White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) has begun aircore (AC) drilling to follow-up on the discovery of ‘significant’ shallow mineralisation at the company’s Hines Hill Rare Earth Element (REE) Project in Western Australia.
The drill campaign is planned for about 90 AC drillholes for 20m, over a strike of 1km and width of 800m to be covered in this next phase, to the north and south of drillholes HHC037 and HHC038.
Commenting on the recommencement of drilling, White Cliff Minerals Technical Director, Ed Mead says: “It is great to be back on the ground at the Hines Hill REE Project, with the focus of this shallow aircore program to define ionic style REE clays.
“We hope that the results will enable us to define a maiden JORC resource, which will form the basis for moving the project forward towards metallurgical studies”
We hope that the results will enable us to define a maiden JORC resource, which will form the basis for moving the project forward towards metallurgical studies.
With the recent capital raise of up to $2.325 million and the sale of the Yinnetharra project for 7 million MI6 shares, White Cliff is now well funded to generate value from our existing assets and to also consider opportunities as they present. I look forward to the coming months of planned exploration activities.”
The follow-up drilling is based on the results announced to the ASX on 16 January 2023, which White Cliff reported as ‘extremely positive’.
The following results include hole HHC037 with 25m @ 837 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxide (TREO) (173ppm magnetic rare earth oxide (MREO) from 6m, including 3m @ 1,602ppm TREO from 6m; and hole HHC037 with 36m @ 639ppm TREO (131ppm MREO) from surface, including 3m @ 1,126ppm TREO from 12m.
Drilling of the most north-eastern magnetic feature discovered shallow REE mineralisation within the clay horizon, and thought to be either enriched as ionic absorption or a granitoid with high REE background is weathering.
Additionally, the resulting clays have equivalent or ‘higher’ REE content due to the reduction associated with weathering. White Cliff states, further drilling will refine the geological model.
Based on results from the current drilling program, White Cliff reports a maiden JORC resource will be completed.
Additionally, the company reports roadside drilling will follow up on REE geochemical anomalies, defined over the greater Hines Hill project area is being considered.
The Hines Hill REE Project consists of 2 tenements, within the Wheatbelt region, located about 200km east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The tenement encompasses a 576km-square area, containing extensive broad acre grain growing properties.
White Cliff Minerals is a mineral exploration company, focused on exploring and developing ‘highly’ prospective gold, REE, lithium, and gold-copper deposits.
The company’s asset portfolio includes the Abraxis, Preston River, Yinnetharra, Diemals, Hines Hill, Gardner Range, Reedy South, Midas, Coronation Dam, and Ghan Well Projects.
Images: White Cliff Minerals Ltd
