RareX (ASX:REE) cracks the gallium code: a new twist in the Cummins Range story

In a market obsessed with lithium, graphite and rare earths, a lesser-known critical mineral is starting to shine—gallium.

RareX (ASX:REE) has just delivered what may be Australia’s most significant gallium discovery to date, with historical drilling at its Cummins Range project unearthing jaw-dropping grades.

So high, in fact, that samples returned values up to 6,826 g/t Ga₂O₃.

That’s not a typo.

Gallium, prized for its role in semiconductors, 5G tech and thin-film solar cells, is mostly extracted as a byproduct of bauxite and zinc processing.

China controls 98% of supply and recently imposed a sweeping ban on gallium exports—sending ripples through global markets and pushing prices to a 13-year high.

RareX Managing Director James Durrant said the gallium findings were “an unexpected boost for the Cummins Range deposit,” and could be “integrated into our rare earth and phosphate development plans”​.

Key Highlights

• Historical drill intercepts include:
  • 60m at 124 g/t Ga₂O₃, 3% TREO, 372 g/t Sc₂O₃
  • 99m at 106 g/t Ga₂O₃, 0.77% TREO, 160 g/t Sc₂O₃
  • 74m at 123 g/t Ga₂O₃, 2.4% TREO, 186 g/t Sc₂O₃

• Only 25% of historical drilling has been assayed for gallium

• None of RareX’s 30,000m of drilling has yet been tested for gallium

• Cummins Range now deemed “the most advanced gallium deposit in Australia”

The company is currently re-assaying stored sample pulps. If gallium mineralisation extends deeper—matching the rare earth zones proven down to 700m—the upside could be immense.

The results matter because gallium deposits are notoriously elusive.

Most miners stumble upon them.

RareX didn’t set out to hunt gallium—it emerged from a “deep dive reassessment” ahead of the 2025 drill season​.

What sets Cummins Range apart is its combination of scale, grade and regulatory readiness.

The project already boasts advanced heritage agreements, a mining lease application, and a scoping study that values the rare earth and phosphate development at over $330 million NPV (post-tax)​.

Amid soaring demand projections—up from US$2.45 billion in 2024 to US$21.53 billion by 2034—RareX has stumbled into the right metal at the right time.

A final twist?

The high gallium grades are tightly interwoven with scandium and rare earth zones, potentially enhancing downstream concentrate value.

That means RareX might not need to mine gallium separately—it’s already coming out of the ground with the rest.

With China holding the gallium supply hostage, the West is desperate for alternatives.

And while gallium may not be a household name yet, RareX is suddenly holding one of the few keys to the next generation of semiconductors and solar cells.

That’s more than just a twist in the Cummins Range story—it’s a plot change.