Terrain Minerals Expands Rare Earth Search at Lort River Project
Terrain Minerals has launched a significant aircore drilling program at its Lort River rare earths project, located in Western Australia’s Albany-Fraser Belt near Esperance. This ~1500-metre campaign is a strategic follow-up to a previous drilling success, which yielded an impressive 8-metre intersection grading 4037 parts per million (ppm) of total rare earth oxides (TREO).
The current drilling efforts are focused on a large, shallow regolith clay basin, identified as a highly prospective area for rare earth element (REE) mineralisation. This prospective zone was pinpointed using existing airborne electromagnetic survey data (V-tem). The interpreted basin spans an impressive 66 square kilometres, measuring over 12 kilometres in length and up to 5.5 kilometres in width. Crucially, this geological feature aligns with known REE-bearing regolith horizons previously encountered in earlier drilling activities.
Beyond the substantial TREO grades, the previous drilling also revealed high concentrations of magnet REEs, including 1 metre at 2362 ppm neodymium, 647 ppm praseodymium, and 291 ppm dysprosium from a depth of 25 metres (LTRC03). These findings strongly support Terrain Minerals’ strategic approach to developing the Lort River project as a significant clay-hosted REE discovery.
Targeting Priority Zones for Scale and Consistency
The step-out drilling program is specifically designed to meticulously test priority zones situated near the high-grade intersection within the regolith. Justin Virgin, Executive Director of Terrain Minerals, highlighted the program’s objectives. “Multiple areas will be tested as we assess the broader zone for scale and consistency of grade,” Virgin stated. “Initially, samples will be taken in three-metre composite samples and submitted for testing.”
The timing of this drilling is critical, with March marking the last feasible month for accessing the broad acre paddocks before the commencement of the cropping season. This narrow window of opportunity has been strategically leveraged by the company.
While Terrain’s Smokebush gold-silver project remains the company’s primary focus, the board recognised the importance of capitalising on this drilling window. This decision was made following the completion of recent RC and diamond drilling campaigns at the Lightning and Wildflower targets. These campaigns generated a substantial 7,739 metres of samples, the results of which are currently pending, as the company aims for its maiden JORC-compliant resource estimation by mid-2026.
Confidence in the Lort River Potential
Early interpretations of the data have confirmed the presence of a broad, conductive regolith clay basin at the Lort River project. This geological feature shows a strong correlation with areas of potential REE enrichment. “These results, combined with our previous geochemical work, reinforce the potential for the Lort River project to represent a unique emerging critical minerals discovery opportunity within the Esperance region,” Virgin commented.
The clear spatial correlation observed between the airborne electromagnetic (AEM) conductivity zones and the prior assay data provides the company with increased confidence in effectively targeting its drill holes. This geological insight is a key driver for the current exploration efforts.
Strategic Location and Future Outlook
The Lort River project benefits from a prime location, situated just 50 kilometres northwest of Esperance. This proximity grants the project ready access to a major port, a significant logistical advantage for any future development.
Furthermore, results from a 15-kilometre soils program, conducted in October 2025, are currently awaited. These results are expected to provide additional valuable information for refining exploration targets and understanding the broader mineralisation potential of the project area.
The exploration at Lort River underscores Terrain Minerals’ commitment to identifying and advancing critical mineral resources in Western Australia. The company’s strategic approach, combining geological interpretation with targeted drilling, positions Lort River as a project of considerable interest in the evolving landscape of rare earth exploration.
