OD6 Metals is on track for a substantial resource upgrade at its flagship Splinter Rock project near Esperance in Western Australia after recording high grades of up to 6441 parts per million total rare earth oxides (TREO) from a third drilling phase.
A remarkable 77 per cent of holes drilled in the latest campaign produced results of more than 1000ppm TREO, with thickness up to 77m. The company has today revealed results that include a peak 3m hit going 6441ppm TREO from 39m, while the widest intercept was a 77m section grading 1429ppm TREO from 18m.
Management says a deep, wide clay channel extensional to the southern end of the resource has returned grades greater than 1400ppm TREO and creates strong potential for a substantial resource upgrade. Assay highlights include a 58m section grading 2060ppm from just 21m and a 24m intercept going 2379ppm from 18m.
OD6 says the value of magnetic rare earth oxides (MREO) represents an average of 23 per cent of the TREO grade and has also confirmed clay-based rare earths across a 14km-by-5km zone at its Centre prospect. Magnet rare earths include neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium – all elements that are critical for the manufacture of industrial magnets used in electric vehicle engines.
The company received $180,000 in co-funded support from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s Exploration Incentive Scheme for its latest round of air-core (AC) drilling that helped facilitate the campaign.
These assay results are truly exceptional, surpassing our previous outstanding results. The extent of the Centre Prospect is simply massive, with some of Australia’s thickest high-grade clay hosted REE intercepts at up to 77m @ over 1400ppm TREO, with several zones in excess of 2000ppm TREO. The consistency of mineralisation across such a vast 14 km by 5km zone highlights the quality and significance of our discovery. OD6 Metals managing director Brett Hazelden
Earlier this year, the Esperance explorer revealed a maiden mineral resource estimate at Splinter Rock of 344 million tonnes at 1308ppm TREO.
The company only listed in June last year and officially kicked off drilling at the site two months later. The company completed its second phase of drilling earlier this year, with 74 of its 83 holes returning significant grades and thickness and featuring impressive results including 3m at 6605ppm TREO from 57m and a 69m intercept going 1483ppm TREO from 24m.
Last year’s maiden 65-hole drill campaign at Splinter Rock unveiled a broad parcel of clay-hosted mineralisation with grades of up to 6726ppm TREO. Assay highlights from the program include 6m at 4139ppm TREO from 27m, 6m grading 3262ppm from 30m, 18m running 2249ppm from 21m and 7m going 2279ppm from a shallow depth of just 45m.
Splinter Rock is about 150km north-east of Esperance and comprises six exploration licences. OD6 also holds the Grass Patch project about 100km north-west of Esperance, with a tenement area of more than 2200 square kilometres.
With the world gradually getting a better handle on the importance of the type of rare earths OD6 has in its Esperance patch as the green energy revolution gains momentum, Splinter Rock is emerging as a gift that will just keep on giving.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: office@bullsnbears.com.au