CSIRO Publishes Major Research on Splinter Rock Clay-Hosted REE System
- Noel Ong
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Announcement
CSIRO Research Paper Publication 12 November 2025 (click here to view the announcement)
OD6 Metals Limited (ASX: OD6) has announced the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific paper detailing three years of advanced geological and geochemical work at the Company’s flagship Splinter Rock Rare Earth Project in Western Australia (Figure 1). The research—undertaken by CSIRO, Murdoch University, Monash University, and OD6—provides a technical, science-backed understanding of how rare earth elements (REE) occur, concentrate, and can be extracted from this large clay-hosted system.
Figure 1: Location of Splinter Rock Rare Earth Project in Western Australia (source: OD6)
The Business of the Company: Focus – Projects
OD6 Metals is developing two critical mineral projects:
Splinter Rock (WA) — one of Australia’s largest high-grade clay-hosted REE deposits, supported by a detailed Mineral Resource Estimate released in 2024.
Gulf Creek (NSW) — a copper-zinc VMS system with historical high-grade production and modern geophysical targeting underway.
Highlights – A Peer-Reviewed Advancement in REE Geological Understanding
(Figure 2)
Figure 2: The CSIRO publication on Splinter Rock Clay-Hosted REE Rare Prospect (source: OD6)
The newly published research, titled “Multi-disciplinary characterisation of the Splinter Rock clay-hosted REE prospect, Western Australia”, provides several technical outcomes:
Three years of multi-institutional collaboration involving CSIRO, Murdoch University, Monash University, and OD6 Metals.
Landscape evolution, mineralogy, geophysics, and geochemistry were integrated to explain REE enrichment pathways.
Three major regolith units were identified — saprock, saprolite, and transported — with the highest REE grades concentrated in saprolite.
AEM conductivity changes and hyperspectral kaolinite crystallinity successfully mapped key regolith interfaces.
Mineralogical work identified REE-bearing phases, including REE phosphates, Al-REE phosphates, and REE carbonates.
The publication provides a peer-reviewed foundation for development decisions, helping OD6 assess extraction pathways, scale, and project economics with greater scientific confidence (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Summary figure of the regolith units or analytical workflow from the paper (source: OD6)
Leadership Commentary
Brett Hazelden, Managing Director, commented:
“OD6 continues to work closely with Australia’s leading research institutions to build a deep scientific understanding of the Splinter Rock Rare Earth Project and develop advanced technologies for REE discovery and extraction.
We are proud to be one of the few companies globally that base development decisions on such detailed, peer - reviewed science. The collaboration with CSIRO, Murdoch and Monash has provided valuable insights into how and where rare earths occur at Splinter Rock.
In the current geopolitical environment, and as one of Australia’s largest and highest-grade clay-hosted REE deposits, Splinter Rock provides governments and industry with a project based on real science, plus in-depth research and development, sourced from a stable jurisdiction.”
About the Splinter Rock Project (WA)
The Splinter Rock Project contains a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) reported in the OD6 Presentation dated 5 November 2025, comprising:
119Mt @ 1,632ppm TREO (Indicated – Inside Centre)• 563Mt @ 1,275ppm TREO (Inferred across Centre, Centre NW, Scrum, Prop and Flanker)
A combined 682Mt @ 1,338ppm TREO at a 1,000ppm cut-off, with ~22.9% MagREO, equivalent to 307ppm MagREO and an estimated 209kt of contained magnetic rare earths
The Company has selected an innovative processing flowsheet incorporating heap leaching, nanofiltration, and ion-exchange, delivering:
~75% Nd & Pr recovery• High-quality MREC/H product grading ~56–59% TREO
Very low impurity levels (Al, Fe, P, Si)
Extremely low U + Th concentrations (<0.001%)
Splinter Rock demonstrates the geological scale, grade distribution, and metallurgical performance consistent with the foundations of a potential long-life clay-hosted rare earth development.
Near-Term Milestones to Watch
Integration of peer-reviewed geological findings into ongoing resource modelling.
Application of new geophysical and hyperspectral insights to refine future drilling programs.
Further metallurgical optimisation aligned with regolith profiles identified in the publication.
Progressing project development pathways with updated technical datasets.
How Samso Understands the Paper.
This publication is not a casual update—it is a strategic de-risking event. Peer-reviewed scientific work strengthens confidence in key assumptions underpinning mineralisation, extraction, and project continuity. For a clay-hosted system of this scale, the integration of AEM, regolith science, and mineralogy provides a map for future investment decisions.OD6 is positioning Splinter Rock not just as a resource but as a well-studied geological system capable of long-term, stable REE supply.
Samso Concluding Comments
The release of a peer-reviewed research paper is a strong signal that OD6 has created a sense of technical credibility. In a market where REE processing is paramount for market news, a paper like this is good for confidence in the market.
The Splinter Rock project already has scale, but what matters now is clarity on how and why REE concentrations occur. This paper directly addresses these points.
Investors should view this as more than an academic milestone; it is a step in reducing geological uncertainty. Companies that make decisions on science tend to avoid costly missteps.
As the market shifts toward secure REE supply chains, projects with robust technical foundations will attract the attention of policymakers and industry groups seeking long-term partners.
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