Terrain Minerals’ airborne electromagnetic survey reveals a vast rare earth element target zone at its Lort River Project, highlighting promising high-grade mineralisation and setting the stage for upcoming drilling.
- Airborne electromagnetic survey identifies 66 sq km conductive regolith clay basin
- Previous drilling shows high-grade rare earth oxides including neodymium and praseodymium
- Target basin correlates with known REE mineralisation in Albany Fraser Belt
- Follow-up air-core drilling and metallurgical sampling planned next quarter
- Supports Terrain’s strategy to develop Lort River as a clay-hosted rare earth discovery
A Breakthrough in Rare Earth Exploration
Terrain Minerals Limited has announced a significant advance in its quest to develop critical minerals at the Lort River Project in Western Australia. Using airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey data, the company has delineated an extensive conductive regolith clay basin exceeding 66 square kilometres. This large-scale target zone is prospective for rare earth elements (REEs), a group of metals essential to modern technologies including electric vehicles, renewable energy, and electronics.
Survey Insights and Geological Context
The AEM survey, conducted by UTS Geophysics and interpreted by Southern Geoscience Consultants, successfully mapped the thickness and depth of conductive regolith horizons within the Albany Fraser Belt near Esperance. The interpreted basin aligns spatially with previously identified REE-bearing regolith horizons from earlier drilling campaigns. Notably, prior drill hole LTRC03 intersected impressive grades of total rare earth oxides (TREO), including 8 metres averaging over 4,000 ppm TREO starting at 23 metres depth, with individual metre intervals approaching 1% TREO.
Rare Earth Element Highlights
Within these intercepts, magnet rare earth elements (MREE) such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and dysprosium (Dy) were present at significant concentrations. These elements are particularly valuable for high-performance permanent magnets, critical in green technologies. The presence of such elements in shallow, clay-hosted regolith deposits offers potential for lower-cost extraction compared to traditional hard-rock mining.
Strategic Implications and Next Steps
Executive Director Justin Virgin emphasised the milestone nature of the survey results, noting the enhanced confidence in targeting future drilling campaigns. Terrain plans to commence follow-up air-core drilling and metallurgical sampling in the coming quarter, aiming to better define the resource and assess processing characteristics. This aligns with the company’s broader strategy to position the Lort River Project as a leading clay-hosted rare earth discovery in Australia’s emerging critical minerals landscape.
Broader Portfolio and Growth Outlook
While the Lort River Project garners attention, Terrain Minerals maintains a diversified portfolio including gold, gallium, lithium, copper, and other critical metals across Western Australia and Queensland. The company continues to explore opportunities both domestically and internationally, underscoring its ambition to create shareholder value through discovery and resource growth in strategically important commodities.
Bottom Line?
Terrain’s Lort River findings mark a pivotal step, but upcoming drilling will be the true test of this rare earth opportunity.
Questions in the middle?
- Will follow-up drilling confirm the extent and grade continuity of the rare earth mineralisation?
- How will metallurgical sampling impact the economic viability of clay-hosted REE extraction at Lort River?
- What role could Lort River play in Australia’s critical minerals supply chain amid global demand?