Exploration and development company American Rare Earths (ASX:ARR) has completed a drilling program aiming to define a ‘significant’ JORC resource at the Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project in Wyoming, US.
The company says 38 holes were completed across 5,726m to a depth of 150m, which represents a 50% increase over and above the 100m depth drilled for the maiden for the maiden drill campaign.
American Rare Earths notes this was not included in the exploration targets of 1.01 billion tonnes to 1.27 billion tonnes of rare earth mineralised rocks grading between 2,245 parts per million (ppm) and 2,807ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO) announced last year.
The drilling confirms the rare earth elements (REEs) containing geological structure is ‘significantly’ larger than previously thought. Geological data shows ‘significant’ consistent REE mineralisation across the observed samples, with the massive deposit remaining open at depth and likely continuing east into the company’s adjoining Bluegrass prospect.
Commenting on the drill program, American Rare Earths Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director Chris Gibbs says: “We have a major deposit here, the size, scale, and consistency of the resource we are observing is similar to large scale, long-life copper-gold porphyry mines which are common throughout the western United States.
“We have a major deposit here, the size, scale, and consistency of the resource we are observing is similar to large scale, long-life copper-gold porphyry mines”
The exploration target of over a billion tonnes is now being authenticated based on this drilling program. The drill results together with the prospective metallurgical studies amplify the significant value of Halleck Creek’s potential as a key domestic US rare earth supplier.”
American Rare Earths reports it is currently awaiting assay results to finalise a maiden JORC resource estimate, which it plans to release this quarter.
The Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project is located in Albany County, within the US state of Wyoming and comprises the northern Overton Mountain area, and the southern Red Mountain area. The project is owned by American Rare Earths’ subsidiary Western Rare Earths.
Previous surface sampling conducted over the Overton Mountain area in 2018 by Zenith Minerals (ASX:ZNC) revealed an average TREO grade of 3,297ppm, average heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) vales of 224ppm, and an average magnetic rare earth oxide (MREO) value of 816ppm.
American Rare Earths is an Australian exploration company focused on the development of REEs in North America. The company currently holds the La Paz Scandium and Rare Earth Project in Arizona, the Laramie REE Project in Wyoming, and the Searchlight project in Nevada.
The company also has a strategic investment in Australian cobalt producer Cobalt Blue (ASX:COB), providing it access to the company’s Broken Hill Cobalt Project.
Images: American Rare Earths Ltd
