Basin Energy Limited has executed a Collaborative Research Agreement with James Cook University under the Australian Government-backed Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer program.

The research program focuses on the characterisation, environmentally improved extraction and recovery of rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earth elements, from the company’s Sybella and Newmans mineralisation in northwest Queensland.

The agreement runs until 1 June 2029 and requires no cash payment by Basin. The company’s contribution involves providing access to project data, drilling and sample archives, alongside the continued advancement of the Sybella-Barkly Project. Under the terms, James Cook University will own the project intellectual property and generated data, while Basin receives a royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide licence to advance any mining or exploration project in which it holds an interest.

The arrangement marks a shift from previous project execution, which involved direct self-funded drilling and survey programs, toward a federally supported research collaboration.

Researchers from James Cook University have already spent several days on site at Newmans alongside Basin’s exploration team to conduct initial characterisation work on samples from recent drilling programs. Maiden drilling at the Newmans prospect previously defined a 3.3-kilometre mineralised corridor and confirmed shallow magnet rare earth mineralisation.

The work is supported by broader funding secured earlier in the year, when Basin was awarded A$349,065 in non-dilutive Queensland Government Collaborative Exploration Initiative funding in March 2026 to advance exploration at Sybella-Barkly.

“We are delighted to formalise this collaboration with James Cook University under the Trailblazer program. It connects Basin with leading Australian research capability in rare earth characterisation and extraction, with a particular focus on the heavy rare earths that are so critical to advanced technologies. At no cash cost to the Company, our project data and the ongoing work at Newmans will help build local expertise and project-specific processing knowledge that will directly benefit the greater community and Basin.”

— Pete Moorhouse, Managing Director

Basin expects to receive assay results from its follow-up drilling program at the Newmans rare earth discovery in mid to late September 2026.

Read the full announcement: Signs Federally Supported Trailblazer Research Collaboration