The WA Government has stumped up $175,000 for research into the extraction of rare earths, predominantly within the State’s Yilgarn region, with Perth-based geological firm RSC Consulting to lead the study.
RSC will work closely with respected WA junior mining firms Terrain Minerals, Dreadnought Resources, Narryer Metals, Pluto Resources and Curtin University’s Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer program.
The funding from the Mineral Research Institute of WA will enable RSC to examine the best pathway to establish a new rare earth province and unlock the wealth of significant critical minerals available in the State for use in emerging industries.
RSC will also investigate advanced processing opportunities, which may help to grow the industry and create economic benefits and employment opportunities in the State.
Previous WA government-supported research has identified and characterised a range of valuable critical metals found in mineral deposits, including rare earth oxides, gallium and niobium.
The latest research is planned to build on these findings, with a focus on deposits contained within the mineral-rich Yilgarn region, in WA’s eastern Wheatbelt.
Future research may focus on developing test facilities and determining the best methods for processing and purifying critical minerals from deposits unearthed within the State.
WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael said: "Western Australia's leadership in minerals research gives this State a unique opportunity to play a key role in decarbonising the critical minerals supply chain.”
"This research collaboration between the WA Government, industry and universities demonstrates the commitment of the Cook Government to a responsible and sustainable minerals industry.”
Curtin University’s Trailblazer program aims to build research capabilities and help drive commercialisation opportunities in the resources and critical minerals industries across the country. It is one of six Trailblazer programs within the Australian Government’s Trailblazer universities programs.
Curtin has partnered with the University of Queensland, James Cook University and 50 industry partners to encourage commercialisation of university research.
The junior mining firms participating in the study have a range of prospective projects for critical minerals, which they are looking to either develop as a mineral resource or have already done so.
Terrain Minerals has the intriguing Larin’s Lane gallium project, part of its wider Smokebush project, which sits about 350 kilometres northeast of Perth and 65km west of the historic township of Payne’s Find.
Previous maiden drilling at Larin’s Lane intersected broad zones of gallium mineralisation across a 9km by 3km interpreted strike zone. The site provides year-round access and is close to established mining infrastructure.
The company plans to undertake further twin-hole drilling at the site for metallurgical testing, having begun a first round of metallurgical studies in December. The samples provided are being tested with eight separate solvents, focusing on organic, near pH neutral solvents.
Interim results will be released when available, with the final results expected mid-year.
Management revealed an exploration target in November for Larin’s Lane highlighting that gallium and total rare earth oxides are hosted within the regolith sitting above the fresh bedrock. An air core drill program consisting of 53 holes for an estimated 3500 metres will test the prospective targets during the first three months of this year.
A Chinese ban in July 2023 on the export of gallium and germanium, which is used in semiconductor manufacturing, placed gallium firmly front and centre in the news and highlighted its importance as a key critical mineral.
Gallium has a vitally important role to play in semiconductors and electronics. The metal turns electricity into light and is found in many LEDs. Different gallium compounds produce different coloured lights and are commonly used in TV screens, flashlights and Christmas lights.
Using gallium nitride allows for faster switching capabilities at lower voltages and higher temperatures.
Terrain is also currently drilling at its Lort River project in the Albany Fraser Orogen, on the southern margin of the Yilgarn craton, with management targeting its “eye” feature that was discovered from an aerial versatile-time-domain-electromagnetic survey.
Both its T1 and T2 targets are on the western edge of the “eye” feature, which is an interpreted mafic or ultra-mafic intrusion.
Terrain believes a geophysical “eye” identified at Lort River shares strong similarities with IGO’s “eye” that was identified prior to its earth-shattering discovery of the large - and now producing - Nova-Bollinger operation.
In addition to participating in the critical minerals study, Terrain Minerals nabbed a further $450,000 placement from investors keen to support the company’s drilling campaigns at its gold, gallium and nickel-copper projects in WA.
The placement will comprise 150 million shares issued at 0.3c each and settle around January 28 with the shares issued within the company’s existing placement capacity.
Management plans to utilise the funds primarily to conduct further drilling at its Smokebush project, consisting of the Wildflower gold targets and the Larin’s Lane gallium prospects.
Active ASX-listed WA explorer Dreadnought Resources discovered its hard-rock rare earths and niobium deposit Yin in 2022, which forms part of its Mangaroon project in WA’s Gascoyne region.
The company defined a mineral resource for the 30km long ironstone complex across about 3km or 10 per cent, encompassing 14.36 million tonnes at 1.13 per cent total rare earth oxides.
Further successful drilling throughout 2023 enabled Dreadnought to update the resource and extend the strike at Yin to 43km.
The updated resource comprised 29.98mt going 1.04 per cent total rare earth oxides. Combined with the company’s nearby Gifford Creek carbonatite, the two deposits total 40.82mt at 1.03 per cent total rare earth oxides and form a globally significant critical minerals complex within the Mangaroon project.
Dreadnought recently announced an earn-in and joint-venture agreement with a subsidiary of Canadian mining firm Teck Resources for its Bresnahan heavy rare earths and uranium project, covering 3700 square kilometres of ground some 125km southwest of the iron ore mining town of Newman, in WA’s Pilbara region.
The earn-in periods comprise an overall eight-year timeframe and could earn Teck up to 80 per cent of the project if exploration funding commitments are met.
The critical mineral niobium is also considered to be part of the accepted minerals within the new study. Dreadnought has discovered high grades of the metal at its Stinger discovery within the Gifford Creek carbonatite, part of the company’s Mangaroon project.
The WA Government is keen to maximise the critical minerals within its reach and forge a strong pathway to their future development through funding vital research programs.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Craig Nolan
