Air-core drilling at Meeka Metals’ Circle Valley rare earths project has delivered a new benchmark with the latest results running up to 2245 parts per million total rare earths oxides near Esperance in WA. Importantly, the figures have swelled the mineralised footprint at the operation and highlighted its potential for both a larger scale and higher grade.
Meeka Metals has scored its highest rare earth assays so far at its Circle Valley project near Esperance in WA’s south with results running up to 2245 parts per million total rare earths oxides, or “TREO”.
The banner hit stretched 8m and took in a 44 per cent magnet rare earths oxides with 61 grams per tonne scandium from a depth of just 12m. Importantly, the results have swelled the mineralised footprint at the operation and highlighted its larger-scale, higher-grade potential.
Other significant intersections include 8m at 1432 ppm TREO with 39 per cent magnet rare earths oxides and 15 grams per tonne scandium from 28m.
Results from another hole delivered an 8m parcel going 1236 ppm TREO with 40 per cent magnet rare earths oxides and 43 grams per tonne scandium from 20m.
Notably, the assays also exhibit high-grade scandium results of up to 74 g/t. The metal is a valuable alloy used with aluminium to create products for the aerospace and sport equipment industries. The company says the inclusion could provide a meaningful by-product in the operation’s economics.
According to the company, the high-grade assays also house significant proportions of valuable magnet rare earths — up to 45 per cent of the total grade in some results. The ratio could prove immensely lucrative for the project’s feasibility, with management considering the proportions as a critical factor in the financial viability of the deposits.
Recent metallurgical test work also hints at Meeka potentially having a solid pathway to commercial production at Circle Valley, with initial results pointing to a total rare earths extraction rate of up to 82 per cent, averaging 76 per cent.
The company is now closing in on an end-of-year resource definition campaign at the project, ahead of an initial mineral resource.
Perth-based Meeka is also looking to launch a 2023 drilling program at its nearby Cascade rare earths project, where the company has already struck a number of high-grade intersections.
Meeka Metals' Managing Director, Tim Davidson said: “In tandem with the work at Circle Valley, and working with the Esperance Shire and community at our 100 per cent owned Cascade Project, we remain on track for drilling to commence in the first half of FY23. Given the very high-grade rare earths intersected in the southern corridor, we are eager to get back and target the central and northern blocks, approximately 1000 square kilometres, within our remarkably large landholding.”
Clay-hosted developments boast sizable cost advantages over hard-rock operations due to the cheaper bulk mining and simpler flow sheets involved in separating the deposit’s rare earths from its waste material.
In addition, the deposit’s higher proportion of magnet rare earths, along with its characteristically low radioactive content, firm up the commercial attractiveness of clay-based developments.
China has a firm grip on the global rare earths trade with the industrial powerhouse currently controlling about 80 per cent of the world’s supply – notably much of this is derived from clay-hosted deposits such as Circle Valley.
Rare earths, particularly neodymium and praseodymium are used to manufacture industrial-strength magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbine generators and electronic devices such as mobile phones.
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