Critica (ASX:CRI) has returned broad, ‘high-grade’ rare earth intersections from a 145-hole resource definition aircore drilling program at its Jupiter Rare Earth Project in Western Australia.
Covering 7,274m, the program was drilled on 125m spacing across a 3km² area, focused on higher-grade zones within the 40km² Jupiter inferred resource footprint.
The company says the targeted resource upgrade area coincides with the pilot plant sample area used in beneficiation and hydrometallurgical test work.
Significant drill results include 23m @ 3,603 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO) from 20m, including 12m @ 5,350 ppm TREO from 24m; 30m @ 2,995 ppm TREO from 20m, including 16m @ 3,811 ppm TREO from 20m; and 40m @ 2,626 ppm TREO from 36m.
Other key intercepts include 56m @ 2,642 ppm TREO from 16m, including 20m @ 3,465 ppm TREO from 36m; and 73m @ 2,400 ppm TREO from 16m, including 32m @ 3,551 ppm TREO from 24m.
CEO Jacob Deysel says the program was designed to support the conversion of priority areas from inferred to indicated classification and represents another de-risking milestone for the project.
“The results have successfully validated the targeted higher-grade zones within the existing resource and demonstrate strong continuity of mineralisation across the resource upgrade area,” Deysel says.
Assays have been delivered to SRK Consulting to update the Jupiter mineral resource estimate, which will feed into mine planning and an ongoing Scoping Study targeted for completion in Q3 2026.
Located in the Yalgoo mining district, Jupiter currently holds an inferred resource of 1.8 billion tonnes @ 1,700 ppm TREO.
Critica is a critical minerals explorer focused on the global green energy transition and advanced technology, with its flagship Jupiter Rare Earth Project in Western Australia.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Critica
