Terra Metals (ASX:TM1) This Is How Exploration Stories Get Bigger

Charlie Youlden Charlie Youlden, January 14, 2026

Why This Was More Than Just Another Assay Result

Terra Metals (ASX:TM1) has delivered an exceptional outcome for investors, with the stock up close to 400% over the past year. Momentum has continued following the release of the company’s first assay results from SW5, a target within the Southwest prospect area at the Dante Project.

Importantly, these results confirmed a new copper nickel sulphide discovery, located approximately 800 metres south of SW6. This is not simply an extension of a known zone, but a separate discovery within the same broader system, which materially changes how investors should think about the project.

What the company is effectively telling the market is that PGM rich sulphide mineralisation is occurring across multiple locations rather than being confined to a single isolated hit. That distinction matters. Multiple zones of mineralisation significantly increase the probability that Dante hosts a larger, coherent mineral system rather than a one off discovery.

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From a Single Hit to a Multi-Zone Mineral System

The drilling results themselves were technically encouraging. At SW5, Terra Metals reported a broad intercept of 69 metres at 0.92 g/t PGE3 from 48 metres, including multiple higher grade internal zones.

The standout interval was 32 metres at 1.19 g/t PGE3, alongside 0.12% copper and 0.10% nickel from 49 metres. Investors tend to respond positively to results like this because the mineralisation is near surface, relatively thick and shows continuity over meaningful widths rather than narrow, isolated hits.

That said, it is important to keep expectations grounded. Management was clear in stating that true width is not yet known and that the drilling angle was not optimal. As a result, the 69 metre interval should be treated as downhole thickness only until further, more oriented drilling is completed. This transparency matters, particularly at this stage of exploration.

The sharp re rating in the stock also needs to be viewed in the context of the company’s existing scale. Terra Metals already hosts a substantial mineral resource estimate of 148 Mt at 14.8% TiO₂, 0.54% V₂O₅, 0.18% copper and 0.33 g/t PGE3.

What makes the SW5 and SW6 discoveries particularly compelling is that they sit outside this current resource boundary.

For investors, that means any successful delineation at these targets has the potential to add entirely new economic value rather than simply upgrading an existing estimate. This is a key reason why the market continues to look favourably on the broader growth potential of Terra Metals.

Be cautious of the hype

It is important to emphasise that SW5 and SW6 remain at an exploration stage, and there is not yet enough information to credibly model mine economics. At this point, the market is reacting to geological indicators rather than defined development outcomes, and that distinction is critical for investors assessing risk.

That said, there are some clear positives emerging from the early data. Mineralisation begins at relatively shallow depths, with intercepts starting around 48 metres. If continuity is confirmed through further drilling, this could imply lower mining intensity compared with deeper systems, which is an important consideration from a future cost perspective.

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