RareX Begins First Drill Test of Khaleesi’s Gallium and Niobium Potential
Key Takeaways
- RareX has commenced its maiden RC drilling programme at the Khaleesi Alkaline Intrusive Complex, covering approximately 3,500m across five defined priority targets in Western Australia.
- The Niobe gallium target hosts a 5km × 3km surface anomaly with coincident magnetic and gravity signatures — the largest of the five targets and entirely untested at depth until now.
- The Nb target is geochemically comparable to the Toongi Zr-Hf-REE-Nb deposit, a direct geological analogue that frames the potential scale of the niobium opportunity.
- An additional tenement application has cleared native title and is expected to be granted in the near term, expanding RareX's footprint across the broader Khaleesi system beyond the current five targets.
- Assay results will be released progressively as drilling advances, making this an active news-flow period for investors tracking the RareX Khaleesi RC drilling program.
Maiden RC drilling begins at Khaleesi as RareX tests district-scale critical minerals potential
RareX (ASX: REE, REEO) has commenced its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme at the Khaleesi Alkaline Intrusive Complex (KAIC) in Western Australia, targeting gallium, niobium, and rare earth elements. The programme spans approximately 3,500m across five priority targets and marks the first direct drill test of RareX’s geological model for this district-scale complex.
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Q1 FY27 drilling highlights at a glance
- Programme size: ~3,500m of RC drilling
- Priority targets: Five defined across the KAIC
- Target commodities: Gallium, niobium, and rare earth elements
- Key surface anomaly: Niobe, hosting a ~5km × 3km gallium anomaly with untested depth potential
- Tenement expansion: Additional application has cleared native title, with grant expected in the near term
- Results: Assay results to be released progressively as received and interpreted
Five priority targets and what they represent
The five targets were defined through reinterpretation of historical exploration data combined with modern magnetic and gravity surveys. Despite a long history of major company exploration in the area, that activity focused predominantly on gold, leaving the rare earth and critical minerals potential of the alkaline complex largely untested until now.
| Target Name | Commodity Focus | Key Feature | Geological Setting | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niobe gallium | Gallium | 5km × 3km surface anomaly + coincident mag/gravity | Untested at depth | Priority — largest target |
| Niobe carbonatites | Carbonatites | Coincident magnetic and gravity anomalies | Western half of Niobe | Interpreted dense/magnetic rocks |
| Rim | TBD | Coincident mag/gravity on KAIC outer margin | Fractionated intrusive phases | Outer margin target |
| Nb | Niobium | Historical drilling geochemical target | Comparable to Toongi Zr-Hf-REE-Nb deposit | Geochemical priority |
| Mag | TBD | Strongly magnetic pipe-like body | Associated with major structural features | Structural/intrusive target |
CEO quote
James Durrant, Managing Director and CEO, RareX Limited
“Getting the rig turning at Khaleesi is another important step in advancing our broader exploration strategy. We’re now testing five targets across a project we believe has genuine scale potential for gallium and niobium-REE, built on a strong technical foundation of geophysics, geological reinterpretation and historical exploration data. The area has a long history of exploration by major mining companies, but its REE potential has remained largely untested. By combining that historical work with modern datasets and a fresh geological interpretation, we’ve been able to define a compelling set of targets for this maiden program. We’re looking forward to seeing what the drilling delivers and sharing results with shareholders as they come to hand.”
What is an alkaline intrusive complex — and why does it matter for critical minerals?
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Project background and what comes next
RareX acquired the Khaleesi Project in May 2024, identifying untapped critical minerals potential within a district that had historically been explored for gold. Historical work had returned anomalous gallium and rare earth geochemistry, but the broader alkaline intrusive complex had never been systematically assessed for critical minerals. Modern magnetic and gravity surveys, combined with a reinterpretation of historical datasets, allowed RareX to define the five priority targets now being drilled.
The next steps are straightforward but material for investors to track:
- Samples submitted for laboratory analysis as drilling progresses
- Assay results released to market as they are received and interpreted
- Additional tenement grant expected to proceed in the near term following clearance of native title
- Results to inform follow-up exploration across the broader KAIC
The tenement addition is worth noting separately. The expanded ground will increase RareX’s footprint across the Khaleesi system and provide further scope for future exploration work, broadening the potential scale of the project beyond the current five targets.
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