Geomega Resources (TSXV:GMA) - $4.5M Rio Tinto Deal Transforms Critical Metals Waste

Oct 9, 2025

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Interview with Kiril Mugerman, CEO, Geomega Resources

Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/geomega-resources-gma-i-got-a-better-way-i-discovered-a-star-311

Recording date: 8th October 2025

Geomega Resources has secured a $4.5 million demonstration license agreement with Rio Tinto to deploy proprietary bauxite residue processing technology at a Quebec facility, marking a strategic pivot from mineral exploration to a technology royalty business model. The agreement includes $1.4 million in immediate payment, $100,000 in early 2026, and up to $3 million through construction and production milestones as Rio Tinto validates the technology before potential commercial-scale deployment.

The company's three-circuit processing system addresses a century-old challenge facing the global aluminum industry. Approximately 100 refineries worldwide produce millions of tons of bauxite residue annually, creating massive environmental liabilities with no economically viable processing solution. Geomega's technology reduces this waste by 80-85% while extracting critical metals including scandium, gallium, iron, high-purity silica, and alumina. CEO Kiril Mugerman explained that the process works sequentially, with circuit one handling caustic components, circuit two processing iron, and circuit three recovering high-value critical metals.

The technology achieves reagent recovery rates above 90%, having completed hundreds of piloting cycles using the same materials repeatedly. Unlike traditional mining metallurgy requiring aggressive acids and special reactor coatings, Geomega employs weaker reagents compatible with standard equipment. The modular design allows customization for different bauxite sources, from Jamaican deposits with high scandium content to other geographic variations.

Geomega owns 100% of its intellectual property through patents and trade secrets, with a lean 20-person technical team focused on research and expanding piloting capacity. The non-exclusive licensing model enables simultaneous engagement with multiple refineries, positioning the company for capital-light expansion. Following successful demonstration, Rio Tinto would negotiate a commercial license structured as production royalties, creating recurring revenue without requiring Geomega to fund plant construction. This partnership validates the technology for broader industry adoption across the global aluminum refining sector.

Learn more: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/geomega-resources