• Visual inspection of drill core has flagged widespread REE potential at Machinga
  • Historical drilling at Machinga previously returned up to 11m at 1% TREO
  • Malawi is considered a mining friendly African country
  • Assays are pending and metallurgical test work is planned

 

A recently completed maiden drilling campaign at DY6 Metals’ Machinga heavy rare earth element (HREE) and niobium project in Malawi shows “widespread visual mineralisation”.

Machinga is just 40km east-southeast of Lindian Resources’ Kangankunde project, described as one of biggest rare earths projects outside China.

DY6’s flagship project is particularly enriched with high-value heavy rare earth elements dysprosium and terbium – and holds significant niobium and tantalum potential as well.

It’s also in Malawi, a landlocked country in Sub Saharan Africa fondly described as the “warm heart of Africa”, and whose Government views mining as one the main pillars of its economic revival.

This drilling program was designed to follow up on historical drilling in 2010 that returned assays such as 11m at 1% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) (including 330ppm dysprosium) from a down-hole depth of 12m and 5m at 1.5% TREO from 26m.

DY6 Metals (ASX:DY6) has now completed 4,543m of drilling consisting of 35 reverse circulation (RC) holes for 3,643m and 8 diamond drill (DD) holes for 900m at the Machinga North prospect.

REE mineralisation was visually identified in the majority of drill core and indicates the potential for a large mineralised system over numerous zones, the company says.

 

Defining a deposit

“DY6 has reached a significant milestone with the completion of its maiden drilling program on the Machinga North prospect,” DY6 CEO Lloyd Kaiser said.

“The company is pleased by the widespread visual rare earth mineralisation across the majority of diamond holes from its initial drilling campaign and the program provides an extensive sample set for future delineation of the deposit.

“We are optimistic that future assay and mineralogy results will further quantify visual assessment of the rare earth mineralisation in the core samples.”

Assaying of the first and second batch of RC drill chips is under way with results to be progressively released over the coming weeks.

 

Rock chip and soil sampling indicate more upside

The company has already received soil and rock chip samples from Machinga, with 256 soil samples returning up to 3520ppm (0.35%) TREO, 3730ppm (0.37%) niobium and 1.84% zirconium, plus 35% of all soil samples returned >1000ppm (>0.1%) TREO.

Assays from 49 rock chip samples taken from historic trenching returned up to 28,299 ppm (2.83%) TREO, 0.77% niobium and 6.59% zirconium.

DY6 says the soil results indicate significant potential exists uphill and to the south of the initial focus of drilling activity.

A rock chip sampling program is already under way in this southern area of anomalous soil responses.

 

Metallurgical test work planned

The drilling program has provided adequate sample material for mineralogy and metallurgical test work to be carried out in the last quarter of 2023.

Once assays are available, DY6 will be able to determine the controls on mineralisation and to identify the most prospective areas for further evaluation.

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with DY6 Metals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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