Perpetua awarded $6.9M additional funding from US Army for antimony pilot plant

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Perpetua Resources (NASDAQ: PPTA) (TSX: PPTA) announced Wednesday it has won up to $6.9 million in funding from the US Army via the Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) to support the development of its Stibnite antimony-gold project in Idaho.

This additional funding, awarded under an ordnance technology initiative agreement (OTIA) from August 2023, builds on the $15.5 million already awarded to the company by the DOTC, Perpetua said.

According to the Boise, Idaho-headquartered miner, the funding will be used for testing intended to demonstrate the feasibility of using material sourced from the Stibnite project to produce military-specification antimony trisulfide, a critical component in certain munitions and advanced defense systems.

The OTIA is intended to fund the development and delivery of a flexible, modular pilot plant to the US Army to process antimony and other materials of Department of Defense interest. The additional funding would enable Perpetua to expand material sampling and increase the scope and size of the pilot plant, the company said.

“We are honored to continue our work with the US Army to secure a domestic source of antimony trisulfide,” CEO Jon Cherry said in a press release. “Advancing America’s capabilities to process minerals critical to national defense is essential for our long-term mineral independence and resilience.”

Despite the funding, shares of Perpetua Resources traded 1.1% lower at C$19.47 apiece by 10:30 a.m. ET, for a market capitalization of C$1.4 billion ($1.01bn).

Only known US antimony reserve

The Stibnite project currently holds the only identified reserve of antimony in the US. At an estimated 148 million lb., it represents one of the largest antimony reserves outside of Chinese control.

How a gold-stibnite restoration in Idaho could add antimony to US supply chain

Once built, the mine is expected to supply up to 35% of America’s antimony needs during its first six years of operations, based on the 2023 USGS commodity summary. A 2021 feasibility study projects its total antimony production to be 115 million lb. over an estimated 15-year mine life. The US currently produces no antimony and relies largely on China, which accounted for 60% of globally mined antimony in 2024.

Due to its strategic importance to the US, Stibnite was recently placed on the initial list of 10 projects selected by the newly formed National Energy Dominance Council for fast-tracked permitting. Last week, the $1.3 billion project received its final federal permit.

In addition to antimony, the project is expected to produce a significant amount of gold, totalling 4.2 million oz. during its mine life.