Australian Mines fires up the drill rigs, testing extensions to Flemington scandium resource

• Australian Mines begins 1000m drilling campaign at Flemington
• New geological data will help guide future development planning

Special report: Australian Mines has started drilling at its Flemington scandium-nickel-cobalt project in central NSW after receiving regulatory approval for a 1000m campaign.

The work is targeting a geophysical anomaly next to the existing 6.3Mt at 446ppm scandium resource at a 300ppm cut off, an area which has seen limited historical testing despite strong geological validation.

The drilling programme will be used to evaluate potential extensions to the known scandium system and deliver new geological data to support ongoing modelling.

Flemington’s high-grade resource sits within a larger 28Mt at 217ppm Sc resource at a lower 100ppm cut-off.

Data from the drilling will inform future resource expansion opportunities and broader development planning as well as a planned scoping study update aimed at improving project economics.

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Looking to expand one of the highest-grade scandium deposits

Australian Mines (ASX:AUZ) CEO Andrew Nesbitt said the drilling program represented an important step in evaluating the potential to expand one of the world’s highest-grade scandium deposits.

“Importantly, our existing resource base already provides a strong foundation for ongoing development work,” he said.

“Success here would further enhance the project, but Flemington already stands as a strategically valuable asset in its own right.”

From solid oxide fuel cells and aerospace alloys to high performance ceramics, lasers and electronic components, scandium plays a role in a wide range of technologies.

Despite its relevance, it remains off the radar for many mainstream investors but given the shifting geopolitical environment and increasing scrutiny of critical mineral supply chains, the sector is attracting growing attention.

Like other niche metals such as gallium, germanium and antimony, more than 80% of global scandium supply is sourced from China, typically as a by-product or recovered from tailings.

Western interest accelerated after Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) began investing in scandium production, including processing scandium from titanium dioxide slag in Canada and acquiring the Burra project in NSW.

Rio’s Burra is a neighbour of Australian Mines in the Fifield area, as is Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX:SRL) and Rimfire Pacific Mining (ASX:RIM) with their critical minerals projects.

This article was developed in collaboration with Australian Mines, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decision.