Encounter Resources (ASX:ENR) has confirmed a continuous ‘high-grade’ zone of niobium mineralisation following recent aircore drilling at the Joyce prospect within its Aileron Project in Western Australia.
The company reports significant niobium intersections ending in mineralisation, including 4m @ 2.40% niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅) from 40m to end of hole and 6m @ 1.30% Nb₂O₅ from 88m to end of hole.
Additional results from the campaign include 2m @ 1.60% Nb₂O₅ from 34m, as well as 6m @ 1.30% Nb₂O₅ from 88m, within an 8m interval grading 1.00% Nb₂O₅ from 88m to end of hole.
Sitting 6km east of the Green deposit, Joyce offers potential to add shallow, ‘high-grade’ resources to Aileron’s current inferred resource of 120 million tonnes (Mt) @ 0.77% Nb₂O₅, which includes a ‘high-grade’ domain of 26Mt @ 1.70% Nb₂O₅. Drilling in 2025 previously returned 9m @ 2.20% Nb₂O₅ from 120m to end of hole.
Managing Director Will Robinson says Joyce is shaping up as “another zone of shallow, end of hole, high-grade mineralisation”, which adds to what the company already considers a ‘province-scale’ carbonatite system at Aileron.
“The company is laying the groundwork for continued growth of its resource base, while also completing infill drilling on the expected high-grade starter pit areas within its existing resource, as part of its dual-track strategy of systematic exploration and de-risking the path to development,” Robinson says.
Assay results remain pending for drilling 200m on either side of the reported intercepts to help evaluate lateral continuity and guide deeper target drilling.
Meanwhile, three drill rigs remain active at Aileron, with the company expecting a pipeline of assay results over the coming months. This includes initial diamond drilling assays from the Emily prospect and additional Joyce aircore results in October.
Encounter also intends to undertake infill and extensional drilling at Green, as well as complete regional target drilling by November.
The company is also progressing pre-development work, including metallurgical test work, geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling, heritage and environmental surveys, and project studies.
Encounter Resources is a mineral explorer focused on the discovery of major copper and critical mineral deposits, including niobium and rare earths.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Encounter Resources
