Hastings Technology Metals continues to press its case as Australia’s next rare earths producer after fresh drill results returned significant neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) findings at its Yangibana project in Western Australia.
The 170-hole, 13,334m reverse circulation (RC) drill program has targeted an 8km trend that snakes its way through Hastings’ Bald Hill, Simon’s Find and Fraser’s prospects at Yangibana.
Findings from the Simon’s Find deposit contained an average NdPr composition of 50 per cent with drill hole FRC222 comprising 57 per cent NdPr. This was from a 2m intersection at 1.31 per cent total total rare earth oxides (TREO).
Other results included the SFRC208 drill hole, which intersected 10m at 0.71 per cent TREO from 88m and had an NdPr composition of 50 per cent, while SFRC245 intersected 11m at 0.75 per cent TREO from 53m with an NdPr composition of 52 per cent.
The NdPr composition of Simon’s Find’s ore reserve is 52 per cent, which Hastings said is more than three times the global NdPr average.
Hastings chief operating officer Andrew Reid said the drill results were giving Hastings further confidence in Yangibana’s rising potential.
“Bald Hill–Simon’s Find–Fraser’s is turning into a super trend of rare earth mineralisation, with its proximity to the process plant as critical start-up feed,” he said. “The exceptional 50 per cent NdPr content in the Simon’s Find results coupled with a strong rare earths price environment will possibly increase ore reserves and mine life.”
The findings have successfully extended mineralisation down dip below the mineral resource of the Bald Hill–Simon’s Find–Fraser’s trend, while also infilling near-surface portions which had insufficient drilling up until this point.
Hastings said Yangibana’s results to date showed 69 per cent of holes intersected rare earth mineralisation greater than the 0.24 per cent TREO lower economic cut-off grade for the resource.