St George Mining's Araxá Drilling Fuels Share Surge

St George Mining has captured investor attention with a barrage of exceptional drilling results from its flagship Araxá project in Brazil's Minas Gerais region. Recent assays from ten diamond drill holes have confirmed thick, high-grade rare earth elements (REEs) and niobium mineralisation starting from surface, extending well beyond the current 100-metre depth of the 41 million tonne Mineral Resource Estimate. Executive Chairman John Prineas highlighted that mineralisation remains open in all directions, with non-stop drilling using three diamond core rigs and one RC rig set to continue into 2026. These updates have directly influenced price movements, driving the share price up significantly earlier in the week to around A$0.105 before a modest retreat to approximately A$0.10, accompanied by elevated trading volumes exceeding 30 million shares on key days.

Market sentiment has shifted positively on the back of these developments, with the stock posting a remarkable 244% gain over the past 52 weeks, reflecting growing excitement over Araxá's potential to become a world-class carbonatite-hosted critical minerals hub. Trading activity has been brisk, with average daily volumes around 28-38 million shares, far above historical norms, indicating strong speculative interest. The Mt Alexander project in Western Australia continues to offer diversification through lithium and nickel-copper exploration, but Araxá remains the primary price catalyst. Macquarie analysts maintained their Buy rating with a A$0.20 price target as of early February, underscoring confidence in resource expansion ahead of a potential upgrade by late March.

Broader market dynamics have also played a role in recent price action. St George deepened ties with US-based REAlloys, extending an offtake deal to one year while advancing metallurgical testing on REE samples, which could accelerate path-to-production timelines. High-grade niobium intercepts outside the current resource envelope further bolster prospects for a substantial upgrade. While junior miners have faced sector-wide pressure from cooling speculative appetite, St George's consistent newsflow has provided a buffer. Over the past few months, larger events such as fluctuations in global rare earths pricing, niobium demand from steel production, and geopolitical tensions over critical minerals supply chains likely amplified volatility, with positive Brazil project momentum countering softer commodity sentiment.