Hawk Resources has obtained all necessary government approvals to begin exploration at its Olympus scandium project in Western Australia, targeting a significant scandium anomaly with plans to fast-track drilling.
- All government consents secured for Olympus exploration
- Historical data shows 7km x 4km scandium soil anomaly
- RAB drilling intercepts up to 11m at 934ppm scandium
- Exploration to start with soil sampling in September
- Plans to fast-track RAB drilling on high-priority targets
Final Regulatory Hurdle Cleared for Olympus Exploration
Hawk Resources (ASX:HWK) has crossed the last major regulatory checkpoint needed to kick off exploration at its Olympus scandium project in Western Australia's West Musgrave region. With consent from the WA Minister for Mines now secured, the company is gearing up to commence soil and rock sampling this month, aiming to rapidly progress to RAB drilling on promising targets.
The project, spanning two granted exploration licenses covering 309km2, had already cleared earlier approvals including a Mining Entry Permit from the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and a Cultural Heritage Survey with the Ngaanyatjarra Traditional Owners. This final nod from the Mines Minister unlocks on-ground activities that have been pending since the option agreement was signed in October 2025.
Historical Data Highlights a Robust Scandium Anomaly
Olympus was last explored between 2001 and 2009 for copper, nickel, cobalt, and platinum group elements, but a retrospective review of soil and RAB drilling data has revealed a substantial scandium anomaly. Soil sampling identified a +500ppm scandium zone extending 7km by 4km, with peak pXRF soil assays hitting 1,284ppm. Reconnaissance RAB drilling, comprising 42 shallow holes, returned intercepts such as 11m at 934ppm scandium from surface and individual 1m samples up to 2,164ppm scandium.
It’s important to note these scandium grades come from portable XRF (pXRF) analysis, which the company cautions are indicative rather than definitive laboratory assays. Confirmatory lab testing will be essential to validate widths and grades of mineralisation.
Strategic Importance of Scandium and Olympus’ Potential
Scandium is a critical mineral with no primary mines globally, primarily sourced as a by-product from rare earth and other metal mining, with supply dominated by China and Russia. Its strategic uses include aluminium alloy strengthening for aerospace and automotive applications, and key roles in solid oxide fuel cells and next-generation telecommunications networks.
Hawk’s Managing Director Scott Caithness emphasised Olympus’ potential to become a new scandium province, noting the project’s extensive anomalous zones and the fact that no scandium-focused exploration has been conducted there since 2008. The project’s location within the Giles Intrusive Complex and the presence of mafic-ultramafic intrusive bodies align with geological settings favourable for scandium mineralisation.
Exploration Plans and Next Steps
With approvals now in place, Hawk plans to initiate soil sampling across the priority scandium anomaly in the third quarter of 2026. Subject to encouraging results, the company intends to swiftly move to RAB drilling and infill soil sampling in the fourth quarter, aiming to delineate high-grade zones for further evaluation.
This upcoming work will be the first systematic scandium-focused exploration at Olympus, potentially unlocking a new chapter for the project and adding to Hawk’s portfolio of critical minerals assets, which also include copper projects in Utah and lithium projects in Brazil.
While the historical data provides a compelling foundation, the market will be watching how laboratory assays and drilling results shape the project's resource potential and commercial viability in the coming months.
Bottom Line?
Hawk’s Olympus project is poised to move from historical promise to active exploration, but the true scale of scandium mineralisation hinges on forthcoming lab assays and drilling results.
Questions in the middle?
- Will laboratory assays confirm the high scandium grades indicated by pXRF data?
- How quickly can Hawk advance from soil sampling to a maiden resource estimate?
- What impact could a new scandium province in West Musgrave have on global supply dynamics?