West Cobar Metals Limited is advancing parallel workstreams to evaluate the scandium opportunity at its Salazar Critical Minerals Project in Western Australia, with a targeted aircore drilling program scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

Approvals are currently underway for the upcoming drilling campaign, which will focus on higher-grade scandium zones within the Newmont deposit. The work is designed to test mineralisation geometry and continuity while providing data to support a potential Mineral Resource update. The Newmont deposit currently hosts an Inferred Resource of 15 million tonnes at 153 parts per million $\text{Sc}_2\text{O}_3$ within the saprolite clay zone.

In parallel with the drilling preparations, metallurgical testwork and flowsheet development are progressing. Recent bioleaching screening testwork achieved scandium extraction of up to 39% under atmospheric conditions, following earlier atmospheric-pressure acid leaching recoveries of up to 81%. The shallow saprolite-hosted mineralisation and atmospheric leach characteristics are being evaluated to determine potential processing and capital cost advantages over conventional high-pressure and high-temperature routes.

“We are excited to be rapidly progressing towards Salazar's first drill program specifically targeting scandium. The program will test higher-grade zones within the Newmont deposit and provide data to support a potential Mineral Resource update.

Approvals processes are progressing, with aircore drilling targeted to commence in Q4 2026.”

— Matt Szwedzicki, Managing Director

The integrated flowsheet demonstration program is also evaluating scandium recovery alongside potential rare earth by-products. Further testwork and development studies remain necessary to fully assess flowsheet performance, recoveries, operating costs, and overall project economics.

Read the full announcement: Scandium Pathway Being Fast Tracked