Australian miner launches strategic review of rare earths project to focus on 'heavies'
ASX-listed Heavy Rare Earths Limited has launched a strategic review of its Cowalinya rare earths project in Western Australia with a focus on heavy rare earth oxides (HREO).
The company has tasked a specialist rare earths geologist to undertake the strategic review.
Heavy Rare Earths explains HREO are the scarcest subset of rare earth oxides that are increasingly difficult to source and are critical to global energy transitions, modern telecommunications, aerospace and defence applications.
The company says terbium and dysprosium are particularly valuable. In April 2025, china imposed new export controls on these two materials, which increases global awareness of potential supply from Western regions.
Heavy Rare Earths believes that Cowalinya has the potential to generate significant value given its scale, quality and location relative to key infrastructure.
Cowalinya hosts a resource of 159-million tonnes grading 870 parts per million total rare earth oxides, with considerable higher grade zones that warrant reinterpretation and follow-up mineralogy characterisation.
"As a recently refreshed board, we are keen to take a fresh look at all our projects including Cowalinya. The market has evolved since the project was acquired and drilled. We are particularly interested in the heavy rare earths, or 'heavies', owing to their critical role in defence, the global energy transition, and the urgent need to secure supply chains outside of China.
"The upside for our shareholders and the company is that we already have a significant geological database for the project, comprising more than 550 drillholes, with assay, density, weathering and geology data all ready to be interrogated and reinterpreted.
"We also have sample material in storage available for new metallurgical testwork," concludes MD Jason Barnett.
