Hawk Resources (ASX:HWK) has received consent from the Western Australian Minister for Mines to commence exploration at the Olympus Scandium Project this month (September 2026).
The approval represents the final government consent required following earlier approvals from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and completion of cultural heritage requirements with the Ngaanyatjarra Traditional Owners.
The company executed an agreement for mineral exploration in May and completed a cultural heritage survey in June.
Exploration will focus on an 80km² priority area containing a 7km by 4km scandium soil anomaly grading above 500 parts per million (ppm). Historical portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis identified peak soil grades of 1,284ppm scandium (Sc) with multiple samples exceeding 1,000ppm Sc.
Previous rotary air blast drilling returned near-surface intersections including 11m @ 934ppm Sc from surface and individual 1m samples up to 2,164ppm Sc.
According to Managing Director Scott Caithness, Olympus was last explored for copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum 18 years ago.
“Hawk’s exploration at Olympus will be the first in the area since 2008 and based on the historical exploration, it has the potential to result in the discovery of a major new scandium province,” Caithness says.
The company cautions that pXRF results should not be considered equivalent to laboratory assay results, as variation from the presented results would be expected from laboratory analysis.
Olympus comprises two granted exploration licences covering 309km² in the West Musgrave region, 285km west of Yulara and 150km northeast of Warburton.
Historical exploration between 2001 and 2009 targeted copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group elements (PGEs) rather than scandium, meaning no holes were drilled within the main scandium anomaly.
Notable historical intersections from areas adjacent to the main anomaly include 5m @ 948ppm Sc from surface and 6m @ 821ppm Sc from 2m depth.
Scandium has no primary mines globally, with supply relying on by-product extraction or processing stockpiles largely by China, Russia, and former Soviet Union countries. Currently trading above US$3,000 ($4,197) per kilogram on the Shanghai Metals Market, the metal has been designated a critical mineral by the US, European Union, and Australian governments.
Important scandium applications include reinforcing aluminium alloys for aerospace and automotive industries, solid oxide fuel cells achieving 60–70% electrical efficiency, and components for 5G and 6G networks.
Hawk plans to commence soil sampling over the scandium anomaly in Q3 2026, followed by potential drilling on high-priority targets and infill soil sampling in the succeeding quarter.
Hawk Resources specialises in critical and precious metal exploration, with projects in the US, Western Australia, and Brazil.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Hawk Resources
