ASX-listed Morella Corporation's maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for the Mt Edon project establishes a major rubidium inventory for Australia.

Morella has declared an MRE of 5.44-million tonnes grading 0.16% rubidium oxide, containing about 8 300 t of rubidium oxide.

The project, which is based in Western Australia, has shallow, near-surface mineralisation with higher cut-off sensitivities, which demonstrates higher grade optionality while retaining meaningful tonnage and contained rubidium oxide.

Morella has achieved rubidium extraction rates of up to 93.6% into solution from laboratory-scale metallurgical testwork.

Notably, the current MRE only covers the Sophie and Miles & June prospects within a much broader mineralised pegmatite system, which provides significant resource growth potential.

Morella says there is also potential for lithium and tantalum recovery, which has not been economically assessed.

Rubidium is a specialised critical mineral used in a range of high-value technology applications including specialty glass and fibre optics, electronics, atomic clocks and frequency control devices, biomedical applications and advanced research.

The US has rubidium included in its 2025 critical minerals list and remains fully reliant on imports for supply.

Morella MD James Brown says Mt Edon is not simply a headline grade story. "The scale of the mineralised system, its shallow and near-surface geometry, the contained rubidium inventory and, ultimately, our ability to efficiently recover the rubidium and produce a saleable product are all important in understanding the potential of the project."

He adds that the metallurgical results achieved to date are therefore particularly encouraging, with laboratory-scale rubidium extraction of up to 93.6% into solution. "We will continue our work with Edith Cowan University as we progress extraction optimisation, purification and flowsheet development.

"We also see considerable scope to grow the MRE. The maiden estimate covers only two areas within a much broader mapped pegmatite system, with numerous pegmatites remaining outside the current resource footprint and substantial areas, including to the north of Sophie, yet to be systematically drill tested."

Morella's next phase of work will focus on growing the MRE, better defining the higher-grade portions of the mineralisation, increasing confidence in the MRE and advancing the metallurgical programme as it builds its understanding of the development potential of Mt Edon.