**Great Northern Minerals (ASX: GNM)** has wrapped up the on-ground component of its **initial exploration program **at the Catalyst Ridge project in California’s Mojave–Mountain Pass corridor, a district that hosts MP Materials’ world-class Mountain Pass rare earths mine.
The team collected 119 rock-chip and stream-sediment samples across three priority target areas, with first assays expected by mid-November.
Why this Matters
- Strategic postcode: Catalyst Ridge sits immediately adjacent to Mountain Pass and near Dateline Resources’ Colosseum gold–antimony project. The regional geology/structures mirrored at Mountain Pass are present across GNM’s tenure, pointing to potential carbonatite-hosted REE and structurally controlled antimony targets.
- US policy tailwinds: GNM’s latest corporate presentation (Oct-25) highlights accelerating US Government support for domestic critical-minerals supply chains (defence, energy, industrial) and outlines the company’s plan to list on the OTCQB to engage US investors.
Program Highlights
- Field work completed by GNM’s US-based geologists Greg Schifrin and Robert Kell, combining reconnaissance mapping with hand-held XRF readings to guide sampling.
- 119 samples dispatched to American Analytical Services (Idaho); assays targeted
- Three high-priority target zones were advanced, each defined by north-west/N-NW structures, gravity/magnetic features and nearby occurrences—an exploration footprint consistent with REE-bearing carbonatites and antimony-gold systems.
What’s Next
Upon receiving assays, GNM plans to:
- complete detailed geochemical analysis to rank drill targets.
- run follow-up surface work and mapping; and
- progress permitting ahead of a focused drilling program in 2026.
Management Commentary
Chair Eddie King called the program “a key milestone” following promising desktop work and said results will guide the next phase as GNM looks to “unlock the Project’s rare earths and antimony potential.”
Catalyst Ridge Quick Facts
- Commodity focus: Rare earth elements (NdPr, heavy REEs) and antimony.
- Land position: 214 lode mining claims along the Mojave–Mountain Pass corridor with excellent highway access and services.
- Geological setting: Mesoproterozoic granitoids and structural corridors analogous to Mountain Pass and Colosseum; magnetic/gravity signatures supportive of carbonatite targets.
- People: US critical-metals specialist Greg Schifrin leading the US program; veteran geologist Robert Kellheading field operations.
Bottom line: Early field work has moved Catalyst Ridge from maps to samples. With assays due shortly and drill targeting to follow, Great Northern Minerals is positioning itself inside one of America’s most strategic rare-earth and antimony postcodes at a time of strong US policy support for domestic supply.
