Smokebush 100% owned - Gallium and Gold project
Location & Access
The Smokebush Project (100% TMX) Area is located approximately 85 kilometres east northeast of the Perenjori township and 65 kilometres west of Paynes Find within the Yalgoo Mineral Field. The tenements can be accessed via the unsealed Perenjori - Warriedar Road, and thence via extensive historical exploration grid lines, station tracks and fences lines.
Gallium Clay Exploration
Larin’s Lane - Gallium (REE) mineralisation extending over 9km by 2km and open. Terrain has drilled a total of 102 holes that’s have excitingly retuned multiple high-grade zones up 53.74 g/t (ppm) Ga2O3 (2), with 70% of holes returned impressive intersection of Gallium up to 64 meters wide. Terrains Consultants are currently compiling a Gallium - JORC compliant exploration target currently being calculated.
Gallium Oxide Samples - Selected holes include:
Applying: Gallium Oxide (Ga203) cut-off 40.32ppm and plus 8m intersections all in regolith
- 16m @ 53.74 ppm Ga2O3 from 64m - 23SBAC035
- 8m @ 46.10 ppm Ga2O3 from 44m - 23SBAC037
- 20m @ 48.33 ppm Ga2O3 from 4m - 23SBAC045
- 30m @ 40.32 ppm Ga2O3 from 24m - 23SBAC071
- 24m @ 46.34 ppm Ga2O3 from 32m - 23SBAC077
- 8m @ 48.32 ppm Ga2O3 from 16m - 23SBAC079
- 8m @ 52.62 ppm Ga2O3 from 20m - 23SBAC080
Diagram 1: Drill hole location (Not possible to show all) of Terrain’s 2023 air core drill program at the Larins Lane Project with selected gallium oxide grades highlighted. Intercepts are based on 20ppm gallium (26.88ppm Ga2O3) lower cut and up to four metres internal dilution. A significant gallium oxide intercept, as referred to is this diagram, is an interval returning greater than 20ppm gallium (26.88ppm Ga2O3) lower cut over a minimum of one composite sample (generally being three or four metres).
What is Gallium (Ga)
Gallium (GA) atomic number 31, is a soft, silvery metal, at standard temperature and pressure. The elemental gallium is a liquid at temperatures greater than 29.76C (85.57F) (slightly above room temperature), where it becomes silvery white. Source: https://strategicmetalsinvest.com/gallium-prices/
Solid gallium alloys are used in optics, electronics, and nuclear engineering because of their non-toxicity and resistance to neutron radiation and beta decay. Used in alloys with other metals such as aluminium, copper, and tin to create gallium arsenide (GaAs) as well as being used in semiconductor fabrication, one of gallium’s most important uses. It provides a critical component in multiple steps of the manufacturing process for computer chips and other electronic devices including photovoltaics (solar panels cells due to a recent patent expiring).
- Gallium is a critical metal used in the defence industry (refer to diagram 5) and computer chips (Gallium chips will potentially replacing silicon), semi-conductors, transistors, including electronic circuitry.
- Gallium nitride (GaN) is another important compound of gallium that has applications in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), laser diodes, power amplifiers, and solar cells. Source: https://strategicmetalsinvest.com/gallium-prices/
- Gallium increases component speed and miniaturization critical in generative AI (and the associated demand for semiconductor).
- Until 1 August 2023 export ban, China was ostensibly the sole supplier to Gallium to the semiconductor industry, producing a staggering ~98% of the world’s supply of raw Gallium.
- It is anticipated that USA, European and Asian, Sovereign states and semiconductor chip makers will actively seek to ensure reliable and secure supply outside of China, with the aim of safeguarding critical manufacturing and in country industrial production into the future.
Gallium - For addition information and references, refer to ASX releases:
Gold Exploration
Monza, Lightning and Wildflower - Gold exploration is ongoing with an air-core drilling program scheduled to commence August 2024 at Wildflower. RC drilling has been approved for follow up at Wildflower, Monza & Lighting prospects, which aims to test historic mineralisation, depth extensions, and orientation.
Diagram 2: Prospects map of Terrain/s 100% owned Smokebush project.
Diagram 3: Selected third party owned mines and projects within potential trucking distance of Terrain Minerals’ Smokebush - Wildflower Gold Project.
For Additional Gold Information Refer to ASX releases.