Heavy Minerals exceeds drilling expectations at Port Gregory garnet project
Drilling at Heavy Minerals’ WA project has returned higher than anticipated garnet grades.
Heavy Minerals (ASX: HVY) has revealed “exceptional” drilling assays from its Port Gregory garnet project in Western Australia with numerous intercepts exceeding the grades expected in the company’s exploration target modelling.
The explorer has now received all assay results for its entire 2021 drilling campaign and noted many intersections and characteristics of the mineralisation met expectations both in grade and thickness, which coupled with the shallow depth, “bode well for any future mining operations”.
Previous sachet scanning results have identified a higher-than-anticipated garnet fraction of between 65-75% in the total heavy mineral assemblage, which is approximately 1.5 times that reported by the previous tenement holder, GMA.
The ilmenite fraction of the total heavy minerals ranged between 10-20% – this measurement was not previously included in the exploration target.
Assay highlights included surface intersections of 13m at 17.9% total heavy minerals, 12m at 13.3%, 14m at 12.9% and 3m at 39.5%, plus a 22.5m intercept at 11.3% from a 12m depth. All assays had a cut-off grade of 2% total heavy minerals.
Heavy Minerals executive director and chief executive officer Nic Matich described the intercepts as “exceptional” in grade, thickness and depth.
“These characteristics are why this style of deposit, which is analogous to those in the region (GMA and RDG) are amenable to low capex and opex mining operations,” he said.
The significantly higher garnet percentage is another “extremely positive outcome” that bodes well for the mineral resource estimate, which utilised a conservative garnet percentage of 46%, Mr Matich added.
Port Gregory maiden resource estimate due in March
Heavy Minerals confirmed Port Gregory’s maiden JORC mineral resource is expected to be delivered in March.
Also due that month is metallurgy results from the company’s Inhambane mineral sands project in Mozambique.
Heavy Minerals then plans to commence a scoping study at Port Gregory in the second quarter of 2022.