Mines by stage
Rare earth projects in development in the US (2026 tracker)
Five rare earth projects are in development in the US: Round Top, Halleck Creek, Bear Lodge, Elk Creek and Brook Mine. Each has a defined resource and a feasibility, permitting or financing effort under way, and none produces rare earths yet.
Round Top (2028) and Brook Mine (2031) are the only ones with a stated production date. Elk Creek is the closest to full construction, targeted for Dec 2026 once financing is secured.
Verified through Oct 1, 2026
- Projects in development
- 5Resource defined, no output
- States
- 3Wyoming, Texas and Nebraska
- With a stated production date
- 2Round Top 2028, Brook Mine 2031
- Earliest full construction start
- Dec 2026Elk Creek, subject to EXIM financing
- Average US mine lead time
- 19 yearsS&P Global, cited by OSTI
The definition
What counts as a rare earth project in development?
A rare earth project is in development when it has a defined resource and a feasibility study, permitting or financing effort under way, but produces no commercial rare earth output. Exploration sites without a feasibility-grade resource are listed separately.
- In development
- Resource defined; feasibility, permitting or financing under way; no commercial output.
- Exploration
- Drilling or sampling without a feasibility-grade resource. See exploration-stage projects.
- Six stages
- Resource, economic study, feasibility study, permits, financing, construction. Marks show only what the sources document.
- Targets
- Production dates are company targets, not commitments.
The comparison
Which rare earth projects are in development in the US?
Five tracked US projects are in development. The table shows each one's progress across six stages, its headline study, the next milestone, the stated production date and the funding behind it.
| Project | Owner | Stage progress | Headline resource or study | Next milestone | Stated production | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk CreekCarbonatite; niobium-scandium-titanium with magnet rare earths | NioCorp Developments | 4 of 6 done, 2 in progress | 2026 feasibility study: NPV $3.44B, capital $1.85B, 40-year life; 360 Mt at about 0.30% TREO | Full construction start targeted Dec 2026, subject to financing | None stated | DoW grant $10M; EXIM loan application $780M to $800M in review |
| Brook MineCoal-hosted unconventional deposit | Ramaco Resources | 2 of 6 done, 3 in progress | Initial estimate about 1.7 Mt TREO, high case, ash basis (company-reported); Hatch conceptual study: NPV $8B, capital $3.2B | Interim economics end of 2026; pre-feasibility study 2027 | 2031 (company target) | Wyoming $6.1M grant; about $200M equity raised Aug 2025 |
| Round TopPeralkaline rhyolite; yttrofluorite and xenotime; heavy-rare-earth rich | USA Rare Earth | 2 of 6 done, 2 in progress | 359 Mt at 639 ppm REO measured and indicated (older estimate); about 72% heavy rare earths plus yttrium | Definitive feasibility study Q4 2026 | H2 2028 (company target) | Commerce up to $1.6B (company-wide, conditional); Texas grant $14.2M |
| Halleck CreekA-type granite; allanite | American Rare Earths Ltd | 2 of 6 done, 2 in progress | 2.63 billion tonnes at 3,292 ppm TREO; scoping study phase 1 NPV $558M | Pre-feasibility study Q3 2026; Wyoming permit filing late 2026 | About 2029 (company talk) | None recorded |
| Bear LodgeCarbonatite; bastnaesite | Rare Element Resources | 2 of 6 done, 1 in progress | 16.3 Mt at 3.05% TREO; Bull Hill about 6 Mt at about 4% (2024) | Federal permitting scheduled to finish early 2028 | None stated | DOE $24.2M and Wyoming $4.4M for the demonstration plant; FAST-41 covered |
Nothing matches that search.
Stage bar, left to right: resource, economic study, feasibility study, permits, financing, construction. Filled squares are completed stages; striped squares are in progress; grey squares are not reported or not started. A stage is marked done only where a profile source documents it. Resource figures use different reporting standards and dates. See how to read a rare earth project.
Verified Oct 1, 2026 Every row links to a full profile where one exists.
Which rare earth projects will open next in the US?
Round Top is targeted for the second half of 2028 and Brook Mine for 2031, the only development projects with a stated production date. Elk Creek targets construction start in Dec 2026, Halleck Creek a permit filing in late 2026 and Bear Lodge permits by early 2028.
A new US mine takes 19 years on average to begin operation, so dates in the timeline are targets and not commitments. Brook Mine's date moved from the second half of 2028 to 2031 in Ramaco's July 2026 study, a reminder that schedules slip.
No project is expected to open in 2027. The nearest commercial additions are processing plants rather than mines; see upcoming milestones for the next 12 months.
- Q3 2026 Halleck CreekPre-feasibility study scheduled
- Q4 2026 Round TopDefinitive feasibility study completes
- Dec 2026 Elk CreekFull construction targeted, subject to financing
- End 2026 Brook MineInterim revised economics
- Early 2028 Bear LodgeFederal and state permitting scheduled to finish
- H2 2028 Round TopFirst production targeted
- 2031 Brook MineInitial production targeted (Hatch study)
Which development project is closest to construction?
