In response to the Trump administration’s executive order to strengthen domestic production of critical minerals, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) officially approved Australian company Dateline Resources (ASX: DTR) on April 8 to develop the Colosseum Rare Earth Project in California’s Mojave National Preserve, San Bernardino County.
Located just 10 kilometers from the Mountain Pass Mine—the only active U.S. rare earth operation owned by MP Materials (NYSE: MP)—the project marks a critical step in diversifying America’s rare earth supply chain.
The Colosseum site traces its mining history to the California Gold Rush. Industrial-scale gold extraction began in 1986, with Canada’s LAC Minerals producing 344,000 ounces of gold between 1989 and 1993. Barrick Gold later held the project for two decades but conducted minimal activity. After acquiring the site in 2021, Dateline collaborated with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to identify geological similarities between Colosseum and Mountain Pass, the latter having been a global rare earth powerhouse from the 1960s to the 1990s.
While Colosseum’s rare earth resources remain unquantified, it holds a JORC-2012-compliant gold resource of 1.1 million ounces (two-thirds classified as measured and indicated). A 2024 scoping study projected an eight-year mining lifespan with annual gold output of 75,000 ounces.
Rare earth elements (REEs) are vital for electronics, renewable energy, defense systems, and advanced technologies. China currently dominates the global supply chain, accounting for 70% of mining and 90% of processing capacity. In 2024, the U.S. relied on imports for 80% of its rare earth needs, with 77% sourced from China. Recent Chinese export restrictions on critical REEs—including samarium, gadolinium, and terbium—have heightened U.S. supply chain vulnerabilities.
In 2024, China mined 270,000 metric tons of rare earths (69% of global output), while the U.S. produced 45,000 metric tons—just one-sixth of China’s volume. Although the Mountain Pass Mine resumed operations in 2017, its rare earths are still shipped to China for processing due to a lack of U.S. refining capacity. Pentagon-led initiatives aim to reshore production, but achieving self-sufficiency remains a distant goal.
The DOI’s approval clears legal hurdles for Colosseum and injects momentum into U.S. efforts to build a diversified rare earth supply chain. Dateline Managing Director Stephen Baghdadi stated, Government support provides a solid foundation to advance this project. If successfully developed, Colosseum could become a linchpin in reducing America’s reliance on Chinese rare earths—a strategic imperative amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
