Taruga Minerals announces more ‘exceptional’ REE recoveries at Morgan’s Creek
China’s advantage in rare earths is its abundance of ion-adsorption clays – something Australian Rare Earths has now discovered in SA.
Test work by Taruga Minerals (ASX: TAR) on drill samples from Morgan’s Creek in South Australia has revealed more “exceptional” rare earth elements (REE) recoveries.
The junior explorer had previously confirmed the presence of ionic adsorption clay (IAC) style REE at the prospect in May following the analysis of drill samples from a 2021 reverse circulation (RC) campaign.
IAC-style REE deposits allow for a simple metallurgical flow sheet, which Taruga says is a critical factor in determining the potential commercial viability of REE deposits.
In today’s announcement, the company said a second batch of samples have increased the average recoveries across the weathered and fresh rock zones, with no change to the average recovery of the clay zone.
In the weathered zone, average recoveries increased from 68% to 72% total rare earth oxides (TREO), from 70% to 75% magnetic rare earth oxides (MREO – which includes neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium), and from 53% to 62% heavy rare earth oxides (HREO).
Fresh rock recoveries also increased and indicate a high REE solubility of 47% of the TREO and 50% of the MREO in this zone.
Average recoveries in the clay zone remain unchanged at 85% TREO and 93% MREO.
First ever REE-focused exploration at the project
Located within Taruga’s broader Mt Craig copper project, Morgan’s Creek has previously been the focus of copper exploration.
Taruga chief executive officer Thomas Line said the company will now aim to define a series of new clay-hosted REE targets across Morgan’s Creek in the first ever REE-focused exploration at the project.
“We are currently performing auger drilling across these targets to assist in refining drill targets. We are excited to progress to air core and RC drilling toward the end of July,” he said.
REE mineralisation remains open in all directions
Significant intercepts from Taruga’s 2021 drilling campaign at Morgan’s Creek included: 6m at 1,210 parts per million TREO from 9m; 22m at 1,050ppm from 27m including 10m at 1,940ppm TREO; and 3m at 1,715ppm from 39m including 2m at 2,456ppm TREO.
The REE mineralisation has been defined over an area of about 6km long by 2km wide and remains open in all directions.
Backed by state government exploration initiative
Taruga also recently received a $650,000 Accelerated Discovery Initiative grant from the South Australian Government for REE and copper exploration at the Mt Craig project.
The company confirmed it is well funded with existing capital to continue exploration activities including the fully budgeted drilling, regional exploration and metallurgical test work.