• Roadside drilling highlights 1m at 2,420ppm TREO intercept
  • Despite being limited to the roadside, 40 of the 215 holes returned grades of 500ppm to 2,420ppm TREO
  • Murraydium is adjacent to Australian Rare Earths’ Koppamurra project

 

Lanthanein’s Murraydium ionic clay rare earths project in South Australia is a confirmed winner after reconnaissance roadside drilling returned 40 holes with grades between 500 and 2,420ppm total rare earths.

Lanthanein Resources’ (ASX:LNR) 872km2 Murraydium project in the Murray Basin of south-eastern South Australia is adjacent to Australian Rare Earths’ (ASX:AR3) advanced Koppamurra ionic clay project, which currently has a resource of 101Mt grading 818 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO).

Further highlighting the REE potential of the region, Resource Base (ASX:RBX) has also defined a maiden resource of 21Mt at 767ppm TREO at its Mitre Hill deposit across the border within the Victorian sector of the Murray Basin.

This activity is driven by growing demand for REEs, particularly magnet REEs used to fabricate permanent rare earth magnets found in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines, which is expected to outstrip new sources of supply.

Murraydium itself forms part of an extensive tertiary strand plain comprising a series of sandstone‐dominant fluvial and beach‐dune strand complexes.

These sand units commonly form undulating sand ridges, interspersed with low lying areas of clay, mud and sand.

Previous work carried out by Australian Rare Earths has outlined an extensive mineralised system where shallow near-surface exploration has the potential to delineate significant REE resources.

Importantly for Lanthanein, the REE-bearing clays that contain the Yellow Tail and Red Tail deposits at Koppamurra occur within the lower part of the Loxton‐Parilla Sand unit, which is widely distributed across the southern Murray Basin and was the target of its roadside drill program.

 

Lanthanein Resources
Aircore drilling locations. Pic: Supplied (LNR).

 

Proven REE exploration opportunity

Reconnaissance roadside aircore drilling on the Bordertown Block, where extensive areas of the Loxton‐Parilla Sand are exposed at surface, has returned encouraging results like 2m grading 1,560ppm TREO, including 1m at 2,420ppm TREO in hole SBT199.

Four other holes returned assays of more than 1,000ppm TREO:

  • 1m at 1,055ppm TREO (SBT048);
  • 1m at 1,085ppm TREO (SBT082);
  • 1m at 1,080ppm TREO (SBT100); and
  • 1m at 1,264ppm TREO (SBT190).

All up, 40 of the 215 holes drilled returned grades between 500ppm and 2,420ppm TREO, which is a pretty significant success given that the company’s efforts were limited to drilling along access roads.

“These results are the absolute confirmation of the exciting exploration opportunity in a region that is highly prospective for ionic clay hosted rare earth deposits,” technical director Brian Thomas says.

“[This is] evidenced by work done in the region by AR3, which has outlined an extensive mineralised system at Koppamurra where shallow near surface exploration has delineated significant JORC Resources of REEs.

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Lanthanein Resources, 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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