PMET advances caesium commercialization with Koch partnership

World-class deposit attracts major industrial partner

PMET Resources launched a strategic testwork program with Koch Technology Solutions, a division of Koch, to unlock the commercial potential of its world-class caesium discovery at the Shaakichiuwaanaan project in Quebec's James Bay region. The initiative marks a significant step forward for the mining sector's efforts to secure critical minerals essential to defence, aerospace, energy and advanced electronics industries.

The four-month testwork program will evaluate innovative processing pathways designed to convert pollucite concentrates—the host mineral for caesium—into high-value caesium chemical compounds. Koch Technology Solutions brings to the partnership its proven expertise in engineering, developing and commercializing critical minerals extraction technologies, positioning PMET to potentially emerge as a cornerstone supplier of this rare and strategically important element.

Ken Brinsden, PMET's CEO, president and managing director, emphasized the transformational nature of the collaboration. "Shaakichiuwaanaan hosts what we believe to be the most significant caesium discovery globally, marked both by incredible scale and high grades," Brinsden stated. "This program represents a major step towards unlocking its full commercial potential. Working with Koch Technology Solutions provides access to industry expertise, including demonstrated capabilities in critical minerals, and a portfolio of innovative processing technologies."

Exceptional resource endowment with multi-element potential

The Shaakichiuwaanaan property itself represents an extraordinary endowment for the mining industry. The project hosts an Indicated Mineral Resource of 0.69 million tonnes at 4.40% Cs2O and an Inferred Resource of 1.70 million tonnes at 2.40% Cs2O across the CV13 Pegmatite's Vega, Rigel and Helios zones. These figures position the deposit as the world's largest in-situ pollucite-hosted caesium pegmatite resource. Drilling to date has demonstrated remarkable scale and grade, with mineralization remaining open in several areas, signaling substantial exploration upside.

Beyond caesium, the property boasts exceptional multi-element potential. The consolidated mineral resource totals 108.0 million tons at 1.40% Li2O and 166 ppm Ta2O5 (Indicated), making it a top-ten lithium pegmatite globally. In late 2025, PMET announced a positive lithium-only feasibility study on the CV5 Pegmatite, declaring a maiden probable mineral reserve of 84.3 million tons at 1.26% Li2O. The study outlines the potential for a competitive and globally significant high-grade lithium operation targeting approximately 800,000 tons per annum of spodumene concentrate.

Garrett Krall, critical minerals business leader at Koch Technology Solutions, underscored the strategic importance of the partnership for advancing critical minerals extraction in North America. "This program brings together the distinct strengths of KTS and PMET to advance an innovative approach in critical minerals extraction," Krall explained. "The project reflects the kind of challenge that KTS is uniquely positioned to solve, by applying our process technology and technical expertise alongside PMET to advance an approach to help unlock the value of an important critical mineral supply base."

Strategic partnership drives value creation and market access

The testwork initiative extends beyond immediate caesium chemical production. PMET is simultaneously investigating potential applications in emerging industries, particularly next-generation terrestrial solar panels, where caesium can enhance energy generation efficiency. The company is also exploring product pathways for industrial sectors including oil and gas, catalysts and pharmaceuticals, signaling multiple revenue streams from a single deposit.

Strategically, the partnership positions PMET to access critical U.S. industrial supply chains for defence, space, energy and advanced electronics—markets where supply security has become paramount. Koch Inc., one of the world's largest privately held companies with annual revenues exceeding $125 billion, operates across refining, chemicals, energy and technology sectors, employing approximately 120,000 people globally. This backing provides PMET with industrial scale and market access that few junior mining companies achieve.

Following the completion of the four-month testwork program, preliminary process pathways are expected to emerge for producing value-added caesium chemicals from Shaakichiuwaanaan pollucite concentrates. In parallel, PMET will continue assessing both potential future products and their interplay with downstream caesium markets, building on the relationship developed with Koch Inc.

Exploration activities will continue as part of the company's 2026 drill campaign to further delineate and expand discoveries at the Vega, Rigel and Helios zones. An updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the caesium zones, incorporating all drilling through 2025, is anticipated to be announced in the second half of 2026.

For PMET, this partnership represents a validation of its strategic direction to maximize value from its multi-element discovery. Rather than pursuing a single-commodity strategy, the company is developing integrated pathways that leverage lithium as the cornerstone product while unlocking premium returns from tantalum and caesium byproducts. This approach addresses global supply chain vulnerabilities while capitalizing on the deposit's inherent geological richness.

The collaboration also reflects broader industry trends toward de-risking critical minerals projects through early-stage partnerships with established processors and technology providers. By engaging Koch Technology Solutions during the development stage rather than waiting for commercial production, PMET gains technical validation, market access and commercial confidence—factors that will prove invaluable when advancing toward construction and operations.

As geopolitical tensions continue to reshape global supply chains and demand for critical minerals accelerates across defence, renewable energy and advanced technology sectors, projects like Shaakichiuwaanaan become increasingly strategically important. The testwork program with Koch Technology Solutions signals that this Quebec property is transitioning from exploration success to commercial reality—a trajectory that will command attention from investors, governments and industry participants seeking secure sources of rare critical minerals.

More information is posted at www.Pmet.ca