Heavy Rare Earths Ltd. has started a review of its Cowalinya rare earth project in Western Australia with a focus toward high-value heavy rare earth oxides (HREO).
The review comes amid a rapidly evolving critical minerals landscape, highlighted by China’s recent stringent export controls on essential heavy rare earths like terbium and dysprosium.
These elements are increasingly sought after by Western nations looking to secure independent supply chains for electric vehicles, defence applications, and modern telecommunications.
The company believes that Cowalinya has the potential to generate significant value given its scale, quality, and location relative to key infrastructure.
Cowalinya currently hosts an impressive JORC-compliant mineral resource of 159 million tonnes grading at 870 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth Oxides (TREO).
The assessment will focus on reinterpreting the project’s higher-grade zones and evaluating multiple historical high-grade intercepts, which include a standout result of 6 metres at 5,848 ppm TREO from 24 metres.
HRE has appointed a specialist rare earths geologist to lead the comprehensive review. The evaluation will leverage the company’s extensive existing geological database, which comprises more than 550 drillholes alongside extensive density, weathering, and structural data.
HRE Managing Director Jason Barnett noted that the refreshed board is eager to take a fresh look at the asset given how much the global market has matured.
“We are particularly interested in the heavy rare earths, or ‘heavies’, due to their critical role in defence, the global energy transition, and the urgent need to secure supply chains outside of China,” Barnett said.
The Cowalinya project boasts a substantial footprint measuring 13 kilometres by 4 kilometres, with additional along-strike regional opportunities being wrapped into the review.
HRE also holds a significant volume of sample material in storage, which will be utilised for upcoming metallurgical characterisation and testing to unlock commercial pathways.
Logistically well-positioned, Cowalinya is also located on unallocated crown land 110 kilometres north-north-east of the port of Esperance.
It sits 70 kilometres from the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway and 350 kilometres south of the newly constructed Kalgoorlie Rare Earth Processing Facility.
The outcomes and formal recommendations of the strategic review are expected to be handed down over the coming weeks.
