Makuutu Drilling Aiming To Substantially Increase Indicated Resource Base
Ionic Rare Earths Limited (ASX: IXR) has commenced a Phase 4 Drill Programme at its 51% owned Makuutu Rare Earths Project in Uganda.
The drill programme will aim at converting a significant portion of the Inferred Resources on RL 1693 to an Indicated Resource classification, plus also converting RL 1693 Exploration Targets to classified resources.
The company’s Mineral Resource Estimate, released in March, 2011, was announced at 315 Million tonnes at 650 ppm Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) with a cut-off grade of 200 parts per million (ppm) TREO minus Cerium Oxide (CeO2).
Makuutu ranks amongst the world’s largest ionic adsorption clay (IAC) deposits, and as such, a globally strategic resource for long-term security of critical and heavy rare earth (HREO) supply.
Managing Director, Tim Harrison, said the recently announced Makuutu Rare Earths Scoping Study was primarily supported by the Project’s Indicated Resource which reflected only circa 27% of the total Mineral Resource Estimate. This infill drill program is primarily to increase the Indicated Resource base to support future studies at Makuutu, including the Feasibility Study (FS).
“We are glad to have resumed core drilling at Makuutu. We have ambitious plans for next 6 months, and with a second rig due to arrive on site in coming days, we expect to complete a substantial amount of core drilling during this Phase 4 programme,” Mr Harrison said.
“The plan is to work towards converting the majority of the higher grade Inferred Resource base at RL 1693 to Indicated Resources over the second half of 2021. Additionally, we are working on the requireddrilling to define a measured resource base at RL 1693, and to help deliver this, a third drill rig is being coordinated to arrive at site in the second half of July.”
Infill Drill Program (Phase 4)
The first diamond drill rig has arrived on site at Makuutu and commenced infill drilling adjacent to the Makuutu Central Zone (MCZ) on RL 1693.
Ionic will prioritise infill drilling to areas immediately adjacent to the existing Indicated Resource area, Central Zone East (CEZ) Inferred, CEZ Unclassified Exploration Target, Central Main Zone Inferred, plus areas F, G and H.
The zones represent the highest identified Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) grade Inferred and Exploration Target mineralisation at Makuutu.
For more information visit https://ionicre.com.au/
