Mount Ridley Mines Extends Scandium Up to 8km Beyond Resource as Phase 3 Begins
Key Takeaways
- Phase 2 re-assay results confirm high-grade scandium mineralisation extending up to 8km beyond the current Block 1 and Block 2 MRE boundaries at Grass Patch, with seven headline intercepts all exceeding the existing resource averages of 77.3 ppm and 74.7 ppm Sc₂O₃ respectively.
- The best intercept from Phase 2 — MRAC1052 at 13m @ 124.6 ppm Sc₂O₃ — is more than 60% above the Block 1 resource average, pointing to meaningful grade uplift potential in the next MRE update.
- Mineralisation is confirmed open in multiple directions from both blocks, with the most significant extension reaching 7–8km north-northeast of Block 2 and the eastern margin still largely untested.
- Phase 3 re-assay pulps comprising 2,800 samples were delivered to the laboratory on 21 September 2026, keeping the systematic expansion program on schedule for a further resource update.
- The Grass Patch Complex already hosts what the company describes as the world's largest publicly reported JORC 2012 scandium resource at 946Mt @ 50.1 ppm Sc, with multi-commodity overlap across gallium and heavy rare earth element systems adding strategic depth.
Phase 2 re-assay results extend high-grade scandium well beyond current resource boundaries
Mount Ridley Mines (ASX: MRD) has confirmed that its Phase 2 Scandium Re-Assay Program has delivered extensive high-grade mineralisation extending up to 8km beyond the current Block 1 and Block 2 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) boundaries at its Grass Patch Project in Western Australia. Intercept grades across the program far exceed the existing Block 1 resource average of 77.3 ppm Sc₂O₃ and the Block 2 average of 74.7 ppm Sc₂O₃, pointing to substantial potential for further MRE expansion.
The Phase 3 re-assay pulps, comprising 2,800 samples, were delivered to the laboratory on 21 September 2026, keeping the systematic expansion program firmly on schedule.
The seven headline intercepts from the Phase 2 program are:
- MRAC1036: 22m @ 119.41 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 12m (Hole ended in mineralisation)
- MRAC1040: 40m @ 102.09 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 18m (Hole ended in mineralisation)
- MRAC1114: 16m @ 106.83 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 32m
- MRAC1052: 13m @ 124.6 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 16m (Hole ended in mineralisation)
- MRAC1051: 15m @ 102.15 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 6m
- MRDD033: 12m @ 105.7 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 18m
- MRDD034: 19m @ 113.38 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 20m
Managing Director & CEO Allister Caird
“The scale of our critical mineral resource at Grass Patch continues to impress. Our phased re-assay program to systematically and prudently build our resource base, particularly when it comes to scandium, is proving to be a very sensible strategy for our shareholders. It gives us the bandwidth we need to build out other aspects of our business too, our downstream strategy leveraging our wholly owned Selectro™ leach process and a growing list of technical partnerships.
We’re really only at the midway point with the re-assay program. These Phase 2 results still need to be incorporated into the next round of MRE upgrade, and just this week our team finished collecting the Phase 3 re-assay pulps, which have now been dropped at the lab for assay work.
Having the largest reported JORC compliant scandium resource in the world helps put us on the radar of offtakers, government departments, strategic capital and defence primes, just to name a few. Expanding that resource also improves our ability to identify higher grade areas within it and gives us more optionality for pit optimisation studies as we move toward early scoping work.”
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Mineralisation spreading in all directions across Blocks 1 and 2
A key characteristic of the Phase 2 results is that mineralisation is confirmed open in multiple directions from both Block 1 and Block 2, with several drill traverses each confirming a large, connected scandium system extending well beyond current resource outlines. The company’s view is that the current MREs capture only part of a substantially larger mineralised footprint.
The prior Phase 1 scandium intercepts at Grass Patch established the initial case for mineralisation extending beyond the existing MRE boundaries, with Phase 2 now confirming that the pattern holds across a materially wider footprint in multiple directions.
Block 1 extensions — south, northwest and north
The most prominent expansion from Block 1 occurs south to southeast, where a continuous corridor of mineralised drillholes extends approximately 4–5km beyond the current MRE boundary. Key intercepts in this corridor include MRAC1051 (15m @ 102.15 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 6m), MRAC1047 (21m @ 93.98 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 6m), MRAC1040 (40m @ 102.09 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 18m), and MRAC1036 (22m @ 119.42 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 12m). West and northwest of Block 1, holes MRAC1052 (13m @ 124.6 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 1m, described in the source as one of the higher-grade intersections on the map) and MRAC1032 (18m @ 78.86 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 6m) confirm that margin remains open beyond the MRE, while drilling in the inter-block corridor to the north, including MRAC0925 (42m @ 89.12 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 19m) and MRAC0927 (21m @ 80.85 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 39m), points to a potential link between Block 1 and the broader Block 2 scandium system.
