Terrain says the rare earths anomalism has been picked up over a strike distance of about 5km at Larin’s Lane. There is also a further 3km northward strike continuation of the defined anomalism that remains undrilled and appears to remain open in all directions.

As not all of the gallium results are to hand, it is too early to tell what its extent could be.

Elemental gallium is a relatively soft, silvery metal at standard temperature and pressure. Its melting point is 29.76oC and its boiling point is 2400oC. In its liquid state, it becomes silvery white.

Most gallium is used in electronics, commonly in semi-conductors, transistors, small electronic devices and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). It can also be used to make thermometers and mirrors.

Terrain has noted the significance of clay-hosted rare earths mineralisation in its 100 per cent-held Smokebush ground and its incidence throughout broad areas of the Mid-West – notably at Venture Minerals’ Jupiter discovery, just 80km south-west of Mt Magnet and about 80km north of Larin’s Lane.

Terrain has tested potentially rare earths-enriched clays to about 95m depth at the eastern end of the pattern, to about 70m in the central area between 20m and 40m deep in the west of the Larin’s Lane grid. It believes that sort of volume could add up to a major potential resource.

In assessing the rare earths potential at Larin’s Lane, the company has come up with a unique bonus by way of the high grades of gallium, which could become a second potentially significant commodity that sits high on the critical commodity risk assessment table and has a current market price of about US$290 (AU$439) per kilogram.

Terrain says it will continue to assess both the gallium and rare earths potential at Larin’s Lane and its Lort River projects in WA’s South West region and it has received unrelated third-party expressions of interest relating to both commodities.

Management is considering metallurgical testwork and is in discussions with a leading consultancy to assist in working towards a JORC-compliant estimated exploration target scale for a combined Larin’s Lane rare earths and gallium project to help it gauge the long-term potential of the project.

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