, gives a potential gross product value the company says exceeds $25 million annually. Ares also holds a $168.9 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for its future acidspar product and a signed Memorandum of Understanding with commodities trader Cremer Erzkontor Inc. to distribute metspar across North America.

Acidspar Flotation Plant Construction Underway at Delta Site

Construction of a complementary Acidspar Flotation Plant has commenced at the Delta site, with machinery already on location, according to the release. Once operational, the two plants would allow Ares to alternate between producing metspar for steel and aluminum industries and acidspar for EV batteries, semiconductors, and technology applications. The company also disclosed intentions to develop a programme with Found Industries for the recovery of gallium, germanium, and other critical materials from feedstocks associated with the Lost Sheep Mine. The Lost Sheep Mine represents just 1 of the company's 353 claims in the district, with recent geophysical surveys confirming 49 additional preliminary fluorspar targets nearby.