Mamba Exploration (ASX:M24) has reported ‘encouraging’ results from initial rare earth element (REE) leaching testwork at its Hyden REE Project in Western Australia.
The $3.65 million market capitalisation company reports that on mineralisation from the southern area of the project, leach tests of mafic derived clays returned recovery rates up to 70.6% rare earth elements excluding cerium (TREE-Ce) into solution using simple hydrochloric (HCI) leaching.
Initial graphitic clay target zone tests returned variable recovery rates up to 19.3% TREE-Ce into solution using simple HCI leaching.
Meanwhile, the Northern area samples derived from granite bedrock returned recovery results rates of less than 5%.
As announced on 25 May 2023, Mamba submitted metallurgical samples to ALS for initial leach testwork to determine the preferred processing path for the regolith REE mineralisation following a drilling program.
This was conducted on 9 samples covering an area of 2,300m by 2,100m.
Mamba says analysis of the leach solution was conducted after 3 hours and on completion of the test after 6 hours to determine the initial leaching characteristics and potential extraction rates.
Commenting on the testwork results, Mamba Exploration Non-Executive Chairman Justin Boylson says: “While the metallurgical leach results are variable, from the initial tests it is clear the greenstone-hosted mineralisation in the southern area can be readily leached, with tests showing up to 70.6% recovery into solution with a relatively simple acid leach.
“from the initial tests it is clear the greenstone-hosted mineralisation in the southern area can be readily leached, with tests showing up to 70.6% recovery into solution with a relatively simple acid leach“
While the recoverability of the granite and felsic hosted mineralisation is low, additional work is planned to better determine the REE mineralogy to understand the source of the mineralisation and to determine if the material can be beneficiated to allow alternative extraction or upgrading of the REE minerals.”
Now that it has received these results, Mamba is planning further mineralogical testwork to enhance the understanding of the mineralogy of the host material and the associated REE. This work is expected to be completed in the near term, with results to be released as they become available.
Mamba Exploration is a Western Australia-focused exploration company with 4 wholly owned projects. The company’s portfolio of assets includes the Ashburton/Gascoyne, East Kimberley, Darling Range, and Great Southern projects.
As of 30 June 2023, the company had $745,000 cash and cash equivalents at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Mamba Exploration
