Desert Metals has received more ‘outstanding’ results from the recent 12,745m drilling program at its Innouendy rare earths project in WA and says the project has some serious scale potential.

The current batch of results includes assays from the Innouendy Central zone, the Cattle Yard Prospect (3.5km SW of Innouendy) and two new zones 1.5km and 3.5km SW of the Cattle Yards

Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) intersections include:

  • 29m at 1371 ppm from 28m (incl 16m at 1829 ppm, incl 4 at 2589 ppm);
  • 12m at 1154 ppm from 40m;
  • 11m at 1002 ppm from 24m;
  • 7m at 1200 ppm from 16m; and

Desert Metals (ASX:DM1) says assays continue to confirm the high-grade, widespread, thick and continuous nature of REE mineralisation at Innouendy along a strike of at least 21km and across widths of 2.5km.

The remaining results are expected within weeks.

Enormous scale potential

“The Innouendy Project is fast becoming an exceptional, multi-commodity, new economy, critical minerals discovery,” MD Rob Stuart said.

“These latest results confirm that the clay-hosted rare earth mineralisation within the Innouendy Central Zone is thick, continuous, high-grade, and open.

“Close drill hole spacing within the Central Zone is sufficient to give confidence in the continuity between holes and the regional step out traverses indicate the potential for enormous scale.”

Material grade increase on the cards

High Value Magnetic Rare Earth Oxides make up 22.96% of significant intercepts greater than 300ppm TREO and to date, 80% of holes assayed have grades greater than 300ppm TREO.

And these latest results also flagged partial TREO (only the elements Ce+La+Y) from a number of holes with the full suite of REE results pending – and which the company says typically see material grade increases.

Notable intersections of Partial TREO include:

  • 31m at 1066 ppm from 48m;
  • 21m at 1055 ppm from 12m (incl 4m at 3436 ppm); and
  • 21m at 736 ppm from 8m.

Once full TREO results are received these may form a contiguous block of over 7km with the mineralisation intersected to the northeast, with the block open in all directions.

Gearing up for major drilling

The company is planning for a major drilling campaign to further define the extent and continuity of the REE mineralisation at the Innouendy Project.

And they’re about to kick off a substantial program of leachability assays, ore characterisation and metallurgical test work, after recent weak acid digest results showed the mineralisation is easily leached with recoveries particularly good (>80%) for the high-grade zones of high value REE’s.

“With the extensive airborne electromagnetic data collected in 2021 the Company has both the data and the expertise to fast refine its REE targeting techniques,” Stuart said.

“We look forward to uncovering even higher grades, thicker clays and building the size of the discovery.

“With the recently announced nickel and PGE intercepts and the confirmation of this substantial REE discovery, there is no reason to think the best part of Innouendy has been found.”

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Desert Metals Limited, 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.

Read MoreRare Earths

Featured Companies

You might be interested in