Alurion’s Amargosa bauxite project eyes mid-2027 PFS as China’s Guinea reliance nears 80%

China’s bauxite imports continued to rise in the first nine months of 2026, with Guinea accounting for nearly 80 per cent of its total supply. Against this backdrop, Alurion Resources, an independent company following a demerger from Brazilian Rare Earths, is advancing its Amargosa Bauxite-Gallium Project in Bahia, Brazil, through infill drilling, bulk sampling and export-logistics studies, targeting a pre-feasibility study (PFS) by mid-2027.

The company’s September 2026 quarterly activities report outlines plans to improve bauxite resource estimates, assess processing yields and evaluate export routes, as it works towards establishing a scalable direct-shipping bauxite (DSB) operation.  

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China’s bauxite demand highlights the case for alternative supply

China imported 173.9 million tonnes of bauxite between January and September 2026, up 10.3 per cent year-on-year. The nine-month total was also nearly 10 per cent higher than the 158.8 million tonnes imported during the whole of 2024.

Guinea supplied 138.7 million tonnes during the nine-month period, representing close to 80 per cent of China’s bauxite imports. This compares with Guinea’s 51 per cent share in 2021, highlighting the growing concentration of China’s imported bauxite supply.

Alurion considers this concentration, alongside rising import demand, a potential opportunity for alternative sources that could diversify geographical and supply-chain exposure. The company has begun preliminary, non-binding discussions with alumina and aluminium groups in China, the Middle East and Brazil.

Drilling and bulk sampling target resource confidence and product value

Alurion has commenced an infill drilling programme in Amargosa’s Central District, comprising 203 auger holes covering 2,436 metres and 20 diamond twin holes covering 800 metres. The programme totals 223 holes and 3,236 metres, with approximately 3,600 samples planned. Up to 16 bulk-sample trenches are also planned across the Central and North districts to collect representative material from the bauxite profile.

The drilling builds on Rio Tinto’s historical exploration grid, which covered the project at 200-by-200-metre spacing, with local infill to 100-by-100 metres. The Central District hosts the largest share of the project’s direct-shipping and beneficiable bauxite Mineral Resources. It also accounts for 75 per cent of Rio Tinto’s historical drilling and 76 per cent of its historical aircore drilling.

The bulk samples are expected to provide material for testing that drilling alone cannot fully support. The programme will assess four key areas:

• Beneficiation yields: Testing whether processing can increase the saleable proportion of the 470 million tonnes beneficiable bauxite mineral resource.
• Critical-mineral co-products: Investigating the potential recovery of ilmenite, zircon and monazite from material currently reporting to fines.
• Product and shipping specifications: Evaluating particle-size distribution, moisture optimisation and Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) requirements.
• Refinery performance: Conducting Bayer-process trials to examine alumina recovery, digestion conditions, caustic consumption, residue generation and gallium deportment.

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The reported 470 million-tonne beneficiable bauxite resource comprises 249.6 million tonnes in the Indicated category and 220.4 million tonnes in the Inferred category. The distinction is important because the resource is not entirely classified as Indicated, and further work is required to support the project’s development studies.

Drilling and trenching are scheduled for Q4 2026, with spending on the drilling and bulk-sampling programme front-loaded into 2026 and expected to be completed by year-end. Ore-characterisation, moisture, TML and particle-size testing is scheduled for Q1 2027.

Updated JORC Mineral Resource Estimates for direct-shipping bauxite, beneficiable bauxite and critical minerals, together with critical-mineral recovery results, are targeted for Q2 2027. These inputs will feed into the planned mid-2027 PFS.

Road haulage supports assessed export scenarios of up to 11.5 MTPA

An independent study by transport-engineering consultancy Engimind assessed the road network, truck fleet and operating configuration for haulage scenarios of 5.75, 8.6 and 11.5 wet million tonnes per annum (MTPA). It found road haulage viable at all three assessed volumes, with suitable modelled service levels and no road-capacity constraints identified.

The study examined two routes. The northern route connects the project to the Port of Enseada via the BR-101 highway, approximately 160 kilometres from the North District and 220 kilometres from the Central District. The southern option would connect the Central District to a proposed FIOL rail load-out and Porto Sul.

Alurion is also working with the Enseada port operator to assess potential expansion of port capacity to 13.5 wet MTPA. However, the rail and Porto Sul pathway remains dependent on infrastructure completion and commercial access. Road haulage to Enseada remains the project’s base-case development route.

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Permitting and commercial engagement progress

Environmental baseline studies are underway to support the Environmental Impact Assessment and associated report, with submission targeted for H2 2027, subject to regulatory review. A land-mapping programme is also intended to identify landowners and occupants and support future surface-access arrangements.

The company has begun preliminary, non-binding discussions with alumina and aluminium groups in China, the Middle East and Brazil regarding product qualification, potential offtake and partnerships. These discussions remain exploratory.

Alurion reported USD 2.032 million in quarterly exploration and evaluation expenditure and cash and cash equivalents of USD 28.538 million at quarter-end. The company is targeting a mid-2027 PFS for its Amargosa bauxite project, but project development remains subject to technical and economic studies, permitting, financing and other approvals. No Ore Reserve has been estimated, and the proposed haulage scenarios are not production forecasts.