Meeka Metals (ASX:MEK) reports that it has intercepted the highest rare earth element (REE) grades to date following an aircore (AC) drilling program at its Circle Valley Rare Earth Project in Western Australia.
The results have returned REE mineralisation grades up to 6,894ppm TREO near surface, which represents the highest grade mineralisation intercepted to date, and also demonstrate that the cover profile shallows to the northwest of Circle Valley.
The mineralisation also displays that a high proportion of the grade, up to 31% in this latest batch of assays, are valuable NdPr magnet rare earths.
Notable intercepts include:
- Hole 22CVAC234: 4m @ 1,940ppm TREO (20% NdPr) and 3g/t Sc from 12m
- Hole 22CVAC252: 8m @ 1,102ppm TREO (22% NdPr) and 15g/t Sc from 12m
- Hole 22CVAC244: 8m @ 1,433ppm TREO (26% NdPr) and 21g/t Sc from 16m
- Hole 22CVAC306: 6m @ 1,069ppm TREO (15% NdPr) and 13g/t Sc from 16m
- Hole 22CVAC250: 12m @ 2,690ppm TREO (26% NdPr) and 26g/t Sc from 20m, incl. 4m @ 6,894ppm TREO
- Hole 22CVAC212: 8m @ 2,766ppm TREO (27% NdPr) and 18g/t Sc from 28m, incl. 4m @ 5,031ppm TREO
- Hole 22CVAC354: 8m @ 2,814ppm TREO (30% NdPr) and 37g/t Sc from 40m
- Hole 22CVAC259: 7m @ 1,208ppm TREO (26% NdPr) and 31g/t Sc from 44m
- Hole 22CVAC341: 4m @ 2,787ppm TREO (31% NdPr) and 41g/t Sc from 56m
Commenting on the results, Meeka’s Managing Director, Tim Davidson, said: “Results continue to show a shallowing cover profile to the northwest at Circle Valley, corresponding with a +1,000ppm high-grade component of the rare earth mineralisation, rich in NdPr magnet rare earth elements.
This shallow high-grade mineralisation appears to trend northwest into an undrilled part of the Circle Valley, which will be a focus for Mineral Resource infill drilling commencing in early 2023.
“Results continue to show a shallowing cover profile to the northwest at Circle Valley, corresponding with a +1,000ppm high-grade component of the rare earth mineralisation”
Delivery of an initial Mineral Resource remains on track for the June 2023 quarter. Good progress is also being made on the metallurgical front where we are working to establish methods to upgrade prior to recovery and to optimise the recovery conditions.”
The company also notes that the REE mineralisation accumulates within the saprolite clay horizon creating thick, near surface mineralised zones below shallow transported cover.
In addition, Meeka’s neighbouring St Annes deposit, as part of its Murchisons Gold Project, has produced similar results, returning shallow, ‘high-grade’ gold mineralisation following an AC drilling campaign which has successfully extended the strike length.
Meeka Metals is a gold and rare earths company that currently holds a portfolio of high quality 100% owned projects across Western Australia, including the Circle Valley and Cascade Rare Earths Projects which are located in a region that is rapidly emerging as a highly prospective clay rare earths province.
The Circle Valley Rare Earths project is located in proximity to the townships of Esperance and Norseman in WA’s Murchison province and has been drilled for REE mineralisation following reanalysis of samples taken from the tenement in early 2022.
With the recent AC drilling campaign now complete and assays returning, Meeka Metals announces that it will recommence resource definition drilling at Circle Valley in January 2023, following completion of a ‘significantly’ expanded drilling campaign at its St Annes deposit.
The upcoming drill program will reportedly focus on the north-western zone where high TREO grades and a high proportion of NdPr elements are coincident with shallow cover.
Images: Meeka Metals Ltd
