Lindian Resources Ltd (ASX:LIN) is on a roll as it continues to intersect high-grade extensive rare earth mineralisation from phase 1 drilling at the Kangankunde Rare Earths Project in Malawi, delivering some of the highest-grade intersections to date at the project.
During the drill program, the company demonstrated extensive rare earth mineralisation of up to 18.8% over significant intervals with all holes ending in mineralisation.
Standout assays include:
- 55 metres at 4.7% total rare earth oxides (TREO) from 5 metres to EOH (end of hole) in KGKDD007 including 42.5 metres at 5.51% from 17.5 metres to EOH;
- 58 metres at 4.5% TREO from 2 metres to EOH in KGKDD005, including 29.2 metres at 6.6% from 6 metres; and
- 58 metres at 3.04% TREO from 2 metres to EOH in KGKDD006, including 12 metres at 5.18% from 48 metres to EOH.
Moving forward, these results can be expected to positively impact Lindian’s maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Kangankunde, which will be reported within the next fortnight.
Highest-grade intersections
Lindian CEO Alistair Stephens said: “These final assays from the phase one drill program at Kangankunde, being 91 holes for more than 14,000 metres drilled, are some of our highest grade intersections to date and the overall program has defined extensive mineralisation over a broad area.
“The results of this program, to the best of my knowledge, are unparalleled when compared with any other rare earths project, having defined such a huge extent of recoverable, non-radioactive mineralisation in such a short period of time.
“This is a testament to support from the Lindian board, the community, a focused and unified professional team and the unique geology at Kangankunde.
“With receipt of these final assays from phase one, we now await determination and reporting of Lindian’s maiden mineral resource estimate for Kangankunde which we expect to publish within the next fortnight.
“Shortly thereafter, we expect to start to report assays from the phase two drill program which consisted of two deep drill holes to depths of ~1,000 metres. We await these assays with great anticipation.”
Drill summary
Lindian’s phase 1 program has been completed with 81 RC holes across 12,520 metres and 10 core drill holes, including 6 core tails to RC holes for 1,642.7 metres.
This program was designed to give initial data for resource evaluation and mine planning.
The mineralisation is dominated by light rare earths cerium, lanthanum, neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr). The total of Nd+Pr content in oxide form constitutes on average 20% of the TREO in all holes reported to date.
Meanwhile, radionuclides uranium and thorium continue to be low in all areas.