Barkly Rare Earths (ASX:BAK) reports 99% magnet rare earth oxide (MREO) extraction in caustic conversion testwork at its flagship Barkly Project in the Northern Territory.
The single caustic conversion and hydrochloric acid leach sighter test, conducted by Nagrom on a composite sample, extracted 99% of MREO to the acid leach solution — a substantial improvement over previous leach testwork which extracted up to 74%.
The test also achieved 94% extraction of yttrium to the acid leach solution and demonstrated favorable phosphorus deportment, with 92% of phosphorus reporting to the caustic conversion solution while no measurable rare earths (REEs) were reported in those streams.
Managing Director Craig Wright says this is an ‘encouraging’ metallurgical result for Barkly.
“While it is based on one small composite, the outcome gives the company an encouraging basis for further evaluation using larger-scale confirmatory testwork on representative samples to assess the repeatability, optimisation, and potential flowsheet pathway for the Barkly Project,” Wright says.
Extraction percentages were calculated from the assayed mass reporting to product streams rather than by dividing recovered metal by the direct assay head. Calculated head grades reconciled to approximately 87% for MREO and 84% for yttrium oxide compared to direct assay head grades.
Barkly has also appointed Lu Zhang of MinPro Consult as an independent consultant to oversee the design, management, and reporting of metallurgical testwork.
The next phase of metallurgical testwork will focus on confirming and optimising the process using larger, representative composites to confirm repeatability, optimise operating conditions, and evaluate impurity deportment and product recovery.
Barkly is undertaking 10,000m of drilling in the coming weeks, which will progress throughout Q3 and Q4 2026, with a mineral resource update scheduled for Q4 2026.
The 5,030km² Barkly Project has an initial inferred mineral resource of 40 million tonnes at 710 parts per million (ppm) MREO within 2,100 ppm TREO.
Barkly Rare Earths is an explorer focused on the discovery and development of economic mineral deposits, with its flagship namesake project in NT.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Barkly Rare Earths
