Critical metals exploration and development company MetalsGrove Mining Ltd (ASX:MGA) has wrapped up its first reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Bruce Rare Earth Element (REE) Prospect, Northern Territory.
The Bruce prospect is part of the company’s Arunta Project, north of Alice Springs in the Central Desert Region of the Northern Territory and covers an area of around 17,722 hectares.
Program on time and on budget
The maiden 2,343-metre program was completed on time and within budget. A total of 16 RC holes were drilled to test several high-priority targets including identified multiple carbonatite and REE-bearing drill targets recently reported from soil sampling.
A recent aeromagnetic and surface geochemistry program also defined a 1,000-metre by 600-metre intrusive system considered highly prospective for REE mineralisation at the prospect.
Initial observations indicate that the carbonatite system is continuous, with a similar weathering profile to that intersected in the mineralised discovery holes.
Last year MGA reported that it had identified a broad conductor along strike from the Plenty River mine which is adjacent to magnetic features interpreted to be components of the pegmatite intrusion.
Strike includes multiple mineralised areas
The company is confident that strike extends over 9 kilometres, with multiple parallel mineralised areas and a high percentage of valuable magnetic and heavy rare earth elements.
Significant rare earth occurrences have been found in the Harts Range and Plenty River mica fields within the Irindina Province and MGA is exploring pegmatite, breccia, vein and alteration-hosted rare earth mineralisation at Bruce.
A Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) in the early 2000s identified numerous pegmatites hosting rare earth occurrences in the Arunta region, including the Plenty River mica mine area.
MGA’s soil sampling confirmed the following:
- up to 1,800 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxide (TREO);
- 38% heavy rare earth oxide (HREO)/TREO;
- 31% magnet rare earth oxide (MREO)/TREO;
- 23% neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr)/TREO; and
- 23% Yttrium Oxide (Y2O3)/TREO.