OD6 Metals Registers With U.S. Government to Pursue Funding for Nevada Fluorspar Project
Key Takeaways
- OD6 Metals has completed registration with SAM.gov, the U.S. federal prerequisite for pursuing government contracting, financial assistance, and strategic critical minerals opportunities.
- Fluorspar sits on the U.S. Final 2025 Critical Minerals List and is specifically prioritised by the Defense Logistics Agency under an open Broad Agency Announcement that runs until 30 January 2029.
- The U.S. has been 100% net import reliant for fluorspar since 1995, with no significant domestic mine production reported — the supply gap that drives the DLA's active funding program.
- Quinn is located in Nevada, directly inside U.S. federal jurisdiction, covers 226 mining claims across approximately 1,890 hectares, and hosts an 8km mineralised corridor with more than 20 fluorspar occurrences.
- No funding has been approved and no assurance can be given that OD6 or Quinn will receive U.S. Government support — SAM.gov registration is the administrative entry point, not a funding commitment.
OD6 completes U.S. federal registration to pursue critical minerals funding for Quinn
OD6 Metals (ASX: OD6) has completed registration with the U.S. Government’s System for Award Management (SAM.gov), establishing the federal registration framework required to pursue applicable U.S. Government contracting, financial assistance and strategic critical-minerals opportunities. The timing is notable: fluorspar sits on the U.S. Final 2025 Critical Minerals List and is currently prioritised by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) under an open Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).
Quinn, OD6’s fluorspar project, is located in Nevada, USA, placing it directly inside the jurisdiction this U.S. federal policy targets. According to USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, excluding sales from stockpiled material, the United States was 100% net import reliant for fluorspar in 2025, with no significant domestic mine production reported since 1995. The DLA BAA remains open until 30 January 2029, giving OD6 a multi-year window to advance Quinn’s technical case and engage with the program as milestones are reached.
Managing Director Brett Hazelden
“Completing OD6’s U.S. federal registration is an important step in positioning the Company to pursue applicable U.S. Government opportunities as we continue to advance the Quinn Fluorspar Project.
The significance for OD6 is not simply the registration itself. It is about ensuring the Company is appropriately positioned to engage with U.S. Government agencies and pursue applicable funding, contracting and strategic partnership opportunities as Quinn progresses.
What makes this particularly relevant for OD6 is that fluorspar is not only recognised as a critical mineral by the United States, but is also specifically identified as a priority material by the Defense Logistics Agency under a currently open program focused on rebuilding domestic strategic-material supply chains.”
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Why fluorspar is a U.S. national security priority
Fluorspar (calcium fluoride, or CaF₂) is a foundational input across several critical industrial sectors. It is classified as a critical mineral under U.S. legislation covering materials essential to economic or national security where supply chains face vulnerability to disruption.
The DLA distinguishes two key commercial grades. Metallurgical-grade fluorspar contains 60–85% CaF₂ and is used principally in steel and cement production. Acid-grade fluorspar contains greater than 97% CaF₂ and is used in the manufacture of hydrogen fluoride, hydrofluoric acid and aluminium fluoride.
Fluorspar end-use applications extend well beyond these base uses:
- Semiconductor etching
- Pharmaceuticals
- Electrical power distribution
- Advanced industrial manufacturing
The supply chain vulnerability is acute. The U.S. has not reported significant domestic mine production since 1995 and currently imports 100% of its fluorspar needs. That dependence is what drives the DLA’s inclusion of fluorspar in its current BAA program, which targets restoration and stabilisation of domestic strategic and critical materials supply chains.
The DLA BAA’s stated areas of interest are:
- Refining, processing and beneficiation
- Recycling, conservation and substitution
- Qualification of materials
For a Nevada-based fluorspar project with active beneficiation and metallurgical testwork underway, that alignment is direct.
Quinn’s strategic alignment with U.S. federal programs
The DLA’s emphasis on refining, processing and beneficiation maps closely to the technical work OD6 is currently undertaking at Quinn. The company’s ore sorting programme and broader metallurgical testwork are designed to establish the ability to beneficiate Quinn mineralisation and determine the most appropriate processing pathway towards saleable fluorspar products.
OD6 is advancing Quinn across a number of parallel workstreams:
- Geological mapping and sampling
- Advancement of exploration and drilling permitting
- Environmental and cultural baseline studies
- Ore sorting and beneficiation testwork
- Comprehensive metallurgical testwork
- Evaluation of processing pathways for metallurgical-grade and/or acid-grade fluorspar products
The federal funding pathways OD6 intends to assess as the project advances include programs administered through the Department of Defense (including the DLA), the Department of Energy Critical Minerals programme, the State Department, and Defense Production Act Title III and Industrial Base programs.
No application for funding has presently been approved, and no assurance can be given that OD6 or the Quinn Fluorspar Project will receive funding under any U.S. Government program.
Quinn’s key project attributes are summarised below:
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Nevada, USA |
| Claim area | 226 mining claims covering approximately 1,890 hectares |
| Known occurrences | More than 20 fluorspar occurrences across the project area |
| Mineralised corridor | 8km fertile mineralised corridor confirmed |
| Target product grades | Premium Acidspar (>97% CaF₂) and metallurgical-grade (Metspar) products |
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What comes next for OD6 and Quinn
OD6’s immediate priorities as it advances Quinn alongside its newly established federal engagement framework are:
- Progress current ore sorting and metallurgical testwork
- Advance U.S. permitting activities
- Progress the proposed exploration drilling programme
- Evaluate potential product specifications and downstream markets
- Engage with relevant U.S. critical-minerals stakeholders
- Assess applicable U.S. federal funding, procurement and strategic partnership programs
SAM.gov registration is the administrative prerequisite for engaging with U.S. Government programs. It signals that OD6 is building the government engagement infrastructure in parallel with its technical work, so as Quinn advances and the required technical, metallurgical and economic information becomes available, the company is positioned to pursue relevant federal opportunities rather than having to establish that framework from scratch.
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