Defence Minerals: A Strategic Investment

Defence minerals are a high-value class of critical resources that underpin national security, defence manufacturing, and next-generation military technology. With global supply heavily concentrated and increasingly restricted, secure and ethically sourced defence minerals have become one of the most sought-after investment sectors of the decade.

Palmerville is strategically positioned with a rare combination of defence-aligned minerals, including:

• Rare Earth Elements (REEs) – essential for guided weapons, F-35 fighter jets, surveillance systems, radar, and defence-grade magnets.

• Titanium (Ti) – used in aerospace and military armour for aircraft, naval vessels, drones, and missiles.

• Zircon / Zirconium (Zr) – vital for heat-resistant coatings, nuclear applications, and precision military components.

• Tin (Sn) – fundamental in defence-grade electronics, soldering, and advanced circuitry.

• Tungsten (W) – a critical asset for armour-piercing ammunition, missile components, high-strength alloys, and military tooling.

• Antimony (Sb) – used in munitions, energy storage, flame-retardant materials, and strengthening of alloys for defence use.

As nations move to secure sovereign supply chains, Australia is emerging as a key global supplier—and Palmerville is positioned to support this demand with scalable, long-life, multi-mineral potential.

Mineral Profile Across Our 1,200 km² of Exploration Permits (EPMs)

We are pleased to share an overview of the diverse and strategically significant mineralisation identified across our 1,200 square kilometres of Exploration Permits (EPMs) at Palmerville.

Rare Earth Elements (REEs)

Extensive assays have confirmed the presence of all 12 China-restricted Rare Earth Elements, including:
Scandium (Sc), Yttrium (Y), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb), and Lutetium (Lu).

In addition, high-priority defence REEs such as Neodymium (Nd) and Praseodymium (Pr)—critical for F-35 fighter jets, missile guidance systems, and high-strength permanent magnets—have also been recorded.

Critical Minerals

(Recognised by the Australian Government)

Confirmed occurrences across the project include:

• REE suite as detailed above

• Elevated Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂) and Zirconium Dioxide (ZrO₂) for aerospace and advanced alloys

• Antimony (Sb) – used in defence ammunition, flame retardants, and high-density battery technologies

• Tungsten (W) (primarily as scheelite) – essential for defence-grade armour, precision tools, and high-temperature applications

Defence & Strategic Metals – Palmerville Fault Zone

The Palmerville Fault corridor is a proven mineralised system hosting:

• REE-bearing structures and alteration zones

• Copper, Gold, Zinc, Lead, and Silver – vital for electronics, circuitry, aerospace alloys, and military-grade conductive components

• Geological indicators associated with Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) and porphyry-style systems, both known for strategic metal endowment

Historic and Near-Term Development Potential

Palmerville contains numerous former mining operations—closed due to historic economics, not resource depletion. With modern demand for critical and defence minerals at record highs, there is strong potential for the re-development of Tungsten (scheelite) and Antimony projects, together with targeted REE exploration.