Dreadnought Resources hits more REE mineralisation at Mangaroon project
Dreadnought Resources is expecting a steady stream of assays from its priority targets at Mangaroon, with drilling to resume in February or March next year.
Drilling at Dreadnought Resources’ (ASX: DRE) Mangaroon project in Western Australia has encountered mineralisation rich in rare earth elements (REE), niobium and phosphorus.
Drilling of the C1-to-C5 carbonatites during 2022 is reported to have exceeded the company’s expectations, delivering intercepts of more than 200m in thickness from the mineralised zone at C3.
Drilling at C3 totalled seven reverse circulation holes for 1,135 metres and one diamond hole for 279.6m.
The program has been completed for the year. Dreadnought managing director Dean Tuck said a steady stream of assays is expected from the Sabre, Y8, C1-to-C5 and Yin targets in the first quarter of 2023.
He added the company was planning for an even bigger year of exploration in 2023.
2022 exploration program
Dreadnought’s 2022 exploration program discovered the Yin, Sabre and Y8 REE ironstones and delivered an initial resource drill out over 3km of the 16km-long Yin trend.
The company identified six coherent zones of REE, niobium, titanium and phosphorus mineralisation within the C1-to-C5 carbonatites which remain open along strike and at depth.
It delivered 19 diamond holes for additional detailed metallurgical test work across the Yin trend with results expected by April next year.
An initial Yin resource remains on track for delivery before year end.
Project location
Mangaroon covers approximately 5,300 square kilometres of the Mangaroon zone in WA’s Gascoyne region.
Part of the project is targeting nickel-copper-platinum group elements (PGE) and is subejct to a 70% earn-in arrangement with Canadian company First Quantum Minerals.
The region is also host to high-grade gold mineralisation at the Bangemall/Cobra and Star of Mangaroon gold mining centres and the Yangibana REE deposit (owned by Hastings Technology Metals, ASX: HAS).
Dreadnought has located outcropping high-grade gold bearing quartz veins along the Edmund and Minga Bar Faults, outcropping high-grade REE ironstones (similar to those being developed at Yangibana) and outcropping high-tenor nickel-copper-PGE blebby sulphides in the recently-defined Money intrusion.