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- Air-core drilling planned to test scandium extensions and higher-grade zones
- Drilling plan now expanded to include additional saprolite target
- Aeromagnetics define a focused target
- Salazar already hosts an Inferred mineral resource of 15Mt
West Cobar Metals (ASX: WC1) is expanding scandium drilling plans at the Salazar critical minerals project in Western Australia’s south after assessing newly acquired data.
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The company has included a new exploration target at the Benriach prospect on the back of a significant bedrock scandium intersection in RC hole BHTRSP002 which hit 27m at 102 parts per million (ppm) scandium oxide (Sc2O3) from 171m within amphibolite bedrock.
The mineralised amphibolite is characterised by elevated magnesium, titanium, iron, calcium and phosphorus and rare earth elements.
Aeromagnetic data indicates that the Benriach amphibolite forms a discrete magnetic body. Importantly, the geometry of this body provides a specific exploration target where the scandium-enriched bedrock is interpreted to approach the weathered profile.
The prospect and will be tested by air-core drilling planned for Q4 2026 with the program to test the weathered profile above and adjacent to the scandium-enriched bedrock to determine whether weathering has produced enhanced scandium grades comparable with, or potentially higher than, those identified at the nearby Newmont deposit.
MD, Matt Szwedzicki, said West Cobar considers this position prospective for the development of near-surface scandium enrichment within the weathered profile, providing a compelling target for the planned Q4 2026 air-core drilling program.
“Benriach gives us an exciting scandium target which highlights a potentially significant expansion of the scandium mineralisation at Salazar. We have a substantial bedrock intersection within amphibolite that shows a similar geochemical association to the bedrock beneath the Newmont scandium resource, together with a discrete magnetic body that provides a clear focus for follow-up drilling,” he said.
“The Q4 air-core program is designed to test the weathered profile above and around this bedrock zone for near-surface scandium enrichment, while also targeting extensions and higher-grade zones at Newmont. It is recognised that high scandium grades are essential for the development of a commercial operation.
“This exploration work is being advanced alongside our metallurgical program as we assess the potential development pathway for scandium and the broader Salazar critical minerals resource.”
WC1 was steady at 1.9¢ with a Mkt cap of $7.070M prior to markets opening.
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