At The Doe Run Technology Center, employees are developing a proprietary ammonium chloride process (ACL Process), a hydrometallurgical technique that reduces the need for high temperature smelting. With this new process, Doe Run is positioned to better meet the world’s demand for critical minerals.

In the Viburnum Trend, Doe Run is more than a company. We are the driving force behind the local economy. Our company’s presence has shaped the identity and stability of our communities, where economic opportunity often begins with the company. In a region where other industries are limited, Doe Run provides year-round jobs with competitive pay and long-term career potential. Beyond providing careers, the company also helps sustain local infrastructure, small businesses, and essential services that rely on a stable workforce.

In 2024, Doe Run advanced several initiatives that will strengthen local jobs, expand domestic supply chains, and extend the life of regional operations. Most notably, Doe Run secured federal funding to support critical mineral innovation.  We owe this accomplishment to our workforce who spent years researching and developing new technologies.  It is just one example of the results gained when we invest in the education and training of our employees.

Federal Support for Critical Mineral Processing

In March 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded The Doe Run Company $7 million in Defense Production Act funds to boost the domestic supply of critical minerals. This funding supports the construction of a hydrometallurgical demonstration plant at Doe Run’s Technology Center in Viburnum. 

This plant will deploy Doe Run’s proprietary ammonium chloride process (ACL Process) to capture a variety of critical minerals and materials from our ore and concentrates.

Doe Run’s innovative ACL Process is designed to capture a broader range of valuable minerals and materials from ore and concentrates.  This process is expected to recover copper, zinc, lead, tin, and antimony from what the industry considers mining and recycling waste. 

The demonstration plant will extract cobalt and nickel from copper concentrates, two critical minerals used in everything from advanced military systems to electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy infrastructure. We believe the ACL Process can also recover copper, zinc, lead, tin, and antimony from what the industry considers mining and recycling waste.  This effort marks a major step forward in the development of new mineral processing methods that improve environmental performance, reduce reliance on critical minerals imports, and extract more value from both new and existing materials.

At the same time, Doe Run is positioning Missouri as a contributor to national security and clean energy efforts. By recovering critical minerals from domestic resources, Doe Run will create economic opportunities while helping build a more resilient domestic supply chain.

The project brings new investment and innovation to Southeast Missouri, reinforcing Doe Run’s commitment to long-term, sustainable growth and our role in supporting both local jobs and national priorities.

Creating Efficiencies Through Lab Consolidation

Also in 2024, Doe Run combined two of its internal laboratories into a single, streamlined facility known as Central Lab. Located in Viburnum, Central Lab now manages most of the mineral analysis and environmental testing for the company, replacing what were previously separate operations as well as reducing Doe Run’s reliance on outside labs, saving significant money and time.  Doe Run now saves an estimated $2 million each year by bringing  this additional lab work in-house.

Central Lab analyzes samples from Doe Run’s mines and mill, exploratory drilling, the BRRD battery recycling plant, and even conducts same day quality analysis on concentrate samples before they depart by rail or barge to our customers.

The combined lab also boosts efficiency. By moving lab operations under one roof, Doe Run established a consistent process for testing and reporting that improves data quality. With all testing in one place, exploration, operations, and compliance teams can access accurate information faster and collaborate more effectively.  Doe Run now has the ability to cross-train all staff, improve procedures with testwork, and improve consistency and accountability with documented standard operating procedures. Central Lab represents an investment that helps the company stay competitive in a highly regulated industry.

New Lease Modifications Extend Mines

To support long-term growth and protect access to valuable mineral reserves, in 2024 the company pursued new opportunities for exploration adjacent to existing operations in the Viburnum Trend.  

In three areas Doe Run had reached the boundary of our leases.  However, it was clear to geologists that the ore bodies extended beyond those points. Following the process established by the Bureau of Land Management, Doe Run petitioned for modifications to certain existing leases.  The Bureau of Land Management agreed to the modifications allowing us to extend mining operations alongside the existing mines beneath 1,500 acres of National Forest System land in the Mark Twain National Forest.

By concentrating underground mining activity near established infrastructure, we can reduce surface impact, lower development costs, and continue operating in line with responsible land use practices, all while accessing critical minerals and materials like copper, zinc, nickel, and cobalt.

These successful lease modifications should extend the life of Doe Run’s mines by opening up new production areas and protecting the precious resources found in the Viburnum Trend.

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