Block 2 extensions — north and west
The most significant expansion from Block 2 is to the north and northeast, where drilling extends approximately 7–8km beyond the current MRE boundary. The northernmost hole, MRAC1463, returned 9m @ 71.09 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 6m. Several drill traverses between MRAC1463 and the existing MRE also contain scandium mineralisation, indicating the potential for a much larger system with significant MRE expansion potential to the north. West and northwest of Block 2, MRAC1000 (11m @ 96.81 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 43m) and MRAC0994 (34m @ 91.03 ppm Sc₂O₃ from 9m) extend the known scandium footprint approximately 4–5km beyond the current Block 2 resource. The eastern margin remains relatively under-tested, representing ongoing upside that has not yet been fully evaluated.
| Direction from MRE | Block | Extension Distance | Representative Drillhole | Grade (ppm Sc₂O₃) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South-southeast | Block 1 | ~4–5km | MRAC1036 | 119.42 |
| West-northwest | Block 1 | Open beyond MRE | MRAC1052 | 124.6 |
| North (inter-block corridor) | Block 1 | Open beyond MRE | MRAC0925 | 89.12 |
| North-northeast | Block 2 | ~7–8km | MRAC1463 | 71.09 |
| West-northwest | Block 2 | ~4–5km | MRAC0994 | 91.03 |
| East | Block 2 | Under-tested | MRAC1211 | Further evaluation required |
Understanding scandium — why supply scarcity makes this resource significant
Scandium is one of the world’s most supply-constrained critical minerals. It is used in solid oxide fuel cells, aerospace alloys, and defence applications, yet global primary scandium production remains limited and is insufficient to meet forecast demand, with existing supply supplemented by inventories and secondary sources. Independent industry forecasts project scandium demand to increase materially over the coming decade as commercial adoption accelerates.
The strategic importance of scandium has been reinforced by United States Government support for the development of new Western scandium supply chains, a signal of the increasing focus on securing diversified sources of this critical mineral from allied nations.
Against that backdrop, the Grass Patch Complex hosts what the company describes as the largest publicly reported JORC 2012 scandium resource globally, currently standing at 946Mt @ 50.1 ppm Sc for 47,357 tonnes of contained scandium metal. A resource of this scale, continuing to grow through systematic re-assay, positions Mount Ridley on the radar of offtakers, government departments, strategic capital, and defence primes, as stated by CEO Allister Caird in the announcement.
Multi-commodity system adds strategic depth to Grass Patch
The significance of the Phase 2 results is amplified by the spatial relationship between scandium mineralisation and the existing rare earth element (REE) and gallium resource envelopes at Grass Patch. Scandium mineralisation coincides with those systems across the project, reinforcing the interpretation of a large-scale, district-wide critical minerals system. The company’s proprietary Selectro™ leach process provides a potential pathway to produce scandium alongside heavy rare earth elements and gallium through a single leach circuit, into a market where supply has persistently failed to keep pace with demand.
3D gravity modelling at Grass Patch has helped define the structural framework underpinning this district-scale interpretation, providing geophysical corroboration for the lateral and depth continuity suggested by the drill intercepts.
The current global JORC 2012 Inferred Resources at Grass Patch across all three commodities are:
- Global Scandium Inferred Resource: 946.1Mt @ 50.1 ppm Sc, for 47,357 tonnes of contained Sc metal
- Global Gallium Inferred Resource: 838.7Mt @ 29.3 ppm Ga, for 24,584 tonnes of contained Ga metal
- Global HREE Inferred Resource: 122.5Mt @ 889 ppm TREO, for 44,610 tonnes of contained HREO
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What comes next — resource upgrade and Phase 3 underway
The announcement outlines a clear pipeline of near-term catalysts that investors should monitor. These steps represent a methodical approach to building resource confidence through the systematic conversion of existing drill data into JORC 2012-compliant resources, rather than speculative new drilling.
- Phase 2 re-assay results to be incorporated into the resource model, targeting an update and potential upgrade of the current JORC 2012 Inferred Mineral Resource at Grass Patch
- Phase 3 re-assay programme, comprising a further 2,800 pulps, was delivered to the laboratory on 21 September 2026
- Continued resource modelling to support a potential upgrade of the Inferred Resource to the Indicated category
The combination of a growing world-scale resource, mineralisation open in all directions, multi-commodity overlap, the proprietary Selectro™ leach process, and an advancing downstream strategy positions Mount Ridley (ASX: MRD) as a compelling emerging participant in the critical minerals supply chain.
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