Radium Hill Assays Hit 9,068 ppm U3O8 and 1,081 ppm Sc2O3 in New Sampling

Exploration Breakthrough at Radium Hill

Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) has announced compelling new assay results from its reconnaissance rock sampling program at the Radium Hill project in South Australia. The results confirm widespread, high-grade mineralisation of uranium, scandium, and rare earth elements (REE), with assays reaching up to 9,068 ppm U3O8 (uranium oxide), 1,081 ppm Sc2O3 (scandium oxide), and 36,371 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO).

This discovery is particularly significant given Radium Hill’s historical context. While uranium mining occurred between 1954 and 1961, the by-products scandium and rare earth elements were never systematically evaluated or recovered. Heavy Rare Earths’ recent work is the first comprehensive modern exploration effort to unlock the polymetallic potential of this site.

Geophysical Survey and Data Integration

Complementing the assay results, a detailed airborne magnetic-radiometric survey flown over a 12.2 by 3.4-kilometre corridor has revealed complex geological structures and extensions of the Radium Hill line of lode. This survey has provided unprecedented magnetic detail, highlighting folding and shearing within the basement rocks that correlate closely with uranium and scandium mineralisation zones.

Heavy Rare Earths is integrating this new geophysical data with extensive historic mining and exploration records, including over 670 drillholes and surface sampling data, to develop a robust 3D geological model. This model aims to refine target areas for the upcoming 2025 drilling campaign, focusing on extensions northeast of the historic mine where high-grade mineralisation persists.

Scandium Potential and Market Context

Scandium grades at Radium Hill compare favourably with some of Australia’s leading scandium resources, such as those at Flemington and Burra. Given scandium’s critical role in advanced alloys and clean energy technologies, this positions Radium Hill as a potentially strategic source of this rare metal.

Heavy Rare Earths’ joint venture with Havilah Resources Limited provides a solid operational framework, with HRE acting as operator. The collaboration includes co-funding exploration and development activities, while respecting heritage and environmental regulations in the region.

Looking Ahead

With these promising assay results and a sophisticated exploration model, Heavy Rare Earths is poised to commence targeted drilling in 2025. The company’s systematic approach, combining historic data, modern geophysics, and new sampling, could unlock significant value from a previously underexplored polymetallic system.

While the exclusion zone around the historic mine limits access to some areas, the broader project area offers multiple high-priority targets. Investors and industry watchers will be keen to see how drilling results validate these early findings and what implications they hold for the supply of uranium, scandium, and rare earths in Australia.