Extensive High-Grade REE’s Over Multiple Kilometres - Condingup Project, Esperance WA

Assays of samples from the drilling announced recently¹ by EMU NL (ASX:EMU) (“EMU” or “the Company”) confirm significant scale rare earth mineralisation with high values for TREO, HREO and MREO² at the 100% owned Condingup REE Project near Esperance WA.

The wide-spaced aircore drilling programme targeted deep clay traps and paleochannels, interpreted from EMU’s passive seismic geophysics survey, returned significant TREO results up to 2,513ppm over multiple kilometres and over wide drilling intervals. This proof-of-concept drilling effectively demonstrated that substantial concentrations of REEs are hosted in the deeper clay trap zones within the weathering profile overlying fresh host Booanya granites.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Extensive high grade assay results recorded from standard 4m composite samples up to 2,513pmm Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO)
• High value Magnetic Rare Earth Oxide (MREO) ratio to TREO of 21% (average for drilling programme) extending to a maximum of 40.7% at Merivale Rd
• Heavy Rare Earth (HREO) ratio of up to 53.08%
• The aircore programme targeted only a minor portion of viable clay trap sites and deeply weathered Booanya granites within the 1,560 square kilometre project, indicating the vast scale of prospectivity available for further testing
• First phase aircore drilling programme demonstrated continuity of grade and thickness over multiple kilometres in the wide-spaced drill programme with mineralised lenses running up 6-8kms in length
• Anomalous grade >300ppm TREO values intersected in 33 of the 34 holes drilled over significant intercepts up to a maximum 59m vertical drill intercept
• High grade >750ppm TREO values intersected in 67% of holes drilled. Flat-lying REE zones located in relatively shallow thick clay zones immediately above fresh granite lithologies

Significant high-grade clay-hosted rare earth intersections include:

The “proof of concept” roadside aircore drilling programme tested three main targets at Kettles- Parmango, Merivale and Baring Roads where interpreted bedrock mapping indicated deep clay traps within the prospective Booanya Suite granitic intrusives. The three drill targets were tested by continuous 4m composite sampling through the complete weathering profile from surface to bedrock. Overall, the drilling tested only a very small proportion of the substantial 1,560 square kilometre Condingup REE Project, leaving scope for multiple target areas remaining for follow-up work (see Figure 1 – Drill Collar Location Plan).

Figure 1 –Drill Collar Plan showing positions relative to geology and Emu tenement boundaries

Results

The Condingup aircore drilling programme and multielement analysis of the sampling has confirmed significant grades of REE mineralisation over wide intercepts in this “first pass” drilling programme designed to test the proof of concept.

The assay results returned anomalous grade >300ppm TREO values in 33 of the 34 holes completed, demonstrating the prospectivity of the region and the fertility of the host rocks. Consistent wide mineralised intercepts confirmed the Condingup REE Project as a project that stands “head-to-head” alongside its peers in the emerging globally significant Esperance clay hosted REE province.

The distribution of anomalous REE elements generally occupy a variable but wide interval of clays and saprolite immediately above the granite bedrock. The width of intercepts in the vertical drilling range up to 59m (Hole 23CAC019) and the lateral extensions of these “lenses” reach at least 6-8km, which points to significant project prospectivity and economics.

Click here for the full ASX Release

This article includes content from EMU NL, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.