Basin Energy Limited (ASX: BSN) has officially commenced drilling at its recently acquired Sybella-Barkly Uranium and Rare Earth Project in northwest Queensland, marking a major milestone in what promises to be a substantial exploration campaign across two highly prospective mineral systems.
The drilling program at Sybella-Barkly will span approximately 3,000 metres through 80 drill holes. It is designed to target both district-scale sediment-hosted ionic clay rare earth elements (REEs) and paleochannel roll-front uranium systems.
The initial phase of drilling is focused on shallow sediment-hosted clay rare earths, where soil sampling has already confirmed widespread anomalism exceeding 600 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO).
This anomalism is aligned with a laterally extensive airborne electromagnetic (AEM) anomaly believed to represent a granite-derived clay unit.
This phase benefits from a $150,000 grant under the Queensland government’s Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI), supporting Basin’s innovative approach to unlocking high-value rare earth deposits.
Following the completion of this phase and subject to weather conditions, the drill rig will shift attention to uranium targets.
These have been identified through AEM data showcasing a network of paleochannels directly along trend from the uranium-rich Sybella Granite — renowned as a key source for major uranium deposits in the Mount Isa province.
Drilling is expected to persist for about four weeks, with assay results anticipated to be delivered in the first quarter of 2026.
Pete Moorhouse, Managing Director of Basin Energy Limited, commented on the occasion, stating: “[This] marks major progress and Basin looks to test three district-scale concepts exploring for uranium and rare earth elements in the world-class jurisdiction of the Mount Isa province in Queensland.
“Initial drilling will advance the concept for ionic clay style REEs, mobilised from the emerging Sybella Discovery owned by our neighbours at Red Metal.
“I again acknowledge the tremendous effort and cooperation from staff, contractors and stakeholders to allow this program to happen in a professional manner under tight time constraints.”
The Sybella-Barkly Project represents a strategic district-scale exploration opportunity within one of Queensland’s foremost uranium and rare earth provinces.
Basin Energy’s landholding encompasses vast portions of the Sybella Batholith and the adjacent Barkly Tablelands, where both granite-hosted and sediment-hosted mineralisation models are being systematically tested.
This first-pass aircore drilling campaign forms an integral part of Basin Energy’s broader strategic portfolio, which extends across uranium and green energy metal projects not only in Australia but also Scandinavia and the world-class Athabasca Basin in Canada.
