Dreadnought Resources begins drilling the C1-to-C5 carbonatite rare earth targets at Mangaroon
Dreadnought Resources managing director Dean Tuck says the rare earths opportunity at Mangaroon is “rapidly expanding”.
Dreadnought Resources (ASX: DRE) has begun reverse circulation drilling at the C1-to-C5 carbonatite prospects within its wholly-owned Mangaroon rare earths project in Western Australia’s Gascoyne.
The program will comprise 83-holes for 6,600m and is expected to take up to eight weeks to complete.
Assays are then anticipated in the March quarter of next year.
First pass drilling has started at C3 and will move across C3 to C4 before broadening to a 160m by 160m pattern through all five prospects.
The wide-spaced drilling program across C1-to-C5 is testing the carbonatites undercover.
Dreadnought says the carbonatites could be the source rare earths intrusions for the region and has likened the mineralisation to Lynas’ (ASX: LYC) Mt Weld mine in WA and Materials Corp’s (NYSE: MP) Mountain Pass operation, which is the only integrated rare earth mining and processing site in North America.
Drilling complete at Sabre and Y8
Meanwhile, first-pass wide space drilling at the Sabre and Y8 rare earths ironstone targets at Mangaroon is complete.
Dreadnought has also received rock chips from outcropping ironstones at Y8 with peak grades of 7.56% total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 8.02% TREO.
The chips comprised the higher value REE including 1.33% neodymium and praseodymium; and 1.71% neodymium and praseodymium, respectively.
Assays from drilling at Sabre and Y8 are expected in early November and will be followed-up with resource drilling once the campaign across C1-to-C5 has completed.
The company plans to release a JORC resource for the prospects in the June quarter of next year.
Expanding rare earths opportunity
Dreadnought managing director Dean Tuck said the scale of the rare earths opportunity at Mangaroon is “rapidly expanding” with the third discovery Y8 extending known mineralisation to 6km of strike.
He noted the Yin Ironstone Complex, which hosts the discoveries has 20km of identified strike.
“All the excitement has been building for us to commence drilling at the C1-to-C5 carbonatites and explore for the source intrusions in the region.”
Mr Tuck said the next few months at Mangaroon will be “extremely exciting” as the company delivers its first pass wide spaced program with the aim of discovering a “world class carbonatite deposit”.