Sunrise Energy Metals Uncovers More Scandium in Historic Drilling Samples from Syerston

Sunrise Energy Metals (ASX:SRL) has unearthed significant high-grade scandium mineralisation from historical drilling samples at its Syerston project in central-west New South Wales, bolstering the case for a standalone scandium development as global interest in the rare earth metal continues to grow.

The Melbourne-based company reported assays from 1997 drill pulps—never previously tested for scandium—returning standout results including 6 meters at 553ppm scandium from 4m depth, with a peak of 760ppm, and 18 meters at 528ppm from 2m. These figures notably exceed the 300ppm cutoff used in Sunrise’s recently updated mineral resource estimate (MRE).

The Syerston scandium resource now stands at 60.3 million tonnes grading 390ppm, containing approximately 23,500 tonnes of scandium, positioning it among the world’s largest known scandium resources. With scandium’s strategic applications in solid oxide fuel cells, aluminum alloys, and aerospace materials, Sunrise is betting the metal’s supply chain relevance will attract offtake partners.

“These assay results are highly encouraging, identifying further high-grade zones of scandium,” said CEO Sam Riggall. “The results will aid our technical team in planning the upcoming scandium drilling programme aimed at confirming new areas of high-grade scandium for eventual input into an updated MRE and an updated Project Feasibility Study for Syerston."

5000m Scandium Drilling Campaign to Come

The new campaign, scheduled to begin this quarter pending final regulatory approvals, will target 125 holes across 5,000 meters, using insights from the historical assays to hone in on areas with strong scandium potential. Drilling contractor Resolution Drilling has been tapped for the work.

Syerston sits atop the geologically rich Tout Ultramafic Complex, where decades of weathering have concentrated scandium in a near-surface laterite profile, ideal for low-strip, open-pit mining. Sunrise’s metallurgical studies suggest the ore can be processed efficiently, a key hurdle for scandium projects globally.

Despite scandium’s rarity in nature, demand remains hampered by limited supply and opaque pricing. However, Sunrise believes that consistent production from Syerston could help unlock larger commercial applications—particularly in high-strength, lightweight aluminium alloys sought by the automotive and aerospace sectors.

As part of its development push, Sunrise is updating its feasibility study to reflect both the enhanced resource and recent market developments. The company is also accelerating discussions with potential end-users and strategic partners.

At 41 cents per share, SRL has an approximate market capitalisation of A$41M.