en.Wedoany.com Reported - Heavy Rare Earths (ASX: HRE) has announced that a strategic review of its Subron Rare Earth Project (formerly Cowalinya) in Western Australia has preliminarily revealed a high proportion of heavy rare earth oxides, positioning the project as a potential strategic supplier of critical materials for the AUKUS submarine program.
The review results indicate that Subron is among the highest in heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) proportion for residual clay deposits of its kind. Managing Director and CEO Jason Barnett noted that 150 intersections from drill data recorded HREO grades exceeding 300 ppm, with an average grade of 579 ppm HREO and an HREO proportion of 38%. These high-grade zones may be suitable for beneficiation, yielding higher-value processing options.
Preliminary studies confirmed elevated total rare earth oxide (TREO) grades at the project, with HREO proportions peaking at 70%. Within the existing JORC resource of 159 million tonnes at 870 ppm TREO, approximately 12.9 kilometres of high-grade HREO mineralisation strike and 10 high-grade domains were identified along a newly delineated structural corridor, with further extensions beyond the initial resource area. A review of the drill database, comprising 547 air-core holes, revealed that applying a >1000 ppm TREO cut-off yielded 190 significant intercepts (including 583 one-metre intervals) with an average TREO of 1685 ppm, of which HREO was 441 ppm, representing an HREO proportion of 25%; applying a >300 ppm HREO cut-off yielded 150 significant intercepts (including 454 one-metre intervals) with an average TREO of 1653 ppm, of which HREO was 579 ppm, representing an HREO proportion of 38%. The company's new board has focused the review on high-grade zones enriched in heavy rare earth elements including europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu), and yttrium (Y).
The Subron Project is located on non-agricultural Crown land approximately 110 kilometres northeast of the Port of Esperance, about a seven-hour drive from the Australian submarine maintenance centre south of Perth, where substantial investment under the AUKUS agreement is concentrated. Rare earth and critical minerals consultant Claudio Sheriff led the strategic review, focusing on Subron's HREO distribution. Sheriff stated that while residual clay deposits are not uncommon, the concentration of high-grade HREO domains within Subron's regional prospect is remarkable. He noted that the name "Subron" is derived from "Submarine Squadron," referencing both the submarine-like geometry of the mineralisation and its potential as a source of heavy rare earths for the AUKUS submarine program.
Heavy Rare Earths said it is "highly encouraged" by the review results, with the Seawolf prospect already prioritised, recording the highest-grade intersection: 8 metres at 3057 ppm TREO, averaging 1344 ppm HREO, with an HREO proportion of 42%. Further drilling will be conducted to delineate high-grade mineralisation and convert inferred resources to indicated resources. Additional assessments, results, and recommendations are expected in the coming weeks following the completion of the strategic review.
