Overland Project Grows to 7,000 km² with 20+ New Copper-Gold Targets Identified
Australian Rare Earths Limited (AR3) has expanded its Overland Project by approximately 2,000 km², unveiling new copper-gold basement targets alongside ongoing uranium exploration in the highly prospective Delamerian region of South Australia.
- Overland Project expanded to ~7,000 km² with new exploration licences
- Specialist review identifies 20+ untested copper-gold basement targets
- Project lies within Delamerian region, analogous to Tier 1 deposits like Winu and Cadia Hill
- Integration of copper-gold exploration with uranium drilling program starting July 2025
- Advanced geophysical data and historical exploration underpin new strategy
Strategic Expansion of Overland Project
Australian Rare Earths Limited (ASX – AR3) has announced a significant expansion of its Overland Project in South Australia, increasing its footprint by around 2,000 square kilometres to a total of approximately 7,000 km². This expansion not only broadens the company’s uranium exploration efforts but also introduces a new focus on copper and gold mineralisation within basement rocks, a move informed by a recent specialist third-party technical review.
The Overland Project is situated within the Delamerian region, a geological terrane gaining recognition for its diverse and rich mineral potential. AR3’s new exploration licences encompass areas showing promising signs for sedimentary hosted uranium as well as copper-gold mineralisation, positioning the company at the forefront of exploration in a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction.
Delamerian Region – A New Frontier for Copper-Gold
The Delamerian Orogen is emerging as a highly prospective but underexplored region for multiple mineralisation styles, including porphyry, skarn, orogenic gold, and volcanic hosted massive sulphide deposits. AR3’s review identified over 20 untested basement targets, many of which exhibit geological and geophysical characteristics analogous to world-class deposits such as Winu in Western Australia and Cadia Hill in New South Wales.
These analogies are particularly compelling given the Delamerian’s complex metallogenic history, with four major mineralising events spanning from 590 million to 399 million years ago. The region’s basement rocks, previously overshadowed by exploration focused on younger sedimentary cover, now present a fresh opportunity for discovery, especially as only about a quarter of historical drilling has targeted these deeper formations.
Integrating Copper-Gold and Uranium Exploration
AR3 plans to leverage its ongoing uranium drilling program, commencing in July 2025, to concurrently sample and assess basement rocks for copper and gold potential. This integrated approach utilises portable XRF technology and laboratory assays to map key pathfinder elements such as copper, molybdenum, and bismuth, which are indicative of porphyry and skarn systems.
Initial results have already shown anomalous copper, molybdenum, and bismuth in weathered granite samples, suggesting the presence of concealed porphyry systems warranting further investigation. The company will also reprocess airborne electromagnetic data to refine conductor targets and prioritize drill testing.
Historical Context and Next Steps
Historical exploration by companies such as Gold Fields Australia has demonstrated the region’s potential, with notable intersections of gold, silver, copper, and zinc in basement rocks. However, many geophysical targets remain untested, and AR3’s renewed focus aims to fill these gaps with modern exploration techniques.
Next steps include detailed geophysical data reprocessing, expanded basement sampling during uranium drilling, and potential follow-up drilling to test priority targets. This strategy not only enhances AR3’s exploration pipeline but also aligns with global demand for critical minerals essential to clean energy technologies.
Bottom Line?
AR3’s expanded Overland Project sets the stage for a potentially transformative exploration phase, blending uranium and copper-gold targets in a highly prospective but underexplored region.
Questions in the middle?
- Which of the 20+ identified basement targets will yield the most promising copper-gold mineralisation?
- How will the integration of uranium and copper-gold exploration impact AR3’s resource development timeline?
- What are the implications of the Delamerian region’s metallogenic complexity for AR3’s exploration success?
