RareX Limited (ASX: REE) has received further high-grade assays from a further two diamond drill-holes, CDX0022 and CDX0027, at its 100%-owned Cummins Range Rare Earths and Phosphate Project in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Both holes returned very wide rare earths and phosphate intersections, building on the record intercept reported on September 20, 2022 and continuing to demonstrate the scale and potential of the Cummins Range Project.
The latest results include: 455.6m at 5% P2O5 and 0.5% TREO and multiple high-grade rare earths intersections cumulatively 100.4m at 1.9% TREO including 17m at 2.4% TREO from CDX0027; and 326.4m at 4% P2O5 and 0.4% TREO with multiple high-grade rare earths intersections cumulatively 60.5m at 1.8% TREO including of 6.2m at 4.2% TREO from CDX0022.
These two drill holes have been drilled on the same drill section down-dip from the JORC 2012 Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (at a 0.5% TREO cut-off) of 18.8 million tonnes at 1.15% TREO and 10% P2O5, highlighting the strong potential to expand and upgrade the current MRE.
CDX0027 and CDX0022 are located 100m to the south-east of CDX0020, which intersected 384.4m at 4% P2O5 and 0.3% TREO.
Our 2022 drilling programme is continuing to provide overwhelming evidence that Cummins Range is a world-class mineral system, hosting both rare earth oxides and top-quality rock phosphate,” Managing Director, Jeremy Robinson, said.
“The potential to extract both valuable minerals was confirmed by the encouraging metallurgical testwork results we announced yesterday, which confirmed the potential to produce a high-quality phosphate concentrate.
“The latest drilling is now adding significant volume and scale to the deposit, with these latest intersections occurring well beyond the current Mineral Resource envelope. They will be incorporated in our next MRE update, which will in turn underpin a Pre-Feasibility Study to determine the optimum scale of this exciting and globally significant project.”
CDX0027
Assay results have been received for the diamond portion of CDX0027. The assays for the upper 198m of RC are still outstanding. The drill hole passed through the Pendant Dyke, Rare Dyke and was stopped short of the Phos Dyke.
A total of 24 rare earths mineralised zones were intersected with a cumulative width and grade of 100.4m at 1.9% TREO. Zones ranged in width from 0.5m to 17m and in grade from 0.6% to 5.8% TREO. The uranium and thorium oxide content is ultra-low with an average of 39ppm for the 24 mineralised zones.
A majority of the mineralised zones are located in the hanging wall position proximal to, or on contact zones with the Rare Dyke, including 17m at 2.4% TREO from 492.2m. Mineralisation within the Rare Dyke is also strong with intercepts of 3.6m at 4.5% TREO and 12m at 2.4% TREO.
The phosphate alteration around the Rare Dyke is extensive with a significant intercept of 455.6m @ 5% P2O5 and 0.5% TREO from 197.8m. This phosphate intercept is likely to expand up-hole once RC assays are received for the top 197.8m.
The hole was stopped in strong phosphate mineralisation with the last 87.9m assaying at 9% P2O5 and 0.4% TREO. The combined uranium and thorium oxide for the 455.6m intersection was very low at 69 ppm.
The phosphate occurs as disseminated apatite in the carbonatite and altered pyroxenite. Higher grade phosphate of >7%, for example hole CDX0015, occurs in phoscorite, which is an ultramafic rock composed of coarse apatite-magnetite-phlogopite and diopside. The footwall position of CDX0027 is mostly phoscorite with the same geochemical composition as the Phos Dyke phoscorite.
CDX0022
All assays have been received for CDX0022, which was drilled through the Pendant Dyke and Rare Dyke and stopped in the footwall at 439.4m.
20 rare earths mineralised zones were intersected with a cumulative width of 60.5m at 1.8% TREO. The zones are hosted in the hanging wall position and within the Rare Dyke.
The most mineralised zone in the hanging wall position is 27.7m at 1% TREO including 5.2m at 3.1% TREO and within the Rare Dyke is 6.15m at 4.2% TREO. Negligible uranium and thorium oxide was seen with an average combined total of 37ppm over the 20 mineralised zones.
Consistent phosphate mineralisation was seen in most of CDX0022, with a large intersection starting at the Pendant dyke and finishing at the end-of-hole with 326.4m at 4% P2O5 and 0.4% TREO. The disseminated coarse apatite is low in uranium and thorium with a combined average of 52ppm.
A scissor hole, CDX0033, was drilled to confirm the geological model and strike and dip of structures, rock fabrics and mineralised zones.
CDX0033 is shown in Figure 2 and is drilled down the hanging wall position. A low-angle rock fabric dipping to the south-west is seen in most of the drill hole which supports the geological model. Assays are expected in coming weeks.