Terrain Minerals (ASX:TMX) intends to advance the gallium potential at its Larin’s Lane target in Western Australia after receiving the majority of the remaining results from last year’s drilling campaign.
A maiden aircore drilling program comprising 101 holes for 6,611m was undertaken in December, which identified elevated clay rare earths and gallium assays.
Terrain, which has a market capitalisation of $5 million, says total rare earth oxide grades returned up to 3,254 parts per million (ppm), while 70% of the holes returned intersections of gallium up to 64m wide and with multiple higher-grade zones up to 53.74ppm gallium oxide.
A soft, silver critical metal, gallium is used in the defence industry, computer chips, semiconductors, and transistors, including electronic circuitry.
In conjunction with advancing the gallium potential at Larin’s Lane — located within the Smokebush project 350km north of Perth — Terrain Minerals will advance its Lort River projects, including rare earth exploration across these tenements.
The next stages of work are now being assessed, including alternative routes for metallurgical extraction of the rare earths.
Terrain says this reflects the company receiving interest from unrelated third parties in relation to these commodities. Discussions are ongoing.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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