ASX-listed rare earth’s producer, Northern Minerals, looks to be potentially onto something in the East Kimberly with some solid results from rock chip sampling grading up to 2.92% copper at its John Galt Project, located 200 kilometres south of Kununurra in WA.
The rock chip sampling program covered an area of 2 kilometres by 500 metres with half of all the samples returning high copper grades of 1% or greater.
Whilst the company says its primary focus remains on rare earth elements, the discovery of a new copper ore body would provide another string to the Perth-based company’s bow.
Northern said it plans to undertake geological mapping, follow-up soil sampling and ground geophysics at John Galt, with positive results potentially triggering a drilling program later in the year.
Northern Minerals Managing Director, George Bauk, said: “These copper results were an unexpected bonus for our exploration program at John Galt…”
“It is early days with respect to these copper results, however we are extremely encouraged by the widespread and high-grade nature of the results received.
“With the performance of Browns Range improving every day and nearing nameplate capacity, we are confident of a good year ahead.”
Northern Minerals’ Browns Range Dazzler deposit is a world-class rare earth giant in the Kimberley, currently enjoying a maiden inferred mineral resource of 144,000 tonnes at 2.23% TREO, comprising 3,200,000 kilograms of TREO using a cut-off grade of 0.15% TREO.
Northern has a lot invested in Browns Range and is rapidly moving to prove up the economics of a potentially large scale plant – a solid copper discovery in the meantime would be a real shot in the arm for the company and 2.92% copper isn’t a bad start.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact : matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
