Rapid Critical Metals Lifts Silver Grades Above 1,000g/t in Sorting Breakthrough

Rapid Critical Metals delivers standout ore sorting results at Webbs, lifting silver grades above 1,000 g/t

Rapid Critical Metals (ASX: RCM) has received transformative X-ray Transmission (XRT) ore sorting test results from historical stockpile material at its Webbs Silver mine in New South Wales. TOMRA Sorting Pty Ltd completed the work on 22 July 2026, with silver grades upgraded to over 1,000 g/t Ag whilst achieving strong mass reduction across all runs, positioning the results to materially improve project economics ahead of the upcoming scoping study.

Unprocessed ore from the historical stockpile (WSHMM) was upgraded from 565 g/t to 994 g/t Ag, with 98% silver recovery to concentrate and 44% mass rejection. Processed waste material (WPWHS) was upgraded from 164.6 g/t to 1,120 g/t Ag, with 94% mass rejected, despite having already been through processing once.

Breaking down the test work results

TOMRA tested two representative samples: WPWHS, comprising material from historically processed waste stockpiles, and WSHMM, comprising unprocessed historical ore stockpiled from mining activity up to 1965. Each sample was passed through the TOMRA sorter in two stages, with an initial pass producing a high-grade concentrate and a second pass reprocessing the rejected material to recover a secondary middlings fraction.

The WSHMM material delivered the standout performance. Material grading 565 g/t Ag was upgraded to a concentrate grading 994 g/t Ag, with 98% of the contained silver reporting to that concentrate and only approximately 2% of silver lost to the rejected fraction. In practical terms, this points to the potential for a substantially smaller processing plant than would otherwise be required to treat this material.

The WPWHS sample also responded strongly to sorting. Silver was upgraded from 164.6 g/t to 1,120 g/t Ag in the first pass, with 94% of the sample mass rejected as barren. As this material has already been through processing once and starts from a lower feed grade, the overall recovery is naturally lower than for the unprocessed ore. The result is still considered very successful, particularly given the material’s processing history.

Full assay results

Table 1: Assay results for Webbs sorted material. Cumulative product mass and cumulative recovery calculations omitted for clarity.

Two different XRT processing types were used in the test work. Contrast-XRT processing is used to classify high-density inclusions such as argentite and galena from host rock, whilst dual energy XRT (DE-XRT) is used to classify and reject base metal sulphides. For this set of test work, contrast-XRT was implemented for the first runs, whilst DE-XRT was used in the scavenger runs.

These results reflect the well-liberated nature of the sulphides and barren waste particles, and the clear density differential between sulphides and waste, which enables effective classification and separation. Across all runs, samples and size fractions tested, the material consistently responded to XRT sorting, with silver upgrade and mass reduction achieved in every run.

What is XRT ore sorting and why it matters for investors

X-ray Transmission (XRT) ore sorting is a technology that separates valuable mineral-bearing rock from barren waste based on density before the material enters the mill. In simple terms, the sorter uses X-rays to scan individual rock fragments as they pass through the machine on a conveyor, identifying which pieces contain valuable minerals and which are barren waste. Compressed air jets then divert the valuable pieces into one stream and the waste into another.

For the Webbs test work, two processing modes were used. Contrast-XRT classifies high-density inclusions like argentite (silver sulphide) and galena (lead sulphide) from lighter host rock. Dual energy XRT (DE-XRT) is used to classify and reject any base metal sulphides in the scavenger runs. Both are established, commercially proven sorting methods.

The investor significance lies in the operational benefits ore sorting can deliver:

• Reduced milling throughput: Barren rock is rejected before it reaches the mill, meaning less material needs to be processed to recover the same amount of metal.
• Lower energy consumption: Processing smaller volumes of higher-grade material reduces grinding energy and reagent use.
• Reduced tailings storage: Less waste entering the processing plant means smaller tailings facilities and lower closure costs.
• Lower operating costs: The combined effect of reduced throughput, energy and tailings can materially lower unit operating costs.
• Smaller plant footprint: A higher-grade mill feed may enable a smaller, lower-capital processing facility whilst maintaining metal units delivered to the concentrator.

As Managing Director Byron Miles noted, ore sorting is not experimental technology. It has been a game changer for the resource industry and is now considered mainstream.

Management view and the path to potential cash flow

The test results carry immediate commercial significance. The company is evaluating the possibility of processing the stockpiled material to generate potential cash flow, an option now supported by the strong mass reduction and silver recoveries achieved in the TOMRA test work.

Byron Miles, Managing Director

“Rapid has stockpiles of historical waste material where initial samples have responded excellently to TOMRA XRT sorting that has yielded excellent mass reduction and silver recoveries to over 1,000 ppm. Rapid is evaluating the possibility of processing this material to generate potential cash flow. The Webbs/Consol ore is very amenable to ore sorting and the results are very positive for the project. We were particularly excited to see the results of the previously mined but unprocessed ore, with it almost doubling in grade with losing minimal ore. Also, the low grade ore that is mined to be processed rather than go to the waste dump is a large plus which will add value to the economics of the upcoming scoping study. We also expect the main ore deposits to behave the same as the dumps that were tested. Ore sorting has been a game changer for the resource industry and is not considered new technology but mainstream. We expect to undertake further work in the future on the drill core samples obtained from the resource drilling currently underway.”

Management explicitly tied the results to adding value to the economics of the upcoming scoping study. The ability to process lower-grade material that would otherwise report to waste dumps, combined with the near-doubling of grade in unprocessed ore, positions ore sorting as a material value driver for the project.

Next steps and what to watch

Further test work is justified on drill core recovered from the current resource drilling programme to confirm the results are achieved on spatially separated fresh samples. Management expects the main ore deposits to behave similarly to the tested stockpile material, given the consistent geological characteristics across the Webbs system.

The upcoming scoping study represents the key near-term catalyst. The ore sorting results are expected to feed directly into the economic assumptions underpinning that study, with potential impacts on capital intensity, operating costs and project scale.

Next steps include:

1. Confirmatory ore sorting test work on fresh resource drill core.
2. Ongoing resource definition and expansion drilling at Webbs.
3. Upcoming scoping study incorporating ore sorting economics.
4. Evaluation of processing stockpiled material for potential cash flow.

Rapid Critical Metals’ broader New South Wales silver portfolio, which includes Webbs, Webbs Consolidated, and Conrad, is now positioned for a catalyst-rich period. The company is fully funded, with resource upgrades, step-out drilling, and new target testing set to drive a steady flow of newsflow in the months ahead.

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