Bayan Mining and Minerals Limited

ASX:BMM

Desert Star Project
California, USA

Location

The Desert Star Project is located in San Bernardino County within California’s eastern Mojave Desert and comprises 72 federal lode claims covering approximately 6 km². Strategically positioned just 4.5 km northeast of the world-class Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine and 4.7 km from the Colosseum Gold Mine, the project lies within a globally significant REE – gold corridor.

The project is easily accessible via a network of paved highways and gravel roads extending from Interstate 15. The nearest service center is Primm, Nevada, approximately 12 km to the east, while Las Vegas lies just 85 km to the northeast, offering full commercial support and logistics. The area benefits from well-developed infrastructure, including power transmission lines servicing the nearby Mountain Pass Mine and a Union Pacific rail line within 25 km offering potential access for bulk transport and future energy supply. The regional energy network is further supported by renewable power generation, including large-scale solar facilities in Ivanpah Valley, which contribute to a stable and sustainable green energy grid.

 Desert Star Project Location Map

Geology

The Project is located within a structurally complex zone of the eastern Mojave Desert, spanning a geological transition from Paleoproterozoic metamorphic basement rocks in the west to Cambrian marine sedimentary units in the east. The basement is composed of high-grade gneisses and schists, while the overlying Cambrian sequence includes limestones, quartzites, and shales, part of a broader assemblage of Paleozoic sediments and volcanics recognised throughout the Mountain Pass – Colosseum corridor.

REE mineralisation is interpreted to be associated with carbonatite-hosted systems enriched in bastnaesite, parisite, and other REE-bearing minerals. Alteration assemblages comprising barite, fluorite, hematite, phlogopite, and calcite are consistent with a magmatic-hydrothermal origin. Regional tectonism has facilitated emplacement along a northwest-trending structural corridor, bounded by the Ivanpah and Clark Mountain fault systems.

Highlights

  • Tier-1 Jurisdiction: Situated in the prolific Mountain Pass district of California, a globally recognised rare earth elements (REE) hub and the only active commercial REE mining region in the United States.
  • Proximity to World-Class Deposit: Located just 4.5 km from MP Materials’ Mountain Pass REE Mine, one of the highest-grade and most significant rare earth operations globally.
  • Highly Prospective Geology: Hosted within the same Precambrian terrane and structural corridor that controls REE mineralisation at Mountain Pass. The project area features Mesoproterozoic carbonatite and alkaline intrusives known to host REEs.
  • Compelling Geophysical Signatures: USGS airborne radiometric survey data shows elevated potassium (K), thorium (eTh), and uranium (eU) concentrations, consistent with surface expressions of REE-hosting carbonatites.
  • Multi-Commodity Potential: In addition to REEs, the district is considered prospective for gold and antimony, offering diversified commodity exposure in a critical minerals corridor.
  • Excellent Infrastructure: The project benefits from nearby paved roads, grid-scale transmission infrastructure, and a Union Pacific rail line just 25 km from site—offering logistics advantages for future development and transport.
  • Strategic Supply Chain Relevance: Located within the United States’ domestic rare earth supply chain, Desert Star aligns with growing geopolitical priorities around securing non-Chinese sources of critical minerals.
  • Exploration Program Underway: Initial field activities including geological mapping and targeted surface sampling have commenced. Results will inform future phases, including potential drill target delineation.
  • Low-Cost Entry with High Leverage: Early-stage tenement secured through direct claim staking in a proven REE district offers significant upside potential with minimal upfront capital.
  • Data-Driven Targeting: Integration of historical datasets, modern radiometric surveys, and detailed lithostructural mapping supports focused exploration and de-risks early-stage targeting.

Desert Star Project Location Over Regional Geological Map

Collected rock chips and heavy minerals concentrate samples

Field photo of young alluvial pan crosscutting basement metamorphic and felsic plutonic rocks

Exploration Activity

A comprehensive exploration program has commenced, including geological reconnaissance and the collection of up to 100 rock chip, soil, and heavy mineral concentrate samples. These will be analysed at ALS Laboratory in Reno, Nevada, with results expected within 3–4 weeks of submission. Radiometric anomalies and mapped REE-favourable lithologies are being used to refine and prioritise follow-up targets. This initial phase will inform future phases including detailed sampling, mapping, and potentially drill testing.