Victory Metals Limited has reported a record-breaking rare earth oxide intersection of 11,565 ppm TREO at its North Stanmore project, reinforcing its status as a world-class heavy rare earth deposit. The December 2025 drilling program also advances resource confidence and metallurgical prospects, positioning the project as a key Western supplier of critical rare earths.
- Record 11,565 ppm TREO intersection at North Stanmore
- 63-hole aircore drill program enhances resource classification
- High heavy rare earth ratios with low radioactivity confirmed
- Metallurgical tests show high recoveries of critical elements
- 320.6 million tonnes Mineral Resource Estimate with significant indicated resources
A Landmark Achievement in Rare Earth Exploration
Victory Metals Limited (ASX:VTM) has announced a landmark result from its North Stanmore heavy rare earth elements (HREE) project in Western Australia, delivering the highest total rare earth oxide (TREO) grade recorded to date at the site. A peak intersection of 11,565 ppm TREO from just 15 metres depth places North Stanmore among the elite clay-hosted heavy rare earth deposits globally, a significant milestone in a sector hungry for secure, non-Chinese supply chains.
Drilling Success and Resource Confidence
The December 2025 aircore drilling campaign comprised 63 holes totaling 3,134 metres, designed to tighten drill spacing to 100m by 50m in the central deposit area. This infill program is critical for upgrading resource confidence, enabling a portion of the Mineral Resource to be classified as Measured Resources once pre-feasibility study (PFS) modifying factors are applied. The updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) now stands at 320.6 million tonnes, with a majority classified as Indicated, underscoring North Stanmore as Australia's largest indicated clay heavy rare earth resource.
Exceptional Metallurgical and Mineralogical Characteristics
Victory Metals’ metallurgical testwork, conducted by Core Resources and ALS Laboratories, reveals promising processing attributes. The ore exhibits high recoveries of critical heavy rare earths such as dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium; elements vital for advanced technologies; alongside scandium and hafnium. Notably, the project benefits from low radioactivity levels and rapid leach kinetics, factors that could reduce capital and operating costs. Mineralogical studies confirm that the rare earths are hosted in soft, secondary phosphate minerals, facilitating straightforward beneficiation through froth flotation and gravity separation.
Strategic Implications and Environmental Considerations
With global demand for critical rare earth elements intensifying, North Stanmore’s combination of ultrahigh grades, shallow mineralisation, and favourable metallurgy positions Victory Metals as a potential cornerstone supplier outside China. The project’s location in the well-established mining district of the Murchison region offers logistical advantages, including proximity to infrastructure. Environmental assessments are underway as part of the PFS, with initial assumptions favouring waste stockpiling and tailings management within mined pits, aligning with industry best practices.
Looking Ahead
Victory Metals is progressing its PFS and further metallurgical optimisation to refine processing flowsheets and economic parameters. The company’s CEO Brendan Clark emphasises the transformative nature of these results, highlighting North Stanmore’s potential to underpin secure Western supply chains for critical materials essential to clean energy and technology sectors.
Bottom Line?
Victory Metals’ record grades and advancing studies at North Stanmore signal a pivotal step towards establishing a premier Western rare earth supply hub.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the final assay results from the remaining drillholes impact the resource estimate?
- What are the projected capital and operating costs based on the latest metallurgical findings?
- How will ongoing environmental assessments influence the project’s development timeline?