Highlights

  • Heavy Rare Earths received heritage clearance for planned maiden drilling at Radium Hill in South Australia.
  • The heritage survey took place from 12 to 14 October 2026 with Wilyakali representatives and specialist advisers.
  • An environmental protection and rehabilitation programme, including radiation management, remains under assessment.
  • The proposed shallow reverse-circulation programme targets the eight-kilometre Bonython Critical Minerals Corridor.
  • Drilling timing depends on regulatory approval; no hole count, metres or firm commencement date was announced.

Heavy Rare Earths Limited explores uranium, rare earth elements and scandium opportunities in Australia, including the Radium Hill project in South Australia. Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) reported on 4 November 2026 that a heritage survey had cleared the areas intended for its maiden drilling programme. The development advances site preparation, while environmental authorisation remains a separate requirement before drilling can begin.

Heritage Clearance Advances Radium Hill Preparations

The heritage survey was undertaken between 12 and 14 October 2026 by representatives of the Wilyakali Native Title Aboriginal Corporation, accompanied by a consultant anthropologist, an archaeologist and members of the company team. Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) reported that the work was completed safely and on schedule. The clearance does not itself authorise drilling.

The company has also lodged a Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation, or PEPR, with South Australia’s Department for Energy and Mining. The application incorporates a radiation management plan appropriate to the uranium-bearing exploration targets. Initial departmental feedback has been received, and the company is continuing its engagement during the assessment process. The remaining approval decision is therefore an operational milestone.

Bonython Corridor Is the Initial Drilling Focus

Subject to approval, the maiden shallow reverse-circulation programme will examine targets along the approximately eight-kilometre Bonython Critical Minerals Corridor, extending northeast along strike from the historic Radium Hill mine. Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) has identified structural corridors associated with vein-style mineralisation and interpreted prospective ground beneath cover as areas for investigation.

The proposed work seeks to test near-surface uranium, rare earth and scandium mineralisation. Planning draws on airborne geophysical information and surface sampling, but the November announcement did not specify a final number of holes, total drilling metres or a confirmed start date. Those details will depend on the programme design and completion of the permitting process.

The project is located on the southern Margin of the Curnamona Province, about 90 kilometres southwest of Broken Hill. Its proximity to historic Mining activity provides geological context, but historical operations do not establish the scale or economic viability of the company’s current targets. New drilling and assays will be needed to evaluate continuity, grade and mineralised geometry.

Project Rights and Technical Work in 2026

Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) holds its Radium Hill interest through an earn-in agreement with Havilah Resources. The arrangement was amended to include scandium, yttrium and rare earth rights alongside uranium, broadening the commodities addressed by the exploration programme. Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) plans to investigate multiple commodities.

In July 2026, the company also announced work with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation on potential processing pathways. That technical activity is distinct from resource definition: an exploration result does not by itself establish a processing route, recoverable inventory or commercial operation. Both geological testing and subsequent metallurgical assessment remain relevant to any future project evaluation.

Key Insights

Heavy Rare Earths Limited (ASX:HRE) has completed a heritage survey that supports its preparations for initial drilling at Radium Hill, but the PEPR decision remains outstanding. The proposed programme is designed to examine uranium, rare earth and scandium targets along the Bonython corridor, while separate processing investigations may inform later technical choices. The next substantive steps are regulatory clearance, confirmation of the drilling schedule and results capable of testing the geological interpretations.