Elk Creek in Nebraska is closest to construction: NioCorp holds its major permits, completed a 2026 feasibility study and began building an underground portal in Feb 2026. Full construction is targeted for Dec 2026 but needs project financing, mainly an EXIM loan in review.
NioCorp's plan is a niobium, scandium, titanium and rare earth mine, so rare earths are one of eight products. The US Army Corps of Engineers found that the project avoids federal waters, so it needs no federal permit or NEPA review, which is why it is not on the FAST-41 list. See Elk Creek: location, owner, status and timeline.
Which new rare earth mines are planned in Wyoming?
Wyoming has three tracked rare earth projects, all in development: Brook Mine, Halleck Creek and Bear Lodge. Brook is a coal deposit, Halleck Creek is the largest known US deposit by contained oxide, and Bear Lodge is in federal permitting under FAST-41.
Brook Mine and Halleck Creek would be on state land or private land under state permitting, while Bear Lodge sits in the Black Hills National Forest and needs a Forest Service decision, which the agency estimates for July 2028. None produces rare earths today.
Rare earth in Wyoming compares the three with the state's coal and uranium industries.
Why do US rare earth projects take so long to develop?
A US rare earth project needs a resource, studies, permits, financing and a separation flowsheet before it earns revenue, and the average mine takes 19 years. Capital costs run from $300M to $1.6B per project, and separation capacity has to be built or contracted too.
Projects also depend on processing. Halleck Creek's scoping flowsheet would not be viable if the mine sold only a rare earth concentrate, according to OSTI, and Round Top is testing its own heavy rare earth process. The long lead time is the main reason the US still imports most of its separated rare earths.
See how to read a rare earth project for what each study adds and the government support tracker for the money behind these projects.
Go deeper
How else can I browse US rare earth mines?
Each page has its own definition and comparison table. The profiles behind them carry the sources.
- 1 Operating mines Mountain Pass, the one producing mine, and White Mesa Mill, the one operating mill.
- 7 Exploration-stage projects Drilling and sampling in six states, with an evidence-quality flag for every result.
- 9 Coal, ash, tailings and mineral sands Rare earths as a second product: DOE pilots, red mud, monazite and tailings.
- 22 Historic and prospect deposits USGS-described districts without a profile, with the company activity found since 2024.
- + Deposits and plants map Every tracked mine, mill and plant on one map, colored by status.
- ↑ Rare earth mines in the US The full directory with every status and role in one table.
- Round TopThe Texas heavy rare earth project targeted for 2028
- Elk CreekThe development project closest to full construction
- How to read a rare earth projectWhat PFS and DFS studies add
- Upcoming milestonesThe next 12 months across the sector
- Government support trackerFunding behind each project
- FAST-41 permittingHow the fast-track review works
Questions about rare earth projects in development in the US
Is there a new rare earth mine in the US?
Not yet. Five projects are in development, led by Elk Creek in Nebraska and Round Top in Texas, but none produces rare earths. Brook Mine in Wyoming broke ground in Jul 2025 as a coal mine with rare earth plans.
When will Round Top open?
USA Rare Earth targets first production at Round Top in the second half of 2028. A definitive feasibility study is due in Q4 2026 and will confirm the schedule and capital cost.
Is there a new rare earth mine in Wyoming?
Wyoming has three projects in development: Brook Mine, Halleck Creek and Bear Lodge. Brook Mine targets first production in 2031, and none of the three produces rare earths today.
Which rare earth projects could open in 2027?
None of the five development projects has a production target in 2027. The nearest dates are Round Top in 2028 and Brook Mine in 2031, though processing plants may open earlier.
What is the difference between development and exploration?
A development project has a defined resource and a feasibility, permitting or financing effort under way. An exploration project is still drilling or sampling and has no feasibility-grade resource.
Sources and verification
Each profile lists its sources, a confidence grade and a verification date. Order of authority: official records (SEC filings, agency documents), company documents and technical reports, research papers, then independent press. Syndicated copies and reference works are labeled and are never the only source for a number. Company-reported figures are labeled as such, and non-binding deals are labeled "letter of intent" or "conditional".
- OSTI review, Minerals Engineering 249 (Kashyap et al., 2026) Research paper
- USA Rare Earth Q2 2026 results (SEC) Official record
- NioCorp 10-K for fiscal 2026 (SEC) Official record
- Federal Permitting Council: Bear Lodge FAST-41 coverage Official record
- Mining Weekly on Halleck Creek (Apr 2026) Independent press
- American Rare Earths: exploration update and 2026 to 2027 field programs (Jun 18, 2026) Syndicated copy
- Ramaco 10-K for 2025 (SEC) Official record
Tags show what kind of source each link is. How sources are ranked