Basin Energy is advancing the Newmans rare earth discovery on multiple fronts, taking in metallurgical test work, further drilling, and heritage surveys.

The Newmans prospect sits within the Sybella batholith, a major fertile granite system about 50km south-west of Mount Isa, and is part of the company’s Sybella-Barkly project.

“Excited by our results to date, we are advancing Newmans on multiple fronts in parallel,” Basin Energy (ASX:BSN) managing director Pete Moorhouse said.

“With follow-up drilling complete, leachability studies underway, and initial heritage surveys completed, these parallel work streams are progressively our understanding of the broader potential at Newmans.

“Assay results are expected imminently, with initial leachability results expected to follow in the fourth quarter. Both represent important next steps in assessing the scale, grade and potential recoverability of the rare earth mineralisation identified at Newmans.”

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Basin Energy has engaged ANSTO and Brisbane Metallurgical Laboratories to undertake preliminary metallurgical studies alongside the recently announced collaboration with James Cook University.

Initial work comprises leachability assessment of the Newmans rare earth mineralisation, together with XRD analysis.

Alongside the metallurgical program, follow-up drilling was completed at Newmans to test continuity of the 3.3km mineralised corridor identified in scout drilling in the second quarter of this year. An additional 18 reverse circulation drillholes were completed on existing tracks.

Basin Energy proposes a further two drilling campaigns for 2026.

The next proposed program is supported by Collaborative Exploration Initiative funding and is designed to test for heavy rare earth element prospectivity associated with phosphates adjacent to the Newmans discovery.

A further program is proposed for Q4, subject to the outcomes of heritage surveys and results from the current work.

The company said it had completed initial heritage surveys to allow the first drilling transects east and west of the identified mineralised corridor at Newmans. The survey outcomes are expected in October.