Alien Metals (AIM:UFO) said independent consultants ERM Australia Consultants have confirmed iron mineralisation at its Vivash and Brockman exploration projects in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
The AIM-listed minerals explorer and developer said the field reconnaissance programme targeted ground adjacent to Fortescue's Vivash Southwest resource and BHP's historic Deposit 20.
At Vivash, mapping confirmed Dales Gorge Member and Marra Mamba-hosted mineralisation next to Fortescue's Vivash Southwest deposit, which carries a resource of 28 million tonnes grading 58.8% iron.
At Brockman, reconnaissance identified martite-goethite mineralisation and canga along the western extension of BHP's Deposit 20, in a setting the company compared to Fortescue's Farquhar East and the Australian Premium Iron Joint Venture's Paracelsus deposits.
Alien said the work validated earlier geological assessments and will guide a "disciplined, cost-effective" exploration strategy, though it cautioned that further field work is needed to establish the full scale of the opportunity.
The company plans to mobilise a targeted field programme in the third quarter of 2026, focused on its 90%-owned Hancock Iron Ore project, where it holds a JORC-compliant resource of 8.4 million tonnes at 60% Fe.
That work will include a geological review of the Hancock Ridge E and C and Sirius-grade resource models to test for upside within and around the existing resource.
The Hancock project has direct road access to Port Hedland, one of the world's largest iron ore export hubs, and is targeted to support a 2 million tonne-per-annum operation over 10 years.
