Highlights
- Ramaco Resources partners with Hatch Ltd to conduct a comprehensive Pre-Feasibility Study for the Brook Mine project in Wyoming.
- The project aims to become the first new US rare-earth mine and processing complex in over 70 years.
- The project has strategic potential for critical minerals production.
- Initial studies confirm an estimated 1.7 million tons of Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO).
- The technical and commercial feasibility of the project is promising.
Ramaco Resources (opens in a new tab) is sharpening its focus on the Brook Mine project in Wyoming, bringing in engineering heavyweight Hatch Ltd (opens in a new tab). to take the lead on a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS). According to a September 4 press release (opens in a new tab), the scope of Hatch’s work will cover everything from detailed test-work support to pilot plant design and optimization of the process flowsheet.
Why Hatch Won the Mandate
The decision came after a competitive review of proposals from several top-tier firms. Hatch distinguished itself with deep hydrometallurgical expertise and a streamlined approach to execution, particularly in rare-earth processing. The team assigned to the Brook Mine includes experts based in both the U.S. and Canada. Ramaco Chairman and CEO Randall Atkins called Hatch’s involvement “essential for the next development phase,” stressing that the PFS will provide the backbone for permitting, investment, and offtake discussions. Hatch CEO John Bianchini added that the study is a critical step toward shaping a technically sound and commercially viable plan.
Building a Bridge From Lab to Pilot Plant
Hatch has been tasked with the critical handoff: taking Brook’s promising lab-scale success and engineering a credible pilot path. Its scope spans the full test-work program with national and private labs, the design of a pilot plant package, and integration of purification strategies through to final products. The mandate culminates in a commercial-grade pre-feasibility study (PFS) with capital and operating cost estimates investors can scrutinize. In other words, this is the step where Brook moves from promising geology to a flowsheet that can actually be built, permitted, and scaled.
Groundwork Already in Place
The project isn’t starting from scratch. Weir International’s updated resource model confirmed an estimated 1.7 million tons of TREO, while Fluor Corporation’s Preliminary Economic Assessment earlier this summer concluded the project is both technically and commercially feasible. Those independent studies validated Ramaco’s strategy, setting the stage for Hatch’s more rigorous analysis.
The Wyoming Advantage
Brook’s location outside Sheridan offers more than just resource access—it’s part of Ramaco’s vision for a co-located mine-to-processing hub. Fluor’s PEA outlined the early capital and operating framework for such integration, giving Hatch a baseline to refine.
Permitting Tailwinds
In July, Wyoming regulators granted a five-year land-use approval, ensuring that development work can proceed without interruption. That momentum will be critical as pilot-scale results dictate site infrastructure and utility needs.
A Historic Ambition—With Risk
Ramaco frames Brook as potentially the first new U.S. rare-earth mine and refining complex in over seventy years. That pitch resonates in Washington, where critical minerals are a strategic priority. But the next stage is where promise is tested: controlled sampling, pilot-scale test-work, and detailed cost models precise enough for bankers and offtakers to trust.
The Road Ahead
The challenge isn’t just speed—it’s execution. Brook must prove its flowsheet works reliably at scale in Wyoming, under real-world operating conditions. If Hatch delivers, Brook will advance from concept to credible pathway.
But investors should note: this is still pre-feasibility. Engineering, permitting, financing, and market offtake risks all lie between here and a shovel in the ground, and that refining.
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