Vital Metals (ASX:VML) reports assay results extending rare earth element and niobium mineralisation beyond the current Tardiff resource at its Nechalacho Rare Earths and Niobium Project in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
The company completed 17 diamond holes totalling 1,824m within the Tardiff resource area and three regional exploration holes totalling 279m at the S-Zone and R-Zone targets.
Results include 47m @ 1.66% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 0.31% niobium pentoxide (Nb₂O₅) from 37m in L26-689, extending mineralisation beyond the eastern margin of the resource.
Hole L26-703 intersected a previously unrecognised zone of 6m @ 3.86% TREO and 0.49% Nb₂O₅ from 100m within a broader 52m @ 1.35% TREO from 55m.
In the western portion, L26-692 returned 102m @ 1.47% TREO and 0.37% Nb₂O₅ from 4m. The hole also averaged 182 parts per million (ppm) gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) across its full 106m length.
CEO Lisa Riley says the results confirm continuity while extending mineralisation beyond the resource limits.
“They confirm the quality and continuity of the Tardiff resource while extending mineralisation beyond its current limits,” Riley says.
“Intersecting new, higher-grade zones outside the resource envelope, alongside encouraging niobium and gallium results, gives us real confidence as we advance an updated resource and drive the Tardiff Pre-Feasibility Study toward completion in early 2027.”
Tardiff has a mineral resource of 192.7 million tonnes (Mt) @ 1.31% TREO and 0.30% Nb₂O₅, containing 2.52Mt TREO, 636,000t neodymium-praseodymium, and 578,000t Nb₂O₅.
Vital says it plans to incorporate the results into an updated three-dimensional geological model and mineral resource estimate, targeting growth and conversion of selected inferred material to the indicated category.
Vital notes the updated resource will underpin the Tardiff Prefeasibility Study, targeted for completion in February 2027. The company also plans mineral deportment studies and metallurgical test work to assess the gallium results.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Vital Metals
