While the Brazilian government is still discussing whether or not to create a state-owned company for rare earths, a Canadian company has already signed agreements to acquire two giant projects in the Northeast with potential for deposits that China dominates and the whole world disputes.

Written by Maria Heloisa Barbosa Borges

Published on 24/04/2026 at 20:53

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Canadian Origen Resources signed letters of intent to acquire two rare earth projects in Piauí and Bahia, potentially controlling over 68,000 hectares in an emerging strategic mineral belt in the Northeast. The deposits are of the ionic adsorption clay type, a geological model that allows for simpler and less aggressive extraction, while the Brazilian government is still debating whether to create a state-owned company for the sector.

While the Brazilian government discusses the institutional model for exploring rare earths in the country, a Canadian company is already putting money on the table. Origen Resources signed a new letter of intent to acquire a mineral project of over 33,000 hectares between Piauí and Bahia, adding to another agreement signed in October 2025 for an area in Piauí. With both operations, the company states that it could control over 68,000 hectares in an emerging rare earth belt in the Brazilian Northeast.

Origen’s move comes at a time when Brazil is trying to define its strategy for critical minerals. The Minister of Mines and Energy ruled out the creation of a state-owned company for rare earths but signaled BNDES support for companies operating in the sector. Meanwhile, the Geological Survey of Brazil is meeting with governors to expand mineral mapping in states like Piauí, where the level of geological knowledge is still low. The Canadian company did not wait for the government to organize itself and moved forward with agreements that could give it access to deposits of the type that China dominates and that the global technology market disputes.

What Origen Resources wants in Piauí and Bahia

According to information released by the CNN Brasil portal, the Canadian company is targeting two projects that, combined, cover over 68,000 hectares on the eastern edge of the Parnaíba Basin, a geological region that extends between Piauí and Bahia. The first agreement, announced in October 2025, involves an area in Piauí with potential for heavy rare earths. The second, signed now, adds over 33,000 hectares of exploration on the border between the two states.

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Why ionic clay deposits are so sought after worldwide

The type of deposit that Origen is seeking in the Brazilian Northeast is the same that made China the dominant power in heavy rare earths in recent decades. Ionic adsorption clay deposits allow minerals to be extracted with a simpler and less aggressive process than traditional methods, using mild solutions and without the need to heat the material to high temperatures or use large volumes of strong acids.

In practice, this can mean lower energy consumption, reduced operational costs, and less generation of toxic waste. Furthermore, these deposits typically occur close to the surface, which reduces the need for deep excavations and can lower the initial investment in mine infrastructure. For an early-stage exploration company like Origen, these characteristics make the Northeast projects especially attractive compared to hard rock operations that require much larger investments.

What’s missing for the projects to get off the ground

The signing of letters of intent is just the first step on a long road. The areas still need to undergo due diligence, new sampling campaigns, detailed geological studies, and proof of economic viability before any decision on mine infrastructure investment is made. After these stages, there is still environmental licensing, a process that in Brazil can take years depending on the complexity of the project and its location.

There is no guarantee that the agreements will result in an operating mine. The history of mining is full of projects that seemed promising in the exploration phase but did not materialize for technical, economic, or regulatory reasons. For Origen, the 150 days of exclusivity for due diligence will be decisive in evaluating whether the 68,000 hectares in Piauí and Bahia justify the investment needed to advance to the next phases.

What the Brazilian government is doing as Origen advances

The contrast between the speed of the Canadian company and the pace of the Brazilian government is evident. The Geological Survey of Brazil met with the governor of Piauí, Rafael Fonteles, to discuss partnerships aimed at expanding mineral mapping in the state, recognizing that the level of geological knowledge about the Piauí subsoil is still insufficient to gauge the real potential of rare earths in the region.

Fonteles expressed interest in expanding the surveys and counting on federal technical support, but discussions are still in the initial phase. Meanwhile, the Lula government compared rare earths to uranium and rejected the idea of creating a new state-owned company for the sector, opting for a model of support via BNDES to private companies. The decision opens space for foreign companies like Origen to advance on deposits that, without adequate mapping, the government itself does not know exactly what they contain.

What is at stake for Brazil in the global race for rare earths

Rare earths are essential inputs for technologies ranging from wind turbines and electric car motors to military equipment and smartphones. China controls over 60% of global production and dominates almost the entire refining chain, which turns any new deposit outside Chinese territory into a strategic asset disputed by powers seeking to reduce this dependence.

The Brazilian Northeast may harbor significant reserves of these minerals, but the lack of geological mapping prevents the country from gauging what it has and defining a coherent exploration strategy. Origen Resources is betting that the deposits in Piauí and Bahia could become relevant in the global market, but if Brazil does not accelerate its own understanding of the subsoil, it risks seeing foreign companies define the pace and terms of an exploration that could generate wealth and technological sovereignty for the country.

Do you think Brazil should create a state-owned company to control rare earths or is it right to let private companies, including foreign ones, explore these minerals? Tell us in the comments what you think about the presence of a Canadian company in the Northeast and whether the government is acting fast enough.

While the Brazilian government is still discussing whether or not to create a state-owned company for rare earths, a Canadian company has already signed agreements to acquire two giant projects in the Northeast with potential for deposits that China dominates and the whole world disputes.

What Origen Resources wants in Piauí and Bahia

Why ionic clay deposits are so sought after worldwide

What’s missing for the projects to get off the ground

What the Brazilian government is doing as Origen advances

What is at stake for Brazil in the global race for rare earths

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While the Brazilian government is still discussing whether or not to create a state-owned company for rare earths, a Canadian company has already signed agreements to acquire two giant projects in the Northeast with potential for deposits that China dominates and the whole world disputes.

What Origen Resources wants in Piauí and Bahia

Why ionic clay deposits are so sought after worldwide

What’s missing for the projects to get off the ground

What the Brazilian government is doing as Origen advances

What is at stake for Brazil in the global race for rare earths

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Ethiopia has banned gasoline and diesel cars, placed over a hundred silent electric buses on the streets of Addis Ababa, and now aims for half a million electric vehicles by 2030, all powered by Africa’s largest dam and a courage that few countries have shown.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

BRICS is preparing a payment system inspired by the Brazilian PIX that will allow direct transactions between countries using national digital currencies without relying on the dollar or Western banks as intermediaries.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

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