After an air core drilling campaign, mineral explorer Meeka Gold Limited has encountered grades of up to 5791 parts per million total rare earth oxides, or “TREO” over an expansive 1143 square kilometre region at the company’s Cascade rare earth elements project in WA.
The assays reveal shallow and high-grade mineralisation up to 24m thick with a standout strike of 4m at 5791ppm TREO unearthed within a 16m zone running 2223ppm. Another high-grade intersection of 12m at 1215ppm TREO from 36m was returned.
The US Geological Survey says there are 17 different rare earths used in a broad range of technologies, ranging from national security to energy and specifically magnets, lasers, wind turbines and electric vehicles to name just a few.
Some rare earths are valued more highly than others and consequently, the makeup of a deposit is an important factor in its valuation.
Meeka has run the numbers and determined its large-scale rare earths system contains as much as 45 per cent of the suite related to the manufacture of permanent magnets — an integral component to the lucrative and emerging green technologies of electric vehicles and wind turbines.
Meeka Gold Chief Executive Officer, Tim Davidson said: “These assays confirm the presence of shallow, high value rare earth mineralisation across over half of our 100 per cent owned Cascade Project. Given the tier-1 location, the geopolitically critical nature of the metals and high level of permanent magnets present, Cascade is shaping up to be significant.”
Divided into four blocks, Meeka’s project captures 2068 square kilometres of land within the Albany Fraser region that is rapidly emerging as a highly prospective clay rare earths province.
The latest results come from 105 holes within Cascade’s eastern block and build upon the positive results announced earlier this month that were achieved in 52 holes from the project’s western segment.
Its northern and central blocks form nearly half of the total holding and whilst hosting surface samples grading up to 633ppm TREO, they are virgin territories when it comes to the drill bit.
Meeka says the surface samples were acquired in a “depleted zone” where below lies considerable potential for significant zones of clay-hosted rare earth mineralisation. The company is expediting its drill plans for the northern and central blocks.
Initial metallurgical test work results are expected in July from its collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation to develop a commercial product from its rare earths holdings.
In addition to Cascade, Meeka also holds its Circle Valley rare earths venture, only 50km to the east. The company expects assays from 16,000m of rare earths-focused drilling here will start flowing as early as June.
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