RareX starts first RC drilling at Khaleesi complex in WA

RareX starts first RC drilling at Khaleesi complex in WA

Tue, September 1, 2026 at 5:16 PM GMT+3 2 min read

RareX has begun its first reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at the Khaleesi Alkaline Intrusive Complex in Western Australia (WA).

The programme involves 3,500m of drilling across five target areas, with the aim of identifying gallium, niobium and rare earth element (REE) mineralisation.

After the field team was mobilised and site preparations were completed in recent weeks, the drill rig has arrived and drilling has started on five main targets.

The targets were selected using a combination of historical exploration data and recent magnetic and gravity surveys.

According to RareX, the broader district has seen previous exploration for gold but has had limited modern assessment for critical minerals such as gallium and rare earths.

The five initial targets include the Niobe area, which features a surface gallium anomaly covering approximately 5km × 3km and showing coincident magnetic and gravity signatures that have not been drill-tested at depth.

Other targets focus on magnetic and gravity anomalies believed to relate to denser rock types, as well as geochemical anomalies identified from earlier drilling campaigns.

RareX took ownership of the Khaleesi Project in May 2024, identifying its potential for critical minerals that have not been extensively explored.

The company's exploration efforts are based on a new geological interpretation that builds on both modern survey techniques and reinterpretation of older data.

An application for an additional tenement adjoining the current Khaleesi project recently cleared native title requirements and is expected to proceed to grant soon, potentially expanding the project's area for future exploration.

Samples collected during the current drilling campaign will be sent for laboratory analysis, with assay results expected to be released in stages as they become available.

The findings from this programme will inform future exploration plans across the Khaleesi Alkaline Intrusive Complex, the company said.

RareX managing director and CEO James Durrant said: "Getting the rig turning at Khaleesi is another important step in advancing our broader exploration strategy.

"We are now testing five targets across a project we believe has genuine scale potential for gallium and niobium-REE, built on a strong technical foundation of geophysics, geological reinterpretation and historical exploration data."

"RareX starts first RC drilling at Khaleesi complex in WA" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.