West Cobar Metals (ASX:WC1) provides update across critical minerals portfolio

West Cobar Metals has provided an update on activities across its critical minerals portfolio following its recent placement.

The update covers the Baxter Fluorspar Project in Nevada, the Cobar West copper, antimony and silver project in New South Wales, the Salazar Critical Minerals Project in Western Australia, and engagement with US Government critical mineral funding pathways.

Highlights

• Due diligence activities are underway at the Baxter Fluorspar Project in Nevada, which is being acquired subject to due diligence.
• Historical mining at the Baxter Project produced approximately 200,000t of fluorspar between 1928 and 1957, including premium acid grade fluorite concentrate grading above 97% to 98% CaF₂.
• West Cobar has expanded its Cobar West landholding to approximately 1,384km² across approximately 120km of prospective Cobar stratigraphy.
• Flowsheet metallurgical testwork continues at the Salazar Critical Minerals Project, aiming to demonstrate heap leach potential and mixed rare earth concentrate (MREC) production. Scandium specific workflows are being evaluated due to attractive extraction potential relative to peers.
• WC1 is working with its US advisors progressing formal submissions and raising the profile of its projects within the US Government as part of its drive to secure critical mineral supply.

The Baxter Fluorspar Project is located in south west Nevada, approximately 150km ESE of Reno, and comprises 51 contiguous Bureau of Land Management registered claims covering approximately 4.3km².

Multiple historical fluorite workings occur within a southwest trending 3km by 1km corridor along the principal fault direction, and the area around the Spar Dome Mine has not been drill tested.

WC1 personnel are presently at site conducting due diligence activities, including a detailed technical review, compilation and digitisation of historical data, tenure verification, ground inspection and surface sampling.

At the Cobar West Project, West Cobar has expanded its exploration tenure to approximately 1,384km² across approximately 120km of prospective Cobar stratigraphy.

The Bulla Park copper, antimony and silver deposit contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 20Mt @ 0.58% CuEq, comprising 0.30% Cu, 0.10% Sb and 4.7g/t Ag, and remains open for expansion, with metallurgical testwork demonstrating recoveries of 94.6% Cu, 84.1% Sb and 82.6% Ag.

Exploration programmes have commenced with land access and approvals being progressed for aircore drilling at Blind Freddie, a ground gravity survey at Lillyvale, exploration planning at Coomera and RC drilling on priority targets.

West Cobar Managing Director Matt Szwedzicki said.

“With the recent capital raising successfully completed, West Cobar is now well funded to advance multiple critical minerals workstreams across our portfolio.”

At the Salazar Critical Minerals Project, current metallurgical programs are focused on demonstrating a practical development pathway through low cost processing options, including heap leaching, and production of mixed rare earth concentrate.

The project hosts Mineral Resource Estimates of 230Mt @ 1,178ppm TREO, 15Mt @ 153ppm Sc₂O₃, 42Mt @ 5.2% TiO₂, 263Mt @ 35ppm Ga₂O₃ and 4Mt @ 29.7% Al₂O₃, with Salazar also containing yttrium representing approximately 16.2% of TREO.

Next steps at the Salazar Critical Minerals Project include integrating REE and Sc with co product pathways into the process flowsheet, ongoing metallurgical testwork, further bioleaching testwork, progressing development studies and continuing US funding and offtake discussions.

The announced work includes due diligence activities at the Baxter Fluorspar Project, exploration activities at the Cobar West Project, metallurgical programs at the Salazar Critical Minerals Project, and engagement with US Government critical mineral funding pathways.

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