Mount Ridley Mines (ASX: MRD) reports 91.8% scandium recovery on half the reagent

Selectro™ Test 3 returned the programme's best recoveries at atmospheric pressure, on unbeneficiated ore from the world's largest scandium resource

SYDNEY, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cashu Group's research division, Cashu Research, today published a research note on Mount Ridley Mines Limited (ASX: MRD | OTC: MRDMF) following the final leach test of the company's initial Selectro™ programme at its Grass Patch project in Western Australia. Read the full article here.

Test 3 halved the reagent dose used in the previous two tests and still produced the programme's best results. Scandium recovery rose to 91.8% from 80.0%, heavy rare earths averaged 84% and light rare earths 77%. The test ran on unbeneficiated ore at low temperature and atmospheric pressure, with maximum recoveries reached in under four hours.

A result with few published comparisons

Listed scandium developers generally rely on high-pressure acid leaching, in autoclaves at around 250°C. Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX: SRL) assumes 88% at Syerston on 656ppm feed; Scandium International (TSX: SCY) has disclosed 70 to 80% at Nyngan on 409ppm. Cashu Research was unable to identify a higher published scandium leach recovery from a listed company.

Grass Patch holds 47,357 tonnes of contained scandium within 946Mt at 50.1ppm, the largest reported under the JORC Code. It also carries gallium and heavy rare earths, all US-designated critical minerals with China-dominated supply, 25km from the port of Esperance.

Licensing named as a next step

Selectro™ is wholly owned and patent-pending, and the company has named validation on third-party feed as a formal next step. The note examines what that could mean for streams too low grade to justify an autoclave.

The full Cashu Research note on Selectro Test 3, including the recovery table by test and peer comparisons, is available now.

Cashu Research is commissioned and paid for by Mount Ridley Mines Limited.

About Cashu Research

Cashu Research is a division of Cashu Group, delivering equity research and investor awareness campaigns for ASX, TSX, OTC and NASDAQ-listed resources companies. Cashu Research is a Corporate Authorised Representative (AR No. 001318029) of Adviser Solutions Group Pty Ltd (AFSL 485946).

About Mount Ridley Mines

Mount Ridley Mines Limited (ASX: MRD) is advancing the Grass Patch scandium, gallium and rare earth project near Esperance, Western Australia.

Media Contact

Fox Slotemaker, Lead Analyst Cashu Research research@cashugroup.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7894a030-2bed-4f16-acaf-347650254dfb

MRD Selectro Results

Mount Ridley Mines (ASX: MRD) reports 91.8% scandium recovery on half the reagent