Magnetite Mines has obtained all necessary permits and approvals, along with heritage clearances, for the initial phase of drilling at its wholly owned Ironback Hill rare earth element (REE) project in South Australia.
This project is located near the Razorback Iron Ore Project.
Drilling contractors have been hired and operations will begin next week.
Planned drilling will include up to 2,000 m of aircore drilling to explore the extent and geological controls of previously identified clay-hosted REE mineralization.
This mineralization was initially discovered through a re-evaluation of archived iron ore drill samples.
Field work is expected to last about ten days, and sample analysis results will be obtained within six to eight weeks, depending on laboratory processing times.
The Ironback Hill REE project is situated within exploration license (EL) 6126 in the Braemar Iron region, approximately 250 km northeast of Adelaide.
In August 2025, Magnetite Mines announced the discovery of REE mineralization at Ironback Hill in historic drill samples.
Additional testing led to the announcement of additional REE findings in November 2025.
Magnetite Mines CEO Tim Dobson said: “The Ironback Hill REE project is an emerging rare earth prospect discovered by Magnetite Mines geologists last year, and initial results indicate increased prospectivity for clay hose rare earth mineralization.
“The discovery was initially identified through reanalysis of archived iron ore drill samples and the intent of this program is to determine whether rare earth mineralization extends beyond the historical drilling area, as well as the geological controls governing the local occurrence of REE.
“As previously disclosed, the drill testing of this prospect is fully aligned with the company’s strategy to create long-term shareholder value through a disciplined, multi-commodity exploration approach across its significant housing portfolio in South Australia, while continuing to prioritize the development of our flagship Razorback iron ore project.”
In February 2024, Magnetite Mines signed a memorandum of understanding with Port Pirie Regional Council, a local government area in South Australia, to develop Port Pirie into a future hub for green iron production.
“Magnetite Mines Secures Approvals for Ironback Hill Drilling” was created and originally published by Mining Technology, a brand owned by GlobalData.
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