St George flies geophysics to unlock world-class Brazilian niobium play

St George Mining has launched into advanced geophysics surveys at its Araxá niobium-rare earths project in Brazil’s mining heartland of Minas Gerais. The company is flying its high-tech surveys in a quest to expand its project to become a globally significant niobium resource. 

St George has deployed a high-resolution magnetics drone alongside passive seismic surveys to confirm the extent of its mammoth resource potential at Araxá, as an ongoing 10,000-metre drilling blitz winds up.

First assay results from the massive drilling program are expected imminently as the rare earths hopeful pushes to ignite Araxá as a globally significant niobium player in the world-class Barreiro carbonatite complex.

The company’s geophysics program is designed to pinpoint high-grade mineralised zones and map structural controls at Araxá to build on a recent 41.2-million-tonne maiden resource grading 0.68 per cent niobium oxide and 40.6Mt at a large 4.13 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO). 

The starter resource already positions Araxá as a standout in the critical minerals space, with less than 10 per cent of the project area drilled and mineralisation open in all directions.

St George says it is confident it will unlock substantial additional value as results flow in. Historical drilling at Araxá has already delivered some juicy, thick intercepts, including a thick 60-metre section running an impressive 11.1 per cent TREO from surface alongside niobium hits such as 20m at 2.4 per cent from surface. 

High-grade zones at Araxá have reached as high as 8 per cent niobium and a staggering 33 per cent TREO, underscoring the project’s potential to rival global peers such as its neighbour at Barreiro, the CBMM niobium mine, which has a massive 896Mt resource running at 1.49 per cent niobium. 

The company has already kicked off a high-resolution drone-based magnetic survey, focussed on tightly spaced 25m lines, to deliver detailed maps of the project’s basement rocks. 

St George says the mapping will help delineate lithological boundaries, structural corridors and high-grade mineralised zones at the world-class carbonatite. A parallel LiDAR survey will generate a precise digital elevation model, enhancing geological interpretation and logistical planning for the next round of step-out drilling.

St George Mining executive chairman John Prineas said: “The new surveys are designed to provide detail on the lateral and depth potential of the mineralised system. With less than 10 per cent of the project area effectively tested by drilling and very limited drilling beyond 100m from surface, the new geophysical dataset will give invaluable information for exploration targeting and resource definition drilling.”

Araxá’s standout features include its free-dig near-surface resource, which sits almost entirely within 100m depth. With mineralisation starting largely at surface and more than 500 historic high-grade niobium intercepts, the deposit looks primed for low-cost, open-pit mining potential, akin to that of its world-class neighbour. 

St George’s robust local infrastructure and access to a skilled workforce enabled it to secure government backing for expedited approvals and assemble a top-tier in-country team, including several former CBMM executives.

The company remains confident it can upgrade the resource to higher confidence categories while simultaneously expanding its resource footprint as management looks to put its foot to the floor to quickly develop the project.

With assay results on the horizon and geophysical data set to refine exploration targeting, St George Mining is working flat out in its mission to transform Araxá into a cornerstone of Brazil’s critical minerals supply chain. A plethora of activity means a strong flow of news to the market, which remains niobium-hungry despite broader rare earths price weakness.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au