Terra Critical Minerals Confirms High-Grade Tin and Indium at Tamworth
Terra Uranium Limited (ASX:T92) has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of LCT Metals Pty Ltd, securing two strategic exploration licenses in New South Wales’ established New England Tin Province. This acquisition represents a significant diversification beyond the company’s existing uranium portfolio, adding high-grade tin and silver assets to its critical minerals holdings.
The acquisition encompasses three key projects containing historically productive mining assets with remarkable surface sampling results:
The Ottery Tin Mine stands as New England’s largest historical hard rock tin producer, with past production of approximately 2,700 tonnes of tin oxide at an average grade of 2% Sn. The mineralisation occurs in a series of five lodes hosted by an intrusive porphyry unit, surrounded by wide zones of hydrothermal alteration.
Notably, the Ottery tenement is positioned just 10km from the Taronga Tin project being developed by First Tin (29.9% owned by MLX). Taronga currently holds a resource of 23.2Mt at 0.16% Sn, highlighting the established tin potential of the immediate region.
The Castle Rag Silver Project has a documented history of production, with estimates suggesting historical output of approximately 48 tonnes of silver and 692 tonnes of lead. Surface sampling across the project area has revealed exceptional silver grades, with one sample returning 1,670 g/t silver.
Additional notable surface samples from Castle Rag include:
The Mole River Project presents a substantial exploration opportunity with a 13km strike length, of which 6km contains known mineralisation. The project area hosts both tin-rich and silver-rich zones.
Surface sampling at Mole River has returned remarkable grades, including:
| Project | Highlight Surface Samples |
|---|---|
| Mole River | 64% Tin, 147 g/t Silver, 12% Tin, 5.21% Tin |
| Castle Rag | 1,670 g/t Silver, 445 g/t Silver with 1.12% Copper, 210 g/t Silver with 1.19% Lead |
The acquisition positions Terra Uranium to benefit from strengthening tin prices, which recently reached $35,900 per tonne – a four-month high. Several factors are contributing to this positive market environment:
This development comes amidst a broader context of Australia’s lithium ambitions and challenges in the critical minerals sector, demonstrating the country’s growing focus on strategic resources.
In conjunction with the acquisition, Terra Uranium has secured firm commitments from sophisticated investors for a $500,000 placement at $0.04 per share. The funds raised will support:
The placement includes one free unquoted option (exercisable at $0.09) for each new share issued, with option issuance subject to shareholder approval at an upcoming meeting in May 2025.
Tin is recognised as a critical metal for modern technology, playing an essential role in electronics manufacturing, particularly as the primary component in solder used for electronic components and circuit boards.
With the rapid growth in AI hardware and data centers, tin demand is expected to increase significantly. The metal’s properties make it indispensable for creating reliable electrical connections in circuit boards, with no viable substitutes currently available for many applications.
Unlike many industrial metals, high-grade tin deposits are relatively rare worldwide. Production from traditional sources has been declining, creating supply challenges that support higher prices. Key facts about the tin market include:
These supply constraints come at a time when demand for tin in electronics manufacturing continues to grow, creating favourable market dynamics for new tin production. This situation mirrors broader trends seen in mining investment in the Middle East, where strategic mineral development is gaining momentum.
The acquisition structure includes:
The consideration shares will be subject to the following voluntary lock-up periods from the date of issuance:
Terra Uranium plans to immediately compile and analyse historical data following completion of the acquisition, with field exploration scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2025. The company will focus on validating the numerous high-grade mineral occurrences previously identified across the project areas.
The initial exploration program will include:
For the longer term, the company aims to establish JORC-compliant resources across its tin and silver assets, capitalising on the historic work already completed in these well-established mining areas.
Terra Uranium now offers investors exposure to both:
With strong financial backing from the recent placement, Terra Uranium is well-positioned to advance exploration on these high-potential assets while maintaining optionality across multiple critical minerals markets. The company’s diversified approach to critical minerals exploration provides shareholders with exposure to both the resurging tin market and the strengthening uranium sector.
This strategic diversification also provides investors with an alternative to traditional precious metals investments, complementing options like gold, which has seen significant price movements in recent market conditions.
Terra Uranium Executive Chairman, Andrew Vigar, commented: “The T92 exploration strategy has been expanded from just uranium to tin, silver and gold in Australia. Whilst we will retain our valuable Canadian uranium assets we have taken the option to make an acquisition in the prolific New England Tin, Silver, Antimony and Gold province. This is an exciting time for T92; we thank new and existing shareholders for their continued support and look forward to keeping all shareholders informed of these new targets.”
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