West Cobar Metals Finds 61% of Salazar Scandium Sits in Half the Sample Mass
Key Takeaways
- ALS testwork shows the fine fraction below 38 micrometres holds 61% of the scandium in 51% of the sample mass, an implied grade about 20% above the composite feed.
- That same fraction carries only 33% of the iron, a key deleterious component for downstream scandium purification.
- Alumina also concentrates in the fines at 65%, and about 38% of the scandium sits in the coarser material, a potential grade-recovery trade-off.
- No processing cost reduction, commercial flowsheet or product specification is demonstrated yet, so this is an early data point rather than proof of better economics.
- Aircore drilling starts in late October 2026, with magnetic, gravity and mineralogical testwork results expected soon.
Salazar scandium beneficiation testwork delivers positive start
Size-fraction analysis at ALS (Perth) has found scandium concentrating preferentially relative to iron in the fine fraction of a representative composite sample from the Salazar Critical Minerals Project in Western Australia. West Cobar Metals (ASX: WC1) released the early scandium beneficiation results on 15 October 2026.
The headline numbers are straightforward. The fraction finer than 38 micrometres holds 51% of the sample mass, 61% of the contained scandium and 33% of the contained iron.
Beneficiation means physically removing waste material before chemical extraction. According to the company, upgrading scandium and reducing iron ahead of leaching could improve the feed sent to extraction and purification, and the overall economics of the process.
Aircore drilling is scheduled for late October 2026.
Matt Szwedzicki, Managing Director
“…The fine fraction contains 61% of the scandium in just over half the sample mass, while carrying only one-third of the iron. This is encouraging because upgrading scandium and reducing iron ahead of leaching could improve the feed sent to extraction and purification…”
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What the ALS size-fraction results show
Fine fraction versus feed
The table below shows how the fraction finer than 38 micrometres compares with the whole composite sample.
| Component | Share in fraction below 38 µm |
|---|---|
| Sample mass | 51% |
| Contained scandium | 61% |
| Contained iron | 33% |
| Contained alumina | 65% |
The announcement notes an implied scandium grade ratio of 61/51 = 1.20, approximately 20% above the composite feed grade. In plain terms, the fine material carries more scandium per tonne than the sample as a whole, while carrying proportionally less iron.
Balanced view
The result is not one-directional. Alumina also concentrates in the fine fraction at 65%, and by difference roughly 38% of the scandium sits in the coarser material. The company describes this as a potential grade-recovery trade-off.
The announcement states plainly that no demonstrated processing cost reduction, commercial flowsheet or final product specification is presented. For you as an investor, this is an early data point, not proof of improved economics.
The composite sample details are:
- Total weight of 139.72 kg, made up of 49 intervals from 13 aircore holes
- Intervals selected on a 100 ppm Sc cut-off
- ALS head grade of 140 ppm Sc (215 ppm Sc₂O₃)
- 8.4% Fe and 11.6% Al
Why beneficiation matters for scandium
Iron and alumina are two of the deleterious components (unwanted materials) that affect downstream purification of scandium ore. Removing them before leaching is expected, according to the company, to have positive impacts on the purification stages. Less waste going into the leach also means less material to process.
This program follows the company’s leach testwork reported on 30 March 2026 (“Salazar Heap Leach Potential Supported by Testwork”). West Cobar describes beneficiation as the next important step in developing the Salazar scandium processing flowsheet.
Management also points to geology. Scandium at Salazar is hosted in clay-rich saprolite, and the announcement states Salazar contains substantially higher rare earth element concentrations and lower iron contents than laterite-hosted scandium deposits in New South Wales. Szwedzicki said this different setting means the company “…may have potential for a different / simpler processing pathway.”
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Next steps: more testwork and aircore drilling
Testwork still to come
ALS’s work remains ongoing, and the company expects further imminent results. Planned work includes:
- Magnetic separation testing
- Gravity-based (heavy liquids) separation testing
- Targeted mineralogical assessment of the feed, to establish the potential for additional beneficiation options, including flotation
Aircore drilling and resource context
Aircore drilling is scheduled to commence in late October 2026 on a planned 100m x 50m grid. It is designed to test higher-grade zones in shallow saprolite, test extensions to known scandium mineralisation and supply material for metallurgical testwork.
The current JORC Inferred Mineral Resource, reported on 8 October 2024, comprises 15 Mt grading 153 ppm Sc₂O₃ and 1,205 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO). It is supported by a limited number of drill intersections and is not updated in this announcement.
Wider priorities
The company’s immediate priorities also include:
- Advancing metallurgical testwork, including scandium recovery potential
- Further bioleaching testwork
- Progressing integrated flowsheet demonstration and staged development studies (scoping / PFS)
- Continuing engagement on potential U.S. funding and offtake pathways
Ready to Learn More About the Salazar Critical Minerals Project?
Early ALS testwork shows 61% of the scandium sitting in just 51% of the sample mass, with only 33% of the iron. Aircore drilling is set to start in late October 2026, and further beneficiation results are expected soon.
Explore the West Cobar Metals project pipeline and latest announcements to see how Salazar’s scandium and rare earth potential is taking shape.