MetalsGrove Mining Ltd (ASX:MGA) has kicked off a phase 2 soil sampling program at the Arunta Project’s Bruce Prospect in the Northern Territory to follow up on the recent discovery of high-grade rare earth element (REE) mineralisation.
The critical metals exploration and development company last month confirmed the detection of high-grade carbonatite REE grades of up to 7,000 parts per million (ppm) (0.70%) total rare earth oxide (TREO) during reverse circulation drilling at the prospect.
Notably, aeromagnetic and surface geochemistry work has identified a 1,000-metre by 600-metre intrusive system considered as highly prospective for REE mineralisation.
Unlocking potential
“We are delighted to have this next phase of follow-up exploration underway at the rapidly emerging Bruce REE Prospect in the Northern Territory,” MetalsGrove managing director Sean Sivasamy said.
“Both the sampling and drilling programs completed so far have been extremely encouraging and point to a potential high-grade REE mineralised system within our tenure.
“This next phase of sampling will look to build on the recent drilling success and further refine our next suite of drill targets, as we move quickly to assess and unlock the potential of our prospects within the Arunta region.
“I look forward to providing further updates on exploration progress in the near term.”
Program details
The phase 2 soil sampling program will test the remaining outcrops and geophysical anomalies along the 9-kilometre carbonatite corridor and will take 10 days to complete.
Following assessment of the results and the generation of drill targets, the company aims to commence the next phase of drilling at the end of the third quarter.
Plan of systematic grid spaced soil sampling targets at Bruce.
A recap
The Bruce REE Prospect sits within the central desert region of the Northern Territory and covers an area of about 17,722 hectares.
The company had completed a total of 2,343 metres of maiden RC drilling at the prospect, with assays returning high-grade carbonatite REE grades of up to 7,000 parts per million (0.70%) total rare earth oxide (TREO), 35% magnetic rare earth oxide (MREO)/TREO, 28% neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr)/TREO and 36% yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃)/TREO with multiple zones of mineralisation.
It also unearthed exceptionally high-grade carbonatite of 38% MREO/TREO, 58% HREO/TREO 28% NdPr/TREO and 36% Y₂O₃/TREO during the campaign, which extended the strike of the outcrops east-west by 9 kilometres and these remain open.
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