Ares Strategic Mining Inc. hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, to formally open its new Lumps Plant in Delta, Utah, according to an October 8 report. The facility is designed to process raw fluorspar from the company's fully permitted Lost Sheep Mine into metallurgical-grade product known as metspar.
The plant processes material for use in steel and aluminum production, where fluorspar serves as an important fluxing material. Ares has already begun transporting mined ore to Delta and introducing live material into the processing circuit. The operations team is currently working to optimize the plant around the characteristics of Lost Sheep ore as production ramps up.
The ceremony included U.S. Representative Mike Kennedy, Carson Brown from the Office of U.S. Senator John Curtis, and Utah State Senator David P. Hinkins. Other confirmed attendees included Emy Lesofski, Director of the Utah Office of Energy Development, and Dana Dean, Acting Director of the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining. Scheduled speakers included Peter Godart, President and CEO of Found Industries, Representative Kennedy, and James Walker, President and CEO of Ares Strategic Mining. The company is also coordinating attendance from representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Defense Logistics Agency.
The Delta Lumps Plant represents a move toward rebuilding domestic supply capabilities for critical minerals in the United States. Ares is developing the supply chain from the ground up, connecting the mining of ore at Lost Sheep to the processing infrastructure in Delta. The company previously announced a Memorandum of Understanding with global commodities trader Cremer Erzkontor Inc. regarding the distribution of metspar across North America.
The project received state support through the Utah Community Impact Board, receiving an $11 million state-supported loan to advance Utah operations. This support followed legislation passed during the 2025 General Session of the Utah State Legislature, which expanded the legal definition of a throughput infrastructure project to include infrastructure required for extracting and processing critical minerals. James Walker stated that this support helped the company move from engineering drawings to physical production and mine development.
The Lumps Plant serves as the first major processing component of a broader Utah strategy. Ares is also advancing construction of a complementary Acidspar Flotation Plant, intended to produce higher-purity acid-grade fluorspar for energy, technology, and chemical applications. The company expects to provide a further update following the Oct. 9 ceremony.
