OD6 Metals (ASX:OD6) advances Splinter Rock rare earths with ANSTO scale-up testwork

OD6 Metals has commenced an advanced phase of metallurgical testwork at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation as part of the continued optimisation and scale up of the preferred processing flowsheet for its Splinter Rock Rare Earth Project in Western Australia, a clay hosted system containing a JORC Mineral Resource of 682Mt @ 1,338ppm TREO and positioned to generate mixed rare earth carbonate and mixed rare earth hydroxide products for downstream separation and offtake evaluation.

Highlights

• Advanced ANSTO metallurgical testwork underway, building on previously reported results at Splinter Rock

• More than A$1 million committed across ANSTO programs and large scale metallurgical diamond core drilling

• Production of bulk MREC and MREH samples to support offtake discussions and customer qualification

• Focus on heap leach optimisation, impurity removal and operating parameter definition

• Ongoing collaboration with ANSTO and CPC Engineering to refine the preferred flowsheet

• Activities anticipated to be eligible for future Research and Development tax offsets

The current program is supported by approximately 2.5t of metallurgical diamond core collected from the Inside Centre deposit, which forms the Indicated component of the Mineral Resource at 119Mt @ 1,632ppm TREO and has previously delivered consistent geology and favourable metallurgical performance.

Composite samples are being used in a series of campaigns designed to refine heap leach kinetics, acid strength and consumption, nanofiltration performance for acid recovery and solution concentration, and ion exchange selectivity to reduce iron, aluminium, uranium and thorium prior to final impurity removal and product precipitation.

These testwork streams are aligned with the multi stage processing pathway that has been progressively demonstrated and reported, comprising heap leaching, nanofiltration, ion exchange, impurity removal and the precipitation of either mixed rare earth carbonate or mixed rare earth hydroxide.

The flowsheet development is being undertaken in parallel with CPC Engineering, with the objective of improving confidence in operating parameters and generating robust, commercially relevant data that can be applied to engineering studies and product qualification.

A central outcome of the current phase is the production of more than 1kg of MREC and MREH, which can be distributed to potential offtake and separation partners to assess product quality and commercial payability.

The mixed products are described as containing elevated concentrations of Nd, Pr, Dy and Tb, collectively forming a magnetic rare earth suite of interest to permanent magnet supply chains, and the program will also monitor other elements of interest to determine whether technically viable recovery routes exist within the broader flowsheet.

OD6 Metals Managing Director Brett Hazelden described the work as a further step in strengthening the technical foundation of the project, stating that

“the testwork now underway is specifically aimed at optimising recoveries, refining impurity control, and producing high quality rare earth products that can be utilised in offtake discussions and future development studies”.

The comment reflects the focus on de risking the processing pathway and aligning laboratory outcomes with the requirements of downstream qualification and commercial engagement.

From a geological and development perspective, Inside Centre was selected for this phase due to its consistent mineralisation, favourable strip characteristics and role as a potential early stage mining area within the broader clay basins at Splinter Rock.

The mineralisation remains open within the modelled system, while the current metallurgical work is directed toward establishing a repeatable and scalable processing route for the representative material.

In a broader industry context, OD6’s program sits alongside its stated engagement with the framework supporting Australia’s A$1.2 billion Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, which is intended to underpin future security of supply for key materials.

The immediate next steps involve completion of the ANSTO optimisation campaigns, production and distribution of bulk MREC and MREH samples, and integration of the resulting data into ongoing engineering and development studies, providing a technical platform for continued offtake discussions and project evaluation within Australia’s emerging rare earths sector.

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