Australian resource firm discovers critical minerals in western Uganda

June 13, 2025 in Companies, Investment by Editor

Current restrictions by the Chinese government on the exports of critical minerals, has meant the price of gallium has more than doubled to over $700 per kilogramme last May compared to $350 in mid-2023.

Australian resource company, Blaze Minerals, has announced the discovery in Uganda of two key elements used in the production of semiconductors, particularly in devices such as light-emitting diodes and solar panels. Semiconductors are the basis for computers and other electronic devices.

Listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, Blaze Minerals said this week, with its first-pass assays for three diamond drill holes at its Ntungamo project, traces of gallium and rubidium have been confirmed.

Gallium was present in all rock types, while rubidium  reportedly had the highest average grade within the large-grained coarse pegmatite that initial observations suggested hosted most of the mineralisation.

Apart from the Ntungamo tests in western Uganda, Blaze Minerals is also carrying out similar operations in Mityana in the central region of the country. The Ntungamo Project adjoins the Mwirasandu Tin Mine, the largest producing tin mine in Uganda.

“These are exciting first-pass results and validate our critical minerals technical thesis for the Ntungamo project. We look forward to a further review of the results and making a decision on the next phase of exploration activity,” the Blaze Director, Mathew Walker said.

Due to current restrictions by China on exports of critical minerals, the price of gallium has more than doubled in two years, to over $700 per kilogramme last May compared to $350 in mid-2023.

Gallium is a soft, silvery metal that plays a critical role as an input in hi-tech applications. Although similar in colour, rubidium has limited industrial uses, but is important in research and development, particularly in chemical and electronic applications because it is very reactive.

Towards the end of 2024, Blaze Minerals signed a deal with an unlisted Australian company Gecko Minerals, to acquire 60% of Gecko Uganda, the previous owners of the Ntungamo and Mityana Projects.

Both projects are considered prospective for beryllium, rubidium, lithium, tin, and tantalite. The Ntungamo Project covers 60 square kilometres while the Mityana Project covers 240 square kilometres.