McLaren Minerals (ASX:MML) has identified ‘broad’ zones of heavy minerals mineralisation in the northeastern section of the McLaren deposit in Western Australia.
The company has completed 6,036m of drilling across 334 holes of its planned 13,000m resource upgrade and expansion drilling campaign.
McLaren has returned the first batch of assays from the campaign, with ‘high-grade’ intersections including 27m from surface @ 6.2% heavy minerals, 16m from surface @ 6.4% heavy minerals, and 24m from surface @ 5.27% heavy minerals.
From the assays returned, 55% of the reported intersections returned grades higher than 4% heavy minerals, holding an average grade of 5.54% heavy minerals, while 87% of the intersections returned grades higher than 2% heavy minerals.
Assays returned confirm continuity within the upper and lower mineralised strand systems, which the company says supports its geological model.
Managing Director Simon Finnis says the first batch of assays is what the company “wanted to see from this stage of the program”.
“The drilling is confirming good thicknesses and grades across the areas targeted for resource upgrade, while also giving us a much better understanding of the continuity of mineralisation throughout the deposit,” Finnis says.
“I am particularly pleased to see the lower mineralised strand continuing through the drilling area, as this was one of the key geological questions we wanted to answer through the program.
“With more than 6,000m completed and drilling rates now increasing significantly, we are building a strong dataset to support the next resource update, future reserve work, and progression of the Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS).”
The company will continue drilling in the resource area, heritage clearing along the Eastern Shoreline target, and metallurgical sample despatch for test work.
McLaren Minerals is a junior explorer focused on developing projects considered prospective for critical minerals.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: McLaren Minerals
