en.Wedoany.com Reported - Global mining executive Dr. Patience Mpofu has been appointed Managing Director of Axel REE, tasked with advancing the development of the company's rare earth and critical minerals portfolio.
With over 25 years of experience in the resources industry, Mpofu is a globally recognized mining executive, director, and critical minerals strategist. Her expertise spans metallurgy, mining operations, corporate strategy, capital markets, ESG, and stakeholder engagement. She has held executive roles at South32 (ASX:S32) and Anglo American (LSE:AAL), and currently serves as a non-executive director of Orion Minerals (ASX/JSE:ORN), as well as founder and CEO of Insight Mining Experts, a specialist mining consultancy.
Mpofu holds a PhD in clay mineral processing and possesses extensive technical knowledge of clay-bearing mineral systems, including rare earth metallurgy, with her professional experience directly relevant to Axel REE's planned in-situ recovery field trials. She has also received the CEO Global Award — Most Influential Women in Business and Government in Africa (Mining Sector). Paul Dickson, Non-Executive Chairman of Axel REE (ASX:AXL), stated that Mpofu's technical expertise, commercial acumen, ESG leadership, and capital markets experience align with the company's strategic direction to advance the Woolrich REE deposit toward ISR field recovery trials.
AXL recently reported results from a 258-hole infill and extension auger drilling program at the Woolrich deposit in Brazil's Lithium Valley. The program targeted the Woolrich deposit within the broader Caladão rare earth and gallium project, which hosts a resource of 128 million tonnes at a total rare earth oxide (TREO) grade of 1013 ppm.
The thick mineralized intervals at the Woolrich deposit are a key characteristic for the company's goal of advancing the deposit toward an Indicated Mineral Resource and future field recovery trials. Results also confirmed its high-value heavy rare earth element (HREE) enrichment, including dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium, which has the potential to enhance revenue prospects for future mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) products, subject to ongoing metallurgical and downstream test work.
Mpofu stated that the global critical minerals industry is entering a new phase where technical credibility, scalable metallurgical processes, rigorous development strategies, and strategic positioning are becoming increasingly important, and the company is well-prepared to advance as a strategically significant critical minerals developer.
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