iTech (ASX:ITM) has defined an exploration target of 110-220 million tonnes @ 635-832ppm Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) and 19-22% Al2O3 for the Caralue Bluff REE-Kaolin Project.
The exploration target at the project, located 30km south-west of Kimba in the central Eyre Peninsula, is based on 80 drill holes, from a total program of 260, across an area of about 12km x 12km.
The newly listed mineral exploration company notes that importantly, it remains open in multiple directions allowing for possible expansion in upcoming drill programs.
iTech now awaits the results of its metallurgical test work program to determine whether the REEs are in an ionic and/or colloidal form and have the potential to be economically extracted. If metallurgical results are positive, a major drilling program is planned, post-harvest (December-January), to convert the exploration target to JORC resources.
Commenting on the works program, iTech Managing Director Mike Schwarz said: “The Caralue Bluff Exploration Target shows the potential for significant resources of both REEs and high purity kaolin.
“The Caralue Bluff Exploration Target shows the potential for significant resources of both REEs and high purity kaolin”
Given the scale of the mineralisation at Caralue Bluff, iTech has been able to focus the exploration target on areas where both commodities are present to boost the economic potential of the project.
This also leaves a lot of room to grow any resource in the future.”
The Caralue Prospect was initially established as a high purity kaolin prospect with the identification of thick intervals of bright white kaolin, close to surface, in several historical drill holes.
Having identified significant REEs in the kaolin rich intervals at Ethiopia, Burtons and Bartels prospects, iTech geologists suspected that Caralue Bluff might also be prospective for regolith hosted REE mineralisation.
The Caralue Bluff Exploration Target area has three separate kaolin domains identified where down hole sample interval composite head grades of TREOs exceeded 400ppm.
The drillhole samples within each of the individual domains were separated into the individual domains and weighted averages of the head grades and screened grades for the composite intervals were used to provide the following information for the cumulative exploration target.
iTech is exploring for and developing battery materials and critical minerals within its 100% owned Australian projects. The company is exploring for kaolinite-halloysite, regolith hosted ion adsorption clay rare earth element mineralisation and developing the Campoona Graphite Deposit in South Australia.
The company also has extensive exploration tenure prospective for Cu-Au porphyry mineralisation, IOCG mineralisation and gold mineralisation in South Australia and tin, tungsten, and polymetallic Cobar-style mineralisation in New South Wales.
Images: iTech Minerals Ltd
