OD6 Metals Targets 2.5 Tonnes of Core for Heap Leach Optimisation at Splinter Rock

Metallurgical Core Drilling Underway

OD6 Metals has initiated a focused metallurgical diamond core drilling campaign at its 100% owned Splinter Rock Rare Earth Project in Western Australia. The program targets the Inside Centre area, a key zone within the project’s JORC Indicated Resource, to obtain representative bulk samples for advanced heap leach optimisation and impurity removal testwork. This drilling will twin six existing AirCore holes, delivering 2 to 2.5 tonnes of rare earth bearing core to ANSTO for scale-up processing.

Refining a Low-Cost Processing Pathway

The core samples will underpin a series of metallurgical campaigns designed to enhance OD6’s innovative heap leach flowsheet. This method has already demonstrated superior recovery rates and cost efficiencies, particularly for magnetic rare earth elements like neodymium and praseodymium. The program will test heap leach kinetics, particle agglomeration, and impurity removal techniques including nanofiltration and ion exchange, aiming to produce a high-purity Mixed Rare Earth Carbonate (MREC) and Mixed Rare Earth Hydroxide (MREH) product.

Strategic Partnerships and Resource Upside

OD6’s collaboration with ANSTO and CPC Engineering continues to be pivotal, providing technical expertise and guiding the optimal development pathway. The Inside Centre resource currently stands at 119 million tonnes at 1,632 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), with mineralisation open to the northeast and southwest, suggesting meaningful potential to expand the resource base. This upside could further enhance the project’s economics and long-term viability.

Advancing Commercialisation

Producing over 1 kg of premium MREC and MREH samples is a critical milestone for OD6, enabling customer qualification and progressing offtake discussions with global separation facilities. These discussions will assess commercial payability options, a key step toward securing revenue streams. Meanwhile, OD6 is also engaging with government and financing partners to support the project’s development cycle.

Looking Ahead

With metallurgical core drilling now underway and testwork progressing, OD6 Metals is positioning Splinter Rock as a potentially world-class rare earths operation. The company’s focus on low-cost, scalable processing and strategic partnerships could unlock significant value in the critical minerals sector, particularly as demand for magnetic rare earths continues to grow globally.