Odessa Minerals (ASX:ODE) is preparing for a maiden 10,000m air-core drilling program at its Lyndon and Lockier Range projects in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region, with field work scheduled for the September 2026 quarter.
The company is progressing applications for programs of work and engaging with drilling contractors.
Omni Geoscience will lead a winter field program to refine existing targets and define drill locations ahead of first-pass drilling.
Field work will focus on further evaluating the Mt Yaragner target. Previous surface sampling identified pathfinder elements indicating potential for an underlying carbonatite.
Results consider the target analogous to Hastings Technology Metals’ (ASX:HAS) neighbouring Yangibana Rare Earths Project.
Earlier rock-chip sampling at Lockier Range identified rare-earth-element-bearing ironstone caps that may overlie prospective carbonatite units.
Sampling identified combined lanthanum, cerium, and yttrium values up to 1,098 parts per million (ppm).
The program will also include follow-up mapping and sampling across the Southern Pegmatite Field, where previous sampling returned values up to 1,911ppm lithium oxide.
Executive Chairman Tim Goldsmith says the company is pleased with progress towards first drill testing of priority targets.
“The upcoming winter field program will refine these targets ahead of the planned maiden 10,000m air-core drilling campaign, representing an important step in evaluating the Project’s potential for carbonatite-hosted rare earth mineralisation,” Goldsmith adds.
ODE holds exploration licences over 785km2 in the Gascoyne region, in close proximity to significant recent lithium and rare earth discoveries.
Lockier Range covers approximately 124km2 within the same corridor as Hastings’ Yangibana deposit and is proximal to the Yinnetharra and Jamesons lithium projects.
Odessa Minerals is an exploration company advancing a portfolio of rare earth, lithium, and diamond projects across Western Australia’s Gascoyne and Kimberley regions.
Write to JC Villarba at Mining.com.au
Images: Odessa Minerals
