Locksley Resources Limited (ASX: LKY), an ASX-listed explorer focused on critical minerals in the United States of America, has announced a strategic partnership with Rice University to advance antimony processing and utilisation within the U.S. The collaboration aims to support the U.S. government’s efforts to secure domestic supply chains for critical minerals. The initiative will focus on maximising the potential of Locksley’s Mojave Project in California.
The partnership with Rice University will center around developing pathways for domestic processing of U.S.-sourced antimony to meet existing demand in defence and other industries. It also intends to advance antimony application in next-generation energy storage systems. The program, building on Rice University’s expertise, will advance antimony capabilities through a dual initiative agreement focusing on green hydrometallurgical extraction and exploration of antimony-based materials for energy storage applications.
The agreement will see Locksley advance project funding of US$550,000 over the next 12 months to support the development of intellectual property. All intellectual property developed jointly by Rice University and Locksley shall be jointly owned. Locksley aims to establish the first domestic antimony processing capacity in the United States, addressing a critical gap, as currently, a large portion of refined supply comes from countries outside the U.S. alliance network.
The company believes that integrating upstream development with downstream innovation provides a rare opportunity to build a domestic mine-to-materials supply chain aligned with U.S. strategic needs. This positions the company to access a wide range of government funding opportunities. Chairman Nathan Lude commented that the collaboration marks a pivotal step in executing Locksley’s U.S. strategy and helping rebuild downstream capacity through materials innovation.
