Dreadnought Resources (ASX:DRE) has confirmed the large-scale rare earths potential of its Mangaroon Project in Western Australia with assay results from 24 infill RC holes.
Infill drilling of the C3 carbonatite has achieved a major objective by demonstrating the potential for thick, high-grade zones of rare earths and niobium following up from anomalous wide spaced first pass drilling,” Managing Director, Dean Tuck, said.
“Ongoing drilling along the ~6.5kms x 1km of carbonatites could well deliver additional high-grade zones. Despite only completing a third of the first pass drilling, the large scale of the critical metal opportunity at Mangaroon is already apparent.
“Furthermore, we are extremely excited to have international carbonatite expert Pete Siegfried reviewing our work to date and providing insights to assist follow up work programmes across our carbonatite targets.”
To date only 89 holes (8,948m) out of a 260-hole first pass programme have been completed (~30%). Already the programme has identified a ~600m x ~550m zone of REE-P2O5-Nb2O5-TiO2-Sc mineralisation at C3. The recent results are from follow up, 80m x 80m angled, infill drilling (24 holes, 3,805m) designed to identify higher-grade zones.
This infill drilling has now defined high-grade zones of rare earths and niobium over an area of ~400m x ~400m (~0.16km2) and ~250m x ~150m (~0.038km2) respectively.
Results from the infill drilling will be included in an initial Resource for C3 in August 2023.
REE mineralisation has been confirmed in both weathered and fresh carbonatites with petrographic work showing coarse grained (up to 0.25mm) monazite and REE carbonate mineralisation in ferro- carbonatites and magnesio- carbonatite.
XRD analysis of the weathered carbonatites has confirmed the presence of monazite with further mineralogical work ongoing and recently expanded to include high- grade niobium, phosphate, titanium and scandium zones.
