Australian heavy rare earths developer, Northern Minerals Limited (ASX: NTU) (the Company) is pleased to report that mining nearing completion at the Wolverine and Gambit West starter pits has allowed a geological review to be undertaken, indicating mineralisation is likely to continue at depth and prompting a review of the Company’s exploration target for the Browns Range HRE Project. Rock chip sampling as part of the review has highlighted several new drill targets at Browns Range, with results of up to 3.57% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) reported.
Highlights
- Mining nearing completion at Wolverine and Gambit West starter pits allows geological review to be undertaken, indicating mineralisation likely to continue at depth;
- Exploration target to be reviewed;
- Rock chip sampling highlights several new drill targets in Browns Range Project area with results up to 3.57% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO); and
- irborne geophysical survey completed in NT to help identify new targets for on-ground follow up.
Australian heavy rare earths developer, Northern Minerals Limited (ASX: NTU) (the Company) is pleased to provide an update with regards to exploration and the prospectivity of the Browns Range Heavy Rare Earths (HRE) Project in the East Kimberley, WA
Browns Range Structural Mapping and Geological Model
With mining of the Pilot Plant Project starter pits at Wolverine and Gambit West nearing completion, the Company is using the opportunity to update the structural model of the Browns Range heavy rare earth (HRE) deposits. Geological mapping has been completed throughout the mining process and has allowed the Company’s geologists and specialist advisors to better understand the structural controls on mineralisation.
The initial results of the review highlight several key structural controls on the xenotime mineralisation. The structural analysis of both Wolverine and Gambit West deposits indicate that mineralisation is likely to continue at depth, below the current extent of drilling. The Mineral Resources at Wolverine and Gambit West are largely only constrained by the amount of drilling at each of the deposits.
As can be seen in Figure 2 above, this long section highlights that drilling does not extend below the base of the Mineral Resource model. Deeper drilling is required to confirm the mineralisation continues at depth below the current Mineral Resource model. The Wolverine resource is also open along strike to the west, where further shallow drilling is required. Both deep and shallow drilling will be undertaken as part of the feasibility study phase aimed at assessing the economic and technical feasibility of the full-scale project taking into account feedback and data from the Pilot Plant Project.
