Eclipse Metals (ASX:EPM) advances drilling plans and confirms strategic critical minerals in Greenland

Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM) has released an update that sets the stage for a busy period ahead, with preparations for drilling at the Grønnedal Rare Earth Project moving forward and new assays from Ivigtut confirming the consistent presence of rubidium and gallium.

These developments highlight the company’s potential to deliver a combination of scale and diversity in critical minerals at a time when global markets are actively looking for secure and sustainable supply sources outside of China.

In this Q&A, Executive Chairman Carl Popal addresses key questions from investors on the latest announcement, providing further clarity on the work program and the strategic positioning of the company’s Greenland projects.

When will drilling begin at Grønnedal and what are the main objectives of this program?

Drilling at the Grønnedal Rare Earth Project is scheduled to commence in September 2025, once the final approvals have been granted by the Mineral Licence and Safety Authority.

The company’s drilling contractor has confirmed that a rig will be available following the completion of other commitments, which ensures Eclipse is well positioned to start on time.

“Diamond drilling will target deeper extensions of the carbonatite complex as well as high-priority anomalies identified in previous geophysical and mineralogical work, with the objective of expanding and upgrading the current resource base.”

The program is designed to build on the JORC-compliant Inferred Mineral Resource, which currently stands at 89 million tonnes grading 6,363 ppm TREO for a contained 567,600 tonnes of TREO using a 2,000 ppm cut-off.

This approach is expected to provide both scale and confidence in the long-term potential of Grønnedal.

What is the significance of the rubidium and gallium results from Ivigtut?

The identification of rubidium and gallium at Ivigtut is highly significant because both are listed on the United States Government’s Critical Minerals List, reflecting their importance in high-technology and defence applications.

Rubidium is used in quantum technologies and atomic clocks, while gallium is critical to the production of semiconductors and advanced devices such as GaN and GaAs.

A review of an archival core sample returned high values for both minerals, underscoring Ivigtut’s potential.

“Rubidium (Rb) grade of 1,335ppm identified in Ivigtut drill core sample.”

Assays from bulk stockpiles further support this finding, returning consistent enrichment with rubidium results ranging between 401 and 469 ppm and averaging 421 ppm, and gallium results between 36 and 43 ppm averaging 39 ppm.

“Assays from the bulk samples of adjacent waste dump material average 421ppmRb, indicating the pit environment is consistently enriched and supports Ivigtut’s potential as a multi-critical mineral project together with high-purity quartz and zinc.”

These results confirm that Ivigtut is not only prospective for its well-known high-purity quartz and zinc but also has the potential to emerge as a multi-critical mineral project, providing Eclipse with opportunities to pursue value-adding by-product pathways alongside its core rare earths focus.

How does Eclipse Metals see its projects fitting into the global critical minerals supply chain?

Eclipse Metals views its projects as being strategically aligned with global efforts to secure supply chains for critical minerals.

Grønnedal already ranks as one of the largest identified rare earth resources in the North Atlantic region, while Ivigtut has now been shown to host consistent enrichment in rubidium and gallium in addition to quartz and zinc.

“The combination of a large-scale rare earth resource at Grønnedal with critical co-elements (Rb and Ga at Ivigtut) underscores Eclipse’s strategic positioning within the North Atlantic supply chain.”

With direct port access at Ivigtut and proximity to European markets, the projects are well placed to align with the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act.

At the same time, the confirmation of rubidium and gallium brings the projects in line with the priorities of the United States Critical Minerals strategy.

What studies or work will follow the drilling at Grønnedal and the assays at Ivigtut?

Following the commencement of drilling at Grønnedal, Eclipse will focus on using the new data to refine and potentially expand the resource base further.

Oversight will be provided by board member and geologist Alfred Gillman to ensure compliance with JORC standards and to maintain quality across all technical work.

At the same time, Eclipse is advancing detailed mineralogical studies at Ivigtut, including QEMSCAN and TIMA analysis, which will provide insight into the host phases of rubidium and gallium.

These studies will also support assessments of by-product recovery options, which could add value to the project’s development pathway.

Alongside this technical work, Eclipse is continuing to engage with Greenlandic authorities and local communities to ensure that development of both Grønnedal and Ivigtut proceeds in a sustainable and responsible manner.

What are the key catalysts investors should look out for in the coming months?

Investors can look forward to several important catalysts in the near term.

The most immediate will be the commencement of the diamond drilling program at Grønnedal in September 2025, which has the potential to expand one of the largest known rare earth resources in the North Atlantic region.

Results from this drilling will provide critical new information on the deeper extensions of the carbonatite complex and priority anomalies.

In addition, mineralogical studies at Ivigtut will give greater clarity on the nature of rubidium and gallium mineralisation, which will underpin assessments of by-product pathways.

The company is also focused on continuing stakeholder engagement in Greenland to ensure strong regulatory and community support for its projects.

Collectively, these milestones provide a clear sequence of events that are expected to generate value and reinforce Eclipse’s role in advancing critical minerals development in secure and strategically important jurisdictions.

Positioning for global critical minerals demand

Eclipse Metals is pursuing a dual pathway of value creation by combining the large-scale rare earth resource at Grønnedal with the identification of rubidium and gallium at Ivigtut.

The company’s forward program includes resource expansion drilling, mineralogical studies, by-product pathway evaluations, and ongoing community engagement.

With these steps, Eclipse is continuing to strengthen its role in supplying materials that are integral to modern technologies and defence applications, while aligning closely with the priorities of Europe and the United States.

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