A review of historical drilling data by RareX (ASX: REE) at the Khaleesi project in Western Australia has identified extensive deposits of gallium-rich clays over a 9 kilometre strike length.
Historical data for the Niobe prospect showed that drilling intersected gallium mineralised zones with grades as high as 87 grams per tonne gallium oxide.
Best clay-hosted intersections included 20m at 70g/t, 32m at 67g/t, 28m at 64g/t, and 20m at 67g/t.
Heritage Clearances Ongoing
RareX is completing heritage clearances at the site in preparation for a maiden 3,000 metre drilling campaign at priority carbonatite and gallium targets within the 20km-long Khaleesi Alkaline Intrusive Complex.
Work to date has included consolidation of the landholding, signing of access agreements with the local Narnoo and Tropicana indigenous groups, and the completion of heritage and archeological surveys.
The company is only still to complete a flora survey over the project area, before commencement of drilling in a program that is being funded by a $175,000 grant under the Exploration Incentive Scheme.
Thicker Higher-Grade Zones
The drilling campaign will test along strike from the Niobe clay zones, over an area of 1.6km x 1.2km where the topography of the granite forms peaks and troughs, some of which contain thicker, higher-grade zones.
RareX has identified drill targets for potential carbonatites and gallium mineralisation using geochemical results from historical aircore drilling combined with geophysical datasets.
Among them will be four geophysical targets with the potential to host rare earth and niobium mineralised carbonatites.
Two geochemical targets that have displayed elevated indicator elements associated with alkaline-hosted mineral systems, including rock chips of up to 0.4% total rare earth oxides and 81g/t gallium oxide, will also be included.
Compelling Gallium Target
Chief executive officer James Durrant said Niobe presented a compelling gallium target.
“The Alkaline Intrusive Complex is a great address to find a rare earth or niobium-enriched carbonatite,” he said.
“The geological interpretation of historical drilling at Niobe has outlined a very large gallium system with clay-hosted grades that are well above typical regolith-hosted systems.”
The company said it was “pleased to finally have a line of sight for a drill program” after what has been a challenging and drawn-out permitting process.
