Askari Metals is eagerly-awaiting results from a reconnaissance mission targeting rare earths at Barrow Creek after rock chip samples highlighted results of up to 4553 parts per million total rare earth oxides (TREO).
The Northern Territory project sits within 40km of Arafura’s Nolans Bore deposit that hosts a JORC-compliant mineral resource of 56 million tonnes at 2.6 per cent TREO. Askari believes Barrow Creek may hold geology similar to Arafura’s project.
Management now plans to use the results from its latest reconnaissance program to conduct geological mapping, in addition to a rock chip and gridded soil sampling program in a bid to highlight potential targets for follow-up exploration.
The company’s previous field campaign targeted a suite of rocks in the south-central part of the project to chase up a swarm of prospective lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites within central NT’s Arunta pegmatite province.
Additional results from the initial rock chip program included assays of 2143ppm and 1243ppm TREO. Askari says there has been no previous mining or exploration targeting rare earths in the area.
The previously-mapped pegmatite field in the north-east area of the project measures about 4.8km by 3.8km. The south-central field appears to outcrop more extensively while exhibiting similar mineralogy.
Askari observed pegmatites varying in widths from five metres at surface and expects them to be bigger at depth. The company says the outcrops are interpreted to occur over a linear magnetic-structural trend, suggesting potential for rare earths-enriched source rock at shallow depth.
Askari Metals vice president exploration and geology Johan Lambrechts said: “This field exploration program has been designed to test the potential of the extraordinary REE results identified during our previous work phase and will conduct close-spaced sampling and mapping around the trend of anomalous values. This area has not been tested for REE potential in the past, and we eagerly await the results from this exciting phase of work.”
The company’s earlier field work at Barrow Creek identified fertile pegmatites with values of up to 817ppm lithium oxide in the north-east and up to 456ppm in the south-east.
The project covers 278 square kilometres in the NT’s south and is surrounded by holdings owned by Core Lithium and the recently-listed Lithium Plus Minerals. The Arunta pegmatite province is known for hosting extensive pegmatites and is considered highly-prospective for spodumene-dominated hard-rock lithium mineralisation.
Askari says the potential for rare earths mineralisation at the site is significant and complements the project’s lithium prospects.
With the company’s suite of impressive rock chip samples adding to Arafura’s sizeable rare earths operation nearby, the market will be interested to see what it can unearth in its next phase of exploration at Barrow Creek.